MRS. F.R. PORTER (LAURA BOBBITT)

PORTER, BOBBITT, WELDON

Posted By: Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert (email)
Date: 2/24/2002 at 22:08:27

Decatur County Journal
Thursday, September 2, l9l5

MRS. F.R. PORTER was one of the seven
children of MR. and MRS. URIAH
BOBBITT, born in Leon, Decatur County, Iowa,
April 30, l856, and died in
Des Moines, on the l9th of August, l9l5, aged
fifty-nine years, three
months and nineteen days.

Leon was her home until the time of her
marriage to MR. F.R. PORTER,
which occurred November l3, l878. They made
their home near Leon for
two and one-half years, then moved to
Ringgold County. After about
three years they returned to Leon. This was
their home until l884, when
they moved to Van Wert, where they have since
resided.

MRS. PORTER was always an active worker in
all that pertained to the
upbuilding of society whether in the church,
Bible School or public
school. In all these she had proven herself
very efficient.

While a young girl in her teens she was an
active worker in the Young
Ladies Prayer Circle. That was before the
days of Christian Endeavor,
and for many years she was an active member
in this Society. Always of
a religious character, she found her greatest
pleasure in Christian
service. From early youth she has been a
member of church, a devoted
servant of her Lord. In Tingley, Iowa, she
changed her church
relations, then uniting with the church of
Christ. Of this she has ever
been a loyal member, a willing worker.
Almost the last words she spoke
before leaving home for Des Moines, five
weeks ago, were "Ill go to Des
Moines, undergo the operation and speedily
return to help the sisters
raise the rest of the money necessary to pay
the pledge made by the
sisters on dedication day." For years she
with others of the sisters,
has worked for the new church. It was her
thought, her prayer that she
might be helpful in the work of building and
paying. How glad we are
that she was permitted to see the beautiful
building completed and
dedicated to the service of God ere she
passed to be with Him.

Much of the life work of MRS. PORTER was in
the school room and there as
in all other places she was very successful.

The home life of the PORTERS was a model one.
Three boys were born to
them, the oldest dying in infancy, the
others, FRED of Laramie, Wyoming,
and FRANK of Des Moines, with his wife and
son, WILLARD, are with the
father, a brother and sister left to mourn
her death. These are not all
by all means that feel they have lost a
friend and sister in her passing
away.

She knew the end was near and her faith was
of that character that did
not shrink. When the doctors said they would
operate, she said: "Thank
the Lord." She was willing, yet anxious to
have it done; she grasped it
as a possible chance to lengthen her life,
yet well knowing that it
might be the last of earch. Such was her
faith, her hope, her life, her
death.

We shall miss her in all our gatherings,
whether in the Bible School,
the church, the meetings of the King's
Daughters or in our social
gatherings. But the greatest losers are the
husband, the children and
the brother, W.H. BOBBITT, of Leon, and the
sister, MINERVA WELDON, of
Neodasha, Kansas.

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Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert
February 24, 2002