Bruner, Mary Matilda (Swearingen) Obit #2

BRUNER, SWEARINGEN, PORTER, WHITTIER, PARROTT, PHIPPEN, COE, SPRIGGS, SADDLER

Posted By: Ken Akers (email)
Date: 1/13/2011 at 22:14:38

Audubon County Journal (IA)
Aug. 7, 1930, pg. 1
Audubon County
Pioneer Passes

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One of Earliest Settlers
Buried Here Yesterday
Afternoon

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Funeral services for Mrs. Perry
Bruner, who died at the home of
her granddaughter, Mrs. F. I.
Porter, in Audubon on Monday,
were held yesterday afternoon at
the church of Christ with the Rev.
A. G. Whittier in charge. Burial
was in the Exira cemetery.

Mary Matilda Swearingen was
born on July 26th, 1844, on a farm
near Homer, Illinois, and died on
August 4th, 1930, at Audubon at
the advanced age of 86 years and
8 days.

She grew to young womanhood
in her birthplace, living with her
parents until December 15th, 1863.
At this time she was united in
marriage to Perry Bruner. In the
Autumn of 1865, Mr. and Mrs.
Bruner came to Iowa and built a
log cabin on Troublesome Creek,
about 5 miles from Exira. Al-
though a modern home has since
been erected, the origianl log cab-
in is still standing where it was
first built; and all of the children,
with the exception of the oldest
daughter, were born in this cabin.
The deceased is the last of the ori-
ginal early settlers along Trou-
blesome Creek near Exira.

Mrs. Bruner had been in com-
paratively good health for her age.
On Sun(d)ay, July 27th, 1930, she
held the last family reunion with
her children, grand-children and
great-grandchildren. The occasion
was held in honor of her 86th
birthday. A gradual decay of phy-
sical strength started and on Au-
gust 4th she quietly slipped into
that eternal sleep from which there
is no physical awakening, as a re-
sult of her advanced age.

In 1917 her husband had pre-
ceded her to the great Beyond.
Since 1917 she had made her
home with her son, Jess Bruner
near Exira, until about 5 years ago
when she went to Audubon and
made her home with her two
grand-daughters, Mrs. J. C. Par-
rott and Mrs. F. I. Porter.

The deceased was the mother of
12 children, five of whom are still
living: Leslie Bruner of Shelton,
Nebraska; Milton Bruner of
Greenfield, Iowa; Mrs. Henry
Phippen of Casey, Iowa; Mrs. J.
C. Coe of Grand Island, Nebraska;
and Jess Bruner of Exira.

She leaves to mourn her passing,
besides the children mentioned, two
sisters and one brother: Mrs. Betty
Spriggs of Pittsboro, Indiana;
Mrs. Belle Saddler of Homer, Ill-
inois; and Gilford Swearingen of
Indianapolis, Indiana; twenty five
grandchildren, twenty great grand-
children and a host of friends and
neighbors.

Oh, not in doubt shall our
journey's ending;
Sin, with its fears, shall leave
us at the last;
All its best hopes in glad ful-
fullment blending.
Life shall be with us more
when death is past."