WILLOUGHBY, Sarah 1839-1924

WILLOUGHBY, MACY

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 3/8/2015 at 20:49:31

Mrs. Willoughby Passed Away Tuesday Morning

At A Ripe Old Age Grandma Willoughby Is Called To Final Reward

Resident of Iowa 68 Years

For About Sixty-Five Years She Was A Resident of This City and County

Sarah Macy, the fourth child of Elias and Eliza Macy, was born at Laurel, Franklin county, Indiana, on May 15, 1839.

With her parents she moved to Iowa county, Iowa, in 1856, and the following year they moved to Grundy County, Iowa, where she spent the greater portion of her life.

On May 7, 1861, at the Macy homestead in Grundy county, she was united in marriage to A. F. Willoughby, and they soon thereafter established their home on the Mack homestead, a portion of which they farmed in the summer, while her husband taught school in the winter.

In 1863 Mr. Willoughby was elected to the office of County Clerk of Grundy county and they moved to Grundy Center, where they made their home until March, 1873, when they moved to the A. F. Willoughby farm in Clay township, Grundy county, where they lived ten years, when they were obliged to leave the farm on account of the health of Mrs. Willoughby. Then for three years they lived in Randolph, N.Y., caring for the aged parents of Mr. Willoughby, when failing health of Mrs. Willoughby again compelled them to make a change and they moved back to Grundy Center, where they made their home afterwards, until on Tuesday morning, February 19th, 1924, when she was called home to be with her Maker, being at the time of her death aged 84 years, 9 months and 4 days.

The winter of 1894 was spent by Mr. and Mrs. Willoughby at El Paso, Texas, and Roswell, New Mexico, and the winters of 1898 and 1899 were spent by them at Fairhope, Alabama, and these winters spent in the south where they escaped the rigors of the Iowa winters undoubtedly added years to their lives.

Unto this union five children were born, George Macy Willoughby, who died December 9, 1864, at the age of two years; John H. Willoughby, who died September 28, 1870, at the age of six months; Bliss K. Willoughby, who died August 14, 1894, at the age of twenty-seven years; Harold T. Willoughby, now living at Grundy Center, a member of the firm of Trevillyan & Willoughby, hardware merchants, and Hugh A. Willoughby, of Grundy Center, an attorney.

Prior to coming to Iowa, Mrs. Willoughby had united with the Methodist Church, but when the present Grundy Center Baptist church was organized in 1868, she joined that church and was baptized on June 14, 1868, by Rev. B. C. Willoughby, of Randolph, New York, father of her husband, and from that time she was always one of its most faithful members.

Out of a family of seven children born to Elias and Eliza Macy, Mrs. Willoughby was the last surviving member.

She leaves to mourn her loss her husband, A. F. Willoughby, now past ninety years of age, her two living sons, Harold T. and Hugh A. Willoughby, a number of nieces and nephews and a host of friends.

She was an earnest, consistent christian woman, and a devoted wife and mother. Her loss to her family is irreparable, but she leaves behind her an influence and memory that will last forever.

Funeral services were held from the First Baptist Church in this city at two o'clock this (Thursday) afternoon.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 21 February 1924, pg 1