Ella West Irwin 1877-1953

IRWIN, WEST, SARGEANT, BIXBIE, LEO, IHRIE

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 11/19/2011 at 02:05:24

Mrs. Irwin, 75, Found Dead at Home
Mrs. J.A. Irwin, 75, who was found dead in her home at 605 North Sixth street at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, apparently died of a heart attack early Saturday. She had been troubled with a heart ailment for some time but had not been seriously ill.

A sister, Mrs. Anna Leo of 1203 North Sixth street, had talked by telephone with her the previous night when Mrs. Irwin said she was feeling fine. After unsuccessfully attempting to call her on Saturday, Mrs. Leo decided to drop over to see if anything was wrong. The door of the Irwin home was locked and access was gained through a window. Mrs. Irwin was discovered dead in her bed.

Born as Ella West on Feb. 22, 1877, she was a lifelong resident of the Estherville area. She attended the public schools in this area and taught for a year in the former Romsa rural school northeast of Estherville before she married J.A. Irwin on Dec. 27, 1900.

After their marriage the couple farmed in the Estherville area until 1941, when they retired to a home in Estherville. Mr. Irwin died Nov. 19, 1947.

Mrs. Irwin was a member of the First Methodist church here.

Surviving her death are four children, Mrs. Lavon Sargeant of St. Paul, Lovejoy Irwin of El Centro, Calif., Floyd of Whittier, Calif., and Claire of Ashland, Ore.; five brothers, Bob West of Amboy, Minn., George West of Estherville, Joe of Fort Dodge, Charles of Pontiac, Mich., and Tom of Phoenix, Ariz.; and three sisters, Mrs. Archie Bixbie and Mrs. Anna Leo of Estherville and Mrs. Robert Ihrie of Sacramento, Calif.

Funeral services tentatively have been set for Thursday, pending the arrival of out-of-town relatives. Services will be held at the Sternborg funeral home and at the Methodist church, the Rev. H. Hughes Dill officiating. Burial will be in Eastside cemetery. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, January 5, 1953)

Irwin Rites Tomorrow
Funeral services for Mrs. J.A. Irwin will be held at 2 p.m. tomorrow at the First Methodist church, the Rev. H. Hughes Dill officiating. Mrs. Irwin was found dead in her home at 5:30 p.m. Saturday. She was 75. Her body will lie in state at the Sternborg funeral home from noon today until 10 a.m. tomorrow when her body will be taken to the church to lie in state until the service. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, January 7, 1953)