Harvey Virgil

VIRGIL, MCFARLAND, BAXTER, LAGO

Posted By: Sandra (email)
Date: 2/13/2008 at 09:32:19

Mason City Globe-Gazette newspaper, July 3, 1950, page 8: Harvey Virgil Services Held. Rites, Interment at Sheldon, Iowa: Funeral services for Harvey Virgil, 101, who died Friday at the Iowa Odd Fellows Home were held Saturday afternoon at the chapel at the home, with Rev. R. W. Wentland, Pastor, Grace Evangelical Church officiating. Services and interment were at Sheldon, Iowa Sunday. The Major Funeral Home in charge.

Sheldon Sun page 1, July 3, 1950: Rites Monday: Funeral services will be held at the Temple Mortuary in Sheldon at 2 p.m. Monday July 3 for Harvey Virgil, well known centenarian, who passed away at the Odd Fellows Home, Mason City. Rev Harvey C Travis, pastor of the Methodist church officiated. Burial was made in East Lawn cemetery. The body arrived in Sheldon Sunday morning. Born in Beloit, Wis., he came to Iowa and farmed in Carroll township for 47 years, going to the Odd Fellows Home in 1930. He was a resident of Sheldon for 50 years. At the time of his birthday anniversary on April 9, 1950, there was some question about his age, as to whether he was at that time observing his 100th anniversary or the 101st. In Sheldon, Mr Virgil is survived by a niece, Mrs Carrie Virgil and a nephew J. M. McFarland.

Full obituary, The Sheldon Post, Page 1, Wednesday 5 July 1950: Says he was 101. Son of Harriet and George Virgil. He moved with his parents from Wisconsin to Fort Dodge where he spent his young manhood. He came to O’Brien County at the age of 23 amd resided here continuously until his entrance into the IOOF Fraternal Home in Mason City January 1930. He married Mary M McFarland June 2, 1877, the ceremony being performed in the McFarland home in Carroll Township by Rev Southwell, a Methodist minister. He was preceded in death by his wife, one sister, three brothers and two half brothers. He is survived by one daughter, Mrs Gertrude Baxter, residing in Florida and by a number of nieces and nephews. Burial was in East Lawn cemetery, in charge of the IOOF. Relatives and friends from out of town at the funeral were Mr and Mrs T. B. Virgil and Mrs Ella Virgil of Ayrshire, Mr & Mrs H. E. Virgil of Gaza, Mrs Grace Lago of Ocheydan and Mr & Mrs T Trenhaile of LeMars.

[Note: See census records. He was age 7 at the time of the 1860 census (6/26/1860) which would make him born in 1853, and in 1900 he said he was 48 and born April 1852. I believe he celebrated his 98th birthday in 1950. In addition, he had a brother born 9/12/1849, so he could hardly have been born in April 1850.

His daughter, Gertrude, was adopted by the Virgils. ]