Havens, Sarah (Wagner) 1822 - 1912

HAVENS, WAGNER, WILLIAMS, MERRITT, STEINER

Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 3/27/2023 at 16:48:57

Elkader Register, Thur., 17 Oct. 1912.

On Saturday afternoon, Oct. 12th, shortly after three o'clock, at her home in Elkader occurred the death of Mrs. Isaac Havens. She was nearly ninety years old and had been in delicate health for a number of years, so that she was unable to resist the attack of bronchitis, which was the immediate cause of her death.

Sarah Wagner was born in Muskegon, Ohio, December 28th, 1822, the daughter of John and Esther Wagner, one of a family of twelve children. She came of true pioneer stock, her father having been born in Pennsylvania, going to Ohio when a young man, later joining the westward movement to Illinois and finally coming to Clayton county and settling on a farm in Wagner township, which was named for him at the time of its organization in 1852.

The daughter, Sarah, grew to young womanhood in Ohio, but in 1846 learning that some of her closest friends were going to emigrate to that new country Iowa, she decided to accompany them. She made the journey with a family by the name Reddick coming overland by ox-team, and arriving in this county in the late summer or early fall of that year.

Here she met Isaac Havens, a young man who had early acquired the adventurous pioneer spirit and left his home in New York state for the little known regions of what then was considered the far west. Their acquaintance ripened rapidly into love and they were married November 15th, 1846, the first couple to be married in what is now Wagner township. They began housekeeping on the farm just south of Elkader now owned by Ed. Meisner, Jr., living there for about eight years. They then moved to town and lived here several years, finally going to their well known farm in Wagner township, now owned by Even Glesne. There they made their home until May 1873, when they returned to Elkader to spend their declining years.

Imbued with the indomitable spirit of the pioneer they met the trials and hardships of the early days without faltering and through thrift and industry made for themselves success and an ample competence.

Both of sturdy stock, the years passed by them lightly and they enjoyed the unique experience of celebrating the sixtieth anniversary of their wedding shortly before Mr. Havens' death in December 1906.

Six children came to bless their home, of whom but two daughters, Mrs. Thomas Williams and Mrs. H. S. Merritt, survive. An aged sister, Mrs. Anna Steiner still lives near Clermont and there are grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, besides more distant relatives.

Grandma Havens, as she was best known to those about her, was a sincere friend, a kind neighbor, a devoted mother and grandmother. As a girl she was brought up in a Lutheran home, but when eighteen years old she joined what was then known as the Campbellite church, later the Christian church. In the later years of her life she has been in close sympathy with the Congregational church at this place.

For a number of years her failing health has kept her closely confined to her home and about three years ago a fall broke one of her hips, followed a year later by another fall which broke the other one, so for these three years she could only get about in her wheel chair and with the help of some devoted member of the family. Through it all she has been remarkably patient and cheery, with a smile and a joke for her many friends whenever she saw them.

The funeral services occurred Wednesday afternoon at two o'clock in the Congregational church, Rev. R. G. Heddon officiating, after which she was laid at rest in the family lot in the East Side cemetery.