Julia Rathbun Conklin (1823-1914)

RATHBUN, CONKLIN, BILLINGS, BROWNELL, SLOCUM

Posted By: Dorothy Gosse (email)
Date: 12/31/2007 at 22:13:51

Julia Rathbun was born in Schoharie county, New York, March 7, 1823. Her parents were good old fashioned, sturdy New York stock. She grew to womanhood in her native state where she married to Mr. Edwin B. Conklin on December 9, 1848. Mr. and Mrs. Conklin came to Iowa in 1862, so Mrs. Conklin was a resident of Iowa for more than a half century. Her first Iowa home was at Cedar Falls, where she and her husband lived for six years. From there they moved to Fayette county, locating on a farm four miles southwest of the present site of Oelwein, their trading place and post office at that time being Otsego.

They endured the privations and enjoyed the privileges of pioneer life of those early days a stalwart character lasting in its influence. They lived on the farm until the time of Mr. Conklin's death which occurred just 21 years to the day, before that of Mrs. Conklin. He passed away on September 9, 1893 while she also fell asleep on that same day of this year. She moved to Oelwein shortly following her husband's death and her home has since been there, where she enjoyed the warmest friendship of many people.

She was one of a family of nine children, eight girls and one boy. Three sisters and the brother survive her. Mrs. Marie Billings, who for the last several years lived with Mrs. Conklin, is now in Silver Springs, New York with another sister, Mrs. Myra Brownell. Mrs. Clara A Slocum lives in Oelwein and G. D. Rathbun resides in Fayette, Iowa. Burial in Otsego cemetery.

Oelwein Daily Register - September 14, 1914