Martha Burch Rathbun (1862-1954)

RATHBUN, BURCH, SCHOLL

Posted By: Dorothy Gosse (email)
Date: 12/28/2007 at 17:21:38

Martha Eleanor Burch Rathbun was born May 13, 1862 in Fayette county, Iowa to John and Kizziah Burch. She died at her home in Houston, Missouri, January 11, 1954 at the age of 91 years and eight months.

At the age of four years she moved with her parents to Missouri where they resided for a year. On the return trip to Iowa her mother was taken ill and died. She was buried in Jasper county, Iowa, and the family continued their journey to Oelwein.

Most of her childhood was spent in the home of her maternal grandmother, Mrs. Rachel Campbell. She attended schools in Fayette county and Oelwein.

Later she took a business course in the business college at Oelwein and for a number of years before her marriage she had a dressmaking shop in Oelwein.

On March 18, 1894 she married Herbert R. Rathbun of Grove Hill, Iowa in Bremer county. They resided on his farm there for several years and then moved to a farm four and a half miles southeast of Oelwein. They lived there until they moved to town in 1919.

In October 1940 her husband died and she continued to live in the family home until February, 1952. She then moved to Houston to be near her son and daughter.

Her survivors are three daughters and one son: Kizzie A. Rathbun, Houston, Missouri; Mrs. Mary E. Clark, Hubbard, Iowa; Rex B. Rathbun, Houston, Missouri and Mrs. T. G. Scholl, Rapid City, South Dakota. A daughter Nellie died in infancy. Eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren also survive.

Funeral services were held Thursday afternoon, January 14, at the Hintz Funeral Home. Rev. Ralph Johnson, pastor of the First Baptist Church was in charge. Music furnished by Mrs. Sam Smith, Mrs. Cyril King and Mrs. Kirk Garrison. The casket bearers were Ed Kuhns, A. L. Bullock, Cecil Garrison, Bert Hanson, Roy Whitaker and Merlin Kuper. Burial was in the family lot in the Otsego cemetery.

Oelwein Daily Register - January 21, 1954