Luce, Harriet (Dickens) 1852-1940

LUCE, DICKENS, SCROGUM, JENNINGS

Posted By: Chuck Runneberg (email)
Date: 6/3/2007 at 19:43:43

North Iowa Times May 1940

Mrs. H. Luce Dies, Aged 88

Mrs. Harriet Luce 88, former McGregorite, died Wednesday May 8th, 1940 at her home in St Petersburg, Florida. Funeral services were held here Tuesday in the Congregational Church with the Rev. J. F. Parsons conducting the services. Burial was in the Pleasent Grove Cemetery.

Mrs Luce was one of the youngest members of a family of 12 children born to Mr. and Mrs Ed. Dickens, who with five other families in 1836 founded near Millville, the first settlement in northeastern Iowa, north of Dubuque.

After her marriage to C. A. Luce, who like herself had been brought up by the Mississippi here, Mrs luce lived many years at "Red House Landing" on the Mississippi north of Yellow River, Mr Luce did an extensive business at the Landing supplying wood to woodburning steamboats.

In 1887 the Luces went pioneering to western Nebraska in the pre-railroad days. Mr Luce served six years in early day sessions of the Nebraska legislature, first as representative then as senator.

Retiring with wealth acquired in the drug business at Republican City, Nebraska, and in land investments, Mr. and Mrs. Luce returned to McGregor in 1917 to live again in the wooded hills beside the Mississippi.

The past few years since Mr. Luce's death, the widow has spent much of her time in St. Petersburg, Florida, where death occured after months of failing health.

She is survived by a sister, Mrs Larry Jennings, McGregor, who is 92, and a brother, C. Clayton Dickens of Bruneau, Idaho, who recently passed his 90th birthday. Mrs Charles Scrogum of McGregor is a niece of Mrs Luce, and Clayton Dickens of Marquette is a nephew.