Francis Eleanor Watkins Swartz 1858-1933

SWARTZ, WATKINS, BATES, GRUBB, ALLEN, KEENAN, MARCUE

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 7/8/2010 at 20:00:55

Two Well-Known Women of This Community Die
Mrs. Albert Swartz and Mrs. Mattie Kessler Answer Last Call
Two well known women of this community have passed to their reward, Mrs. Albert Swartz last evening at four o’clock, and Mrs. Mattie Kessler, mother-in-law of John Lilley at 11:15 today. Both women had been ill for many months, Mrs. Swartz’s condition had been serious because of heart disease and complications. The immediate cause of Mrs. Kessler’s death was a stroke of apoplexy.

Long Time Resident Here
Mrs. Francis Eleanora Swartz, widow of Albert Swartz, well known farmer who passed away ten years ago, had resided in this community with her family for 33 years. She was born in McDonaugh county, Ill. August 13, 1858. As a girl of seventeen she drove a team with covered wagon to Iowa with her parents. She was married Jan. 16, 1876 to Mr. Swartz. They lived first at Wenona, Ill., later moving back to Hancock county and in 1900 moving to Emmet county. At the time of her death she was living with her son William on the home farm south of Estherville. The youngest son Leslie and a granddaughter Helen Swartz also lived there.

The other children are Ira, and Frank of Terril, Raymond of Ringsted and Lawrence of Maple Hill. Three sisters, Mrs. Dora Bates, Mrs. Will Grubb and Mrs. Belle Allen of Conway and two brothers, Jas. Watkins of Clarinda, and Roscoe Watkins of Wichita, Kansas, and a half brother Milton Keenan of Good Hope, also survive. There are 14 grandchildren, 7 great grandchildren. The only daughter, Mrs. Grace Marcue died at LeMars in 1929.

Funeral services for Mrs. Swartz will be held Friday afternoon at one o’clock from the farm home and one-thirty from the Methodist Episcopal church. Rev. W. A. WinterStein, pastor of the church will be in charge of the services. Interment will be made in Oak Hill cemetery.

Pall bearers will be Geo. Kenline, John Blagg, Tom Juhl, Geo. Robb, I. B. Book and Glenn Kettleson. (Vindicator and Republican, Estherville, IA, June 22, 1933)