PRIOR, Harriet Alethia 1868-1927

PRIOR, CLARK, ELLIS, BACHTELL, OTLEY, HARRIS

Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 11/4/2012 at 23:17:21

Postville Herald, Thursday, 29 Sept. 1927.

Mrs. E. H. Prior Passes On While Visiting Her Daughter In Kentucky.

Harriet Alethia Prior, daughter of Samuel C. and Kechiqua McKenney Clark, was born at Colesburg, Iowa, Oct. 8, 1868, and died in the Kentucky Baptist Hospital in Louisville, KY, Sept. 22, 1927, aged 58 years, 11 months, 14 days.

She was the eldest of a family of six children. Much of her life as a girl was spent in the home where she took an active part in rearing her brothers and sisters. She attended school during the years when the family lived at Clermont, and taught two terms in neighboring schools. In 1891 the family moved to Elkader, and here she was married to Edmund H. Prior, Feb. 14, 1893. Coming immediately to Postville, she has been one of us during all the succeeding years. Here she raised two daughters and suffered the loss of a son.

Left to mourn her untimely death are her husband, E. H. Prior, her daughters Mrs. Alfred E. Ellis and Mrs. R. W. Bachtell, and three grandsons, together with her sisters, Mrs. Richard Otley of Fayette and Mrs. C. G. Harris of Los Angeles; her brothers C. H. Clark of West Union, V. K. Clark of Dubuque, and L. S. Clark of Calcutta, India.

Early in life Mrs. Prior became a member of the Episcopal church. When she came to Postville she identified herself with the Congregational church. When that body merged with the Methodist to become the Community Presbyterian church, she was one of the charter members. In addition to her work as a member, she taught a class in the Presbyterian Sunday School.

She was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and secretary and treasurer of the local chapter of the W. C. T. U.

Hers was a life of useful Christian activity, and her passing leaves a deplorable vacancy in the community. Impressive burial services were conducted by Rev. Franklin Galloway in the Community Presbyterian church from which she was buried in the Postville cemetery. Attendance at her funeral and the numerous and beautiful floral offerings attested the respect entertained for her by the entire community.

The following relatives and friends from out of town were here to attend the funeral: Mrs. H. H. Lien and Rodney Lien of Mason City, J. L. Lien of Davenport, Mrs. G. D. Harrington of Marshalltown, Mr. and Mrs. R. Otley and children of Fayette, Mr. and Mrs. Victor Clark of Dubuque, Mr. and Mrs. Vern Crawford of West Union, F. G. Bell and M. X. Geske of McGregor and C. R. Hallowell of Waterloo.