Mrs. BERT (Nettie Kerr) MARSTON 1862-1942

KERR, MARSTON, ROBERTS, SMITH, HENDERSON

Posted By: Volunteer
Date: 4/23/2005 at 19:43:22

Mrs. BERT (Nettie Kerr) MARSTON 1862-1942

Mrs. Nettie Marston, 80, last surviving member of a pioneer Postville family, passed away last Wednesday at Postville hospital where she had been a patient for several weeks. Funeral services were held Saturday afternoon in the Community Presbyterian church with the Rev. L. H. Newhouse officiating and interment was in Postville cemetery.

Mrs. Marston was born at Postville on August 16, 1862, as the youngest child of George and Barbara Kerr. She grew up on the home farm on what is known as Henderson Prairie southwest of Postville. She attended the Henderson Prairie school and the Postville High school.

In 1880 she was married to Bert Marston. To this union there were born four children, Florence (Mrs. Harvey Roberts) of Postville; Karl K. Marston of Dallas, Texas; Paul, who died in 1926 at the age of 27, and Barbara (Mrs. Keith J. Smith), now living at Freeport, Texas.

Bert Marston, after his marriage to Nettie Kerr, engaged in farming first on rented land and later on his own farm southwest of Postville. In 1906 the family moved to Postville where a home on the west side of town was purchased together with a small farm. Mr. Marston was appointed rural mail carrier and held this position for 20 years, until his last illness and death in 1929. Since the death of her husband Mrs. Marston had made her home with her daughter, Mrs. H. E. Roberts.

Mrs. Marston in her childhood united with the Congregational church in Postville. this church was federated with the Methodist church about 20 years ago to form the present Community church. Mrs. Marston used her influence in having the federated church become Presbyterian and was one of the charter members of the new organization. She was also a member of the local chapter of the P.E.O. Sisterhood.

A sketch of Mrs. Marston's life would be incomplete without mention of her mother, Mrs. Barbara Henderson Kerr. She was the youngest of her mother's six children. Her ambition in life seemed to those who knew her to copy the life of her mother. Her mother was born in Scotland, but lived the greater part of her life in this community. Her love of God's word and God's house seemed to be her ruling passion. Prayer was as necessary to her as her daily food. She endowed her five daughters and one son with her spirit and they all went forth to bless the earth with their living and the lives of their children.

The story of the settlement of Henderson Prairie by this band of Scotch pioneers, the Hendersons and Kerrs, and the subsequent service of members of this klan in the Civil War and the Halls of Congress is one of the epics of northeastern Iowa. Fortunate indeed was this community to have been the home of these sturdy pioneers.

Mrs. Nettie Marston was the last surviving member of the second generation of this Scottish klan. Her early days were spent with them and her character was molded by their influence. She leaves to mourn her passing her three children and nine grandchildren, Mrs. Florence Roberts, with Hall, Frank and Nancy; Karl K. Marston, with Miriam, Robert and Elizabeth Ann; Mrs. Barbara Smith, with Janet, Amber and Carol.

Postville Herald, 10/28/1942 - contributed by Sharyl Ferrall