KEPKEY, Georgia M. 1869-1905

KEPKEY, WALKER, WILLIAMS

Posted By: S. Bell
Date: 3/4/2015 at 23:53:07

[Waterloo Daily Reporter, Tuesday, June 6, 1905, Waterloo, Iowa]

GEORGIA KEPKEY DIED EARLY TODAY

WAS PROMINENT AS A NURSE IN THIS CITY

SHE SERVED IN U.S. ARMY

WAS IN PHILIPPINE ISLANDS TWO YEARS

Miss Georgia M. Kepkey, the well known nurse of this city, died this morning at 6:45 o'clock, at the home of her mother, Mrs. Alice Walker, 1103 Jefferson Street.

Miss Kepkey has been failing in health for about three years, or after her return home from a trip to the Philippine islands. After arriving home she followed her profession in Waterloo and nearby cities, and up to a few months ago was almost constantly employed. Two weeks ago tomorrow she was operated on for a kidney complaint. For a few days following the operation she appeared to be in fair condition for recovery, but peritonitis having resulted from the operation, she began to fail rapidly the latter part of last week. Her friends were notified she could not long survive, and many of her old school mates from her former home, LaPorte, visited her during the last days of her sickness. Sunday evening she rallied, but last evening the pain became more intense and she passed away at the hour stated.

Miss Kepkey had a large acquaintance in Waterloo and surrounding towns from the part she took in healing the sick, and her death will be mourned in many homes.

She was born in Brookfield, Missouri, on October 1, 1869. Her father died in the year 1872, and shortly after his death, the young lady, her sister and mother went to LaPorte City, Iowa, to live. In LaPorte Miss Kepkey grew to womanhood and spent the greater part of her life. The sister died in 1883. Miss Kepkey attended the school at LaPorte and later attended the St. Joseph Academy, in Dubuque, from which institution she graduated.

After finishing her school work in Dubuque, she entered the training school for nurses in Denver, Col., and graduated February 17, 1900. There was a call for nurses in the United States army in the Philippine islands at that time, and Miss Kepkey went at once to San Francisco, to enlist in the service, after having visited a short time with her mother, Mrs. Alice Walker, in this city. Her trip to the far east, though one of the pleasant spots in her life work, seems to have brought on the illness that resulted in death. During her stay in the islands she was stationed at Manila. On her return to America she visited in China Japan and the Sandwich islands. She arrived in Waterloo April 17, 1902. and made her home with her mother to the time of her death.

While attending school at St. Joseph's academy in Dubuque, Miss Kepkey united with the Catholic church, and remained a devout worshipper in that faith. During her sickness she was ministered to by Rev. Father Mark Cooney, and the funeral services will be conducted under his charge.

The relatives left to mourn her are the mother, Mrs. Alice Walker, and an aunt, Mrs. J. O. Williams, of Clear Lake, South Dakota, who was at her bedside when death came. Relatives of Mrs. Walker from Iowa City and Hastings, Nebraska, will be here to attend the funeral.

The funeral service will he held in St. Joseph's Catholic Church in this city early Thursday morning, Rev. Father Cooney officiating. The funeral party will leave on the 8 o'clock train for LaPorte, where burial will be made. Services will be held in the Catholic church in that city about 10 o'clock that day, and burial will be made in West View Cemetery, in the same lot where her sister, Aurilla, was buried.