CROSS, Alice 1859–1939

CROSS, LYNN

Posted By: Pat Hochstetler, Volunteer (email)
Date: 3/9/2013 at 09:02:29

Mrs. Alice Cross Dies at Her Home Here Saturday Eve.

Funeral services for Mrs. Alice Cross, well-known pioneer of this community, were held in the Alice Church of God at 3 o’clock Monday afternoon, following a prayer service at the Coffman Funeral home in Grundy Center.

Rev. J. L. Masemore of Wayzeta, Minn., a former minister of the Alice church, was in charge of the service at the Alice Church at 3 o’clock. He was assisted by the pastor, Rev. R. P. Smith, pastor of the church. Music was furnished by a male quartet composed of Ralph Phillips, Lawrence Kline, Jack Hughes, and Dale Bockes with Mrs. Dave Barton at the piano. Pall bearers were all cousins, Harry, Walter, Fenton, Dick, Morrell and Raymond Lynn and the flowers were cared for by Mesdames Lou Gohner, Morris Phillips, Tom Boyle and John Callaway. Burial was in the Alice cemetery.

Relatives from away who were at the funeral included Mrs. Will Davidson and son Lynn of Flora, Rev. and Mrs. Stanley Clarke of Decorah; Mr. and Mrs. Laverne Cross of Arlington; Mr. and Mrs. R. R. Kelley of Des Moines and Mr. and Mrs. Herb Lynn and Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Kadolph of Eldora.

Alice Hadessah Lynn, daughter of James and Hester Lynn was born May 11, 1859, five and one half miles north of Conrad. She was converted and baptized at the age of 11 and was a member of the Alice Church of God for 69 years.

The prairie land on which she, with her parents and brothers lived, was many miles from any town so a post office was established in their home and named after their daughter, Alice. In 1866 a church was organized near their home and named the Alice Church of God for the same child.

On March 8, 1882, she was united in marriage to John H. Cross and to this union were born four children, Harvey Cross and Mrs. Olive Abels of Conrad, Mrs. Fern Richardson of San Gabriel, California and Lynn Cross of Baldwin Park, California.

Her last illness dates back to November of 1938. Since that time she has been in ill health. Four weeks ago she became bedfast and on May 27, 1939, she departed this life at the age of 80 years and 16 days with all her children at the bedside. She was preceded in death by her husband, John H. Cross who died Nov. 15, 1937; her parents, Mr. and Mrs. James Lynn and her brothers, Tom and Frank Lynn. Besides her children she is survived by four grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Source: Unknown newspaper clipping found in scrapbook belonging to my great grandmother.

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Lived In Grundy County 80 Yrs. Mrs. Cross Dies

Was Born On A Farm In Clay Township 80 Years Ago; Alice Church Was Named For Her

Mrs. John H. Cross, the only person who ever resided in Grundy County who had both a post office and a church named for her died last Saturday at her home in Conrad. She was born on a farm 5 1/2 miles north of Conrad more than 80 years ago and with the exception of short periods of visiting elsewhere all of her lifetime was spent in Grundy county. Her life furnished probably an all time residence in Grundy county.

Mrs. Cross' maiden name was Alice Lynn. She was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James R. Lynn, who came to Grundy county from Pennsylvania in a covered wagon. The Lynn family at that time which was 82 years ago bought the farm which remained theirs for two generations and which is now the property of Mart Connell. Mrs. Lynn was born on this farm two years after the covered wagon trip from Pennsylvania which took nearly all summer.

This family came here before there was any town in Grundy county. The first post office in the county was established on the Lynn farm. The office had to be given a name and the name selected was "Alice" which was for the daughter who outlived the name of the post office that received its name from her. The post office at Alice was discontinued when an office was established at Conrad.

The oldest church in the county was organized near the Lynn farm and this church was also named for the daughter "Alice" and it has retained this name through all these years and it was in this church that funeral services were held on Monday for the person for whom the church was named. It is the only case of the kind in the county's history where funeral services have ever been held for the church's namesake. This church was founded and named in 1866 and it is the oldest church organized in Grundy County. A new building has replaced the one erected when the church was founded 73 years ago.

In Failing Health Since November
Mrs. Cross' health began to fail noticeably last November. Late in December she contracted a case of pneumonia which nearly proved fatal and from which she never fully recovered. She was in bed four weeks prior to her death. She was 80 years old on the 11th of May. Her husband who died a year ago last November also reached his eightieth year.

Mr. and Mrs. Cross were married March 8th, 1882. They resided on a farm north of Conrad during all of their active lifetime. They left the farm for retirement in Conrad ten years ago.

Mr. and Mrs. Cross had four children, all of whom are living. They are Harvey Cross from Conrad, Mrs. Olive Ables who resided with her mother in late years, Mrs. Fern Richardson, San Gabriel, California and Lynn Cross of Baldwin Park, California. All of the children were with the mother during her last illness.

Funeral Monday
A short prayer service was at the Coffman funeral home in Grundy Center Monday and later at the Alice church. The local pastor, Rev. R. P. Smith, conducted the services. Burial was by the side of the husband in the Alice church cemetery.

Relatives from outside of the county who were present at the funeral services were the son and daughter from California, the daughter from Cedar Rapids, Mr. and Mrs. Kelly, Des Moines; Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Kadoff, Eldora; Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Lynn, Eldora; Mr. and Mrs. Luverne Cross, Arlington; Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Cross, Decorah; Mrs. Will Davidson and son Leon from Floyd, Iowa.

--newspaper clipping, source unknown