Eva Michener 1867-1931

MICHENER

Posted By: Sharon Elijah (email)
Date: 6/9/2018 at 12:52:20

29 October 1931 - West Branch Times

Many friends learned with sorrow of the death of Miss Eva Michener of Washington, D.C., who passed away Sunday morning after a long illness. Her friend and companion, Miss Belle Douglass, accompanied the body to West Branch, arriving Tuesday night, and funeral services were held at the Friends meeting house on Second street, at 2:00 o'clock Wednesday afternoon, with burial in the West Branch cemetery beside her father and mother, John and Lucina Michener.

Miss Michener was a member of this community for many years, taking an active part in all of the constructive work of her home vicinity. She was one of the originators of the West Branch Sociability Association, from which grew the present Community Club; she also aided in the early organization and promotion of library facilities here. Miss Michener was a teacher in our schools for a period of years, and her work is shown in other lines of constructive community effort.

Since going to Washington, D.C., where she was in the government employ, Miss Michener has continued her affiliation with the Friends church, having been reared a Quaker, and always associated with the work of the Society of Friends in all its branches.

The little Friends meeting house in Washington, D.C., which is the church of President Hoover's choice, was the object of her devoted efforts in this line, and she was for a long time the superintendent of its Sunday school.

Miss Michener has had several attacks of illness in the past year or two, and she has spent much time in the hospital. Lately, however, she had been much better and was at the home which she and Miss Douglass maintained in the same building with Mr. and Mrs. G. C. Hoover, and it was with surprise and sadness that the news of the demise was received.

Eva Michener, daughter of John and Lucina Michener, was born in Middleton, Ohio, October 23, 1867, and passed away at 6:40 o'clock Sunday morning at Washington, D.C., October 25, 1931, aged 64 years and two days.

When Miss Michener was but a child her parents came to Iowa, and the family home was for many years on the farm still known as the "Michener place," west of Springdale. When her father retired from active life upon the farm, a home was built in West Branch where the family resided until both parents' death.

Here Miss Michener became associated with the work of the Friends meeting of which her people were members, and with the social and cultural life of the community. Possessed of unusual executive ability she was much assistance in many constructive enterprises in the community. For several years she was teacher in the public schools.

Fourteen years ago she went to Washington, D.C., where she held a civil service position, being at the time of her illness bookkeeper in the insurance division of the Veterans Bureau. Here her work was efficient and conscientious.

In Washington she continued her affiliation with the Friends meeting, being actively engaged in the work of the Friends church there. She was superintendent of the Sabbath school, and it was while attending services that she was first stricken, Dec. 14, 1930.

Since that time she has spent five months in the hospital, and was very happy to again be in the home which she shared with Miss Belle Douglass, and able to perform most services for herself. This she had been doing for some time, and was apparently in her usual health when stricken again Saturday evening, the fourth attack in all, and from this she never rallied.

Miss Michener's birthday occurred Friday, and a happy, quiet observance was made, with a birthday supper with Mr. and Mrs. G. C. Hoover, whose apartment is in the same building, as guests. These friends, with Miss Douglass and Miss Michener's aunt, Miss Emma Michener of Bethesda, Ohio, who came last January to assist in loving care of her niece, enjoyed a quiet evening, surrounded by an abundance of flowers, gifts from many friends, including a cluster from the White House. The little celebration gave the invalid much pleasure, and the doctor assured her Saturday that the unusual excitements had not been harmful to her. Her attack in the evening was, therefore, a sad contrast to her happiness of her anniversary.

The remains were brought to West Branch for burial, accompanied by her friend and companion of several years, Miss Belle Douglass. In the old Friends meeting house on Second street, the Quaker services were conducted for her Wednesday afternoon. A few ministers of the society spoke and at the grave a prayer was offered and Ella Taber of Whittier spoke briefly. Miss Michener's brother Charles also spoke in a beautiful expression of appreciation of the kindnesses shown them and of the tribute it paid to his sister, and the esteem in which she was held.

The only survivors of this family are the two brothers, Charles Michener of Denver, Colo.; and Howard of Minneapolis, Minn.; two nieces and two nephews, and their aunt, Miss Emma Michener of Bethesda, Ohio.