Mrs. Edmund Penniston

THEOBALD, PENNISTON

Posted By: Rebecca Foster (email)
Date: 8/18/2015 at 10:38:54

OBITUARIES OF THE PAST WEEK

Death Visits Many Crawford County Homes During Week Just Passed, Taking Therefrom Loved Ones.

CRAWFORD SETTLERS THINNING.

In the Death of Mrs. Edmund Penniston, the County Loses a Settler of 1872.

Mrs. Edmund Penniston.

Robert Theobald, a native of England and Isabella Barnard, a native of Prince Edward Island, were married and lived at Middlebury, Wis., where the family was born which consisted of seven children: Mary Jane, Willia A., Sophie E., Phyllis, James, Ada Adelia, and Edward. Mary Jane Theobald, in whose memory of this obituary is written, was born at Middlebury, Wis., April 2, 1852 and grew to womanhood there. On July 2, 1870, she was united in marriage to Edmund Penniston, of Argyle, Wis., and there they resided on a farm until the fall of 1872, when they drove across country to Iowa, bringing with them in a covered wagon, all their own belonging, the most valuable of which was a baby girl, Carrie Bell, who was born at Argye, and died at the old Iowa Homestad at the age of nine years. They settled that fall at the old homestead where they worked and toiled to make the home in which she had lived two miles northeast of Defiance. Here were born their three sons: Robert, Ross, and Edward LeRoy. In the year 1883, Aunt Jane became attached to a bright eyed little girl nine years old. Lulu Cynthia Pratt, who had been bereft of her mother and took her into her home and heart where Lulu made here home until her marriage to J.A. Walline, of Council Bluffs.

Mrs. Penniston, known to young and old throughout this community as Aunt Jane, was one of the early settlers in this county, she and her husband having come before the railroad or the town of Defiance were thought of. Mrs. Penniston did faithfully and well her full duty toward developing the country, lending a helping hand to the needy and distressed. Aunt Jane was never affilated with any church organization but her life has been full of the performance of acts of mercy and her faith was well found in our Savior, whose example she has tried to follow all her life. To those who did not know our friend a few words of Eulogy would not add to or detract from her life and to those who did know here, and have lived in her life, no word is necessary to prove that she was a friend to all.

Mrs. Penniston has not enjoyed the best of health for several years but her devotion to her family and home which she loved so much could not be complete in her way without her working for them as long as her strength would last. Her recent illness at first bore resemblance to a form trouble she had, and while she complained a few days a week before last, she would not admit that she was very ill. She recovered sufficiently to be up with her family on Sunday morning and even planned on going to see a brother at Manilla who was not well but while starting on the noon day meal, Sunday morning, she took a chill that would not be quieted and a physician was called. Monday her condition was no better and on advice of the physician, she was taken to the hospital at Manning where she passed away Friday evening, June 8th at 5:30 pm, aged 65 years, 2 months and 6 days.

She leaves to mourn: her husband, three sons, her foster daughter, Mrs. Walline, of Council Bluffs, four grandchildren, two brothers, three sisters, Mrs. Sophia Slagg, of Washburn, N. Dak., Mrs. Phyllis Morgan, of Manilla, and Mrs. Ada Adelia Dyson, of Boone; one half brother, having died in infancy and one granddaughter, Mildred Adell Penniston, preceded her April 15, 1815. A host of relatives and friends will miss her, whom they have learned to love.

The funeral services were held from the home on Monday afternoon, June 11th, and were conducted by the pastor of the family, Rev. Scoggan, and assisted by Rev. Billingsley, of Oakland. Music was furnished by a quartet and Mrs. Wm. Wheatley sang a solo. The funeral services were largely attended and many beautiful floral offerings were received. The body was lad to rest beside the daughter, who passed away so long before, and near the bodies of her parents in the Astor cemetery.

The following is a complete list of relatives and friends who came from a distance: Mr. and Mrs. J.A. Walline, Council Bluffs, Elijah Pennison, Canton, S. Dak.; Geo. Theobalkd, Wameta, Nebr.; George and John Theobalk, Middlebury, Wisc.; Mrs. Lottie Luxford, York Nebr.; Mrs. Samuel Warnock, Battle Creek; Mr. and Mres. R.G. Penniston, Oakland; Mr. and Mrs. G.F. Dyson, Boone; Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Peterson, Omaha; Rev. and Mrs. Billingsley; Mr. and Mrs. J.H. Turner, Mr. and Mrs. J.A. Luxford and son, Glenn, of Oakland; Mr. and Mrs. L.F. Potter; Mr. and Mrs. Harm Hulsebus; Mr. and Mrs. B.B. Bowen; F.A. Hulsebus; H.V. Yackey, Mrs. H. Enenbach and Miss Martina Anthony, of Harlan; John Hall of Denison. There was also a host of relative and friends from Manilla.

Source: The Denison Review, Denison, Crawford, Ia., 13 Jun 1917, p.3.