Georgia Brown McHugh, 1871-1936

MCHUGH, BROWN, WHITE, RHODES, VAN ORDSTRAND, FARNHAM

Posted By: Clay County IAGenWeb Coordinator (email)
Date: 6/29/2013 at 09:01:25

Rites for Mrs. G.E. McHugh on Thursday

Spencer Woman Dies Saturday in Kansas

Mrs. G.E. McHugh, 64, 359 East Second street, was suddenly taken ill with a heart attack Saturday evening and passed away five minutes later, death occurring at 9:30 p.m. Mrs. McHugh with her daughter, Miss Edith, who teaches in the Clay rural school, were spending the Christmas holidays with a son and brother, Howard J. McHugh of Hutchinson, Kan., and word of her unexpected passing was received in Spencer Sunday.

Although troubled with high blood pressure and heart trouble for the past several years, Mrs. McHugh was recently enjoying excellent health. She had spent Saturday downtown, and had eaten a hearty supper prior to her fatal illness. With Edith she had intended to return to Spencer late this week having planned to have been gone about ten days.

Rites Thursday

Funeral services were held Thursday at 1 p.m. at the home and at 2 p.m. at the Cobb funeral home. Rev. Lawrence J. Weinert, pastor of the First Congregational church, delivered the funeral address. Mrs. Merrill Solomon sang "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" and "Old Rugged Cross," with Dorothy Smith at the piano.

Members of the Mrs. Emily Ingall's Sunday school class of the Congregational church attended in a body. The many friends of Mrs. McHugh placed numerous floral tributes at her bier as an expression of their kind regard.

Casket bearers were J.W. Roberts, R.W. Hanson, L.B. Peeso, Earl Bassett, W.R. Sibley and John Elder. Interment was in Riverside.

Born in New York City

Georgia Cora Brown was born in New York City, N.Y., May 7, 1871, and at the time of her death was 64 years, seven months and 31 days of age. Her parents passed away before she was a year old, and she was adopted by George and Lucy White with whom she made her home until she was 12. She then left New York City to make her home with the Will Rhodes family at Pana, Ill. In 1885 she went to Heyworth, Ill., and lived with the Will Van Ordstrand family until her marriage December 25, 1889, to George Eugene McHugh.

To this union seven children were born, Porter A. McHugh and Mrs. Tressie Farnham of Spencer, Leonard E. of LaGrange, Ill., Howard J. of Hutchinson, Kan., Edith who has made her home with her mother, and Vere and Doris who passed away in infancy.

Retired in 1919

Following Mrs. McHugh's marriage she and her husband came to Spencer where they made their home for a few months before moving onto their farm six miles northeast of the city.

In 1902 she and her family moved to another farm three miles north and a mile east of Spencer. Here they lived until 1919 when they returned and moved to the present McHugh residence on East Second street.

Mrs. McHugh was preceded in death by her husband October 13, 1933. Besides a wide circle of friends, Mrs. McHugh leaves to mourn her death her children, seven grandchildren, and numerous distant relatives, all of whom were present at the last rites, as were relatives from Ruthven and Dickens.

When two years of age, Mrs. McHugh was baptized at the First Episcopal church in New York City, and in 1887 united with the Presbyterian church of Heyworth, Ill. There being no church of this denomination in Spencer she had her letter transferred to the First Congregational church of this city.

W.C.T.U. Officer

Mrs. McHugh took a keen interest in all departments of the church and worked diligently until her health began to fail. She held the office of secretary-treasurer of her Sunday school class at the time of her death, a work she had tended to for many years.

She was a firm believer in temperance, and was a former president of the local and county W.C.T.U. organizations. Her membership had been since her girlhood.

Mrs. McHugh's many acts of kindness and assistance are remembered by her countless friends. Uppermost in her thoughts was the welfare of others, and she was most solicitous of those who were ill or in want. Her family regarded her as the "perfect mother," which is in itself a noble tribute.

Source: The News-Herald, Spencer, Clay County, Iowa; January 8, 1936.

Interment in Riverside cemetery
 

Clay Obituaries maintained by Kris Meyer.
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