HEFFELFINGER, Mary 1820-1909

HEFFELFINGER, MILES

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 9/25/2016 at 06:07:37

Mrs. Mary Heffelfinger

The funeral of Mrs. Heffelfinger was held at the Baptist church at 2:30 Sunday afternoon. The services were conducted by Rev. H. P. Chaffee. There was a very large attendance and a lovely and generous floral tribute.

Those from abroad who attended the funeral were Joe Miles, Mt. Carroll, Ill., Chas. Miles, Savanah, Ill., Miss Mattie Miles, Council Bluffs, Harry Heffelfinger, Denver, Col., Lewis Heffelfinger and son Harry and daughter Lulu, Estherville and Frank Moffett and wife of Des Moines.

Obituary
Mary Miles, born in Chester county, Pa. Oct. 18th, 1820, was married to Lewis Heffelfinger of the same county April 17, 1842.

From Pennsylvania with her husband and family she removed to Mt. Carroll, Ill., in 1857. Remaining there until the year 1867 she removed to Grundy county, Iowa. In the year 1891 with her son-in-law and daughter Mr. and Mrs. F. G. Moffett she removed to Des Moines, Ia. and there lived until March 18, 1909 when she passed away, reaching the ripe old age of 88 years and six months.

This in brief is the life history of one of the early pioneers of Iowa and Grundy county. She was familiar with and a willing, patient bearer of the privations and burdens of those early pioneer days, not only in Iowa but in Illinois as well where during the dark days of the Civil war she cared for the farm and the little ones, sending the father and two sons to share in that terrible conflict.

Of her religious life to much cannot be said. In her early girlhood she united with the old Vincent Baptist church of Chester county, Pa., and on her settling in Grundy county became one of the early charter members of the 1st Baptist church of this city and in Des Moines retained her membership in the 1st Baptist church of that city. Hers was a pure, simple earnest, Christian life known and read of all, guided by an unfaltering Christian faith and exalted charity a life in which there was no guide and one that will always remain a rich legacy, a blessing and a benediction to all with whom she came in contact and knew her only to love.

She leaves to mourn her departure three sons, John Heffelfinger of Des Moines, Lewis of Estherville, Ia. and Harry of Denver, Colo. and one daughter, Mrs. Clara L. Moffett of Des Moines, an aged brother of Pittsburg, Pa. and a sister residing in Chicago, a brother George B. Miles of Council Bluffs having died a few days ago, also nine grandchildren survive her.

"I cannot say and will not say
That she is dead--she is just away.
With a cheery smile and wave of hand
She has wandered into an unknown land
And left us dreaming.
How very fair it needs must be
Since she lingers there.
Think of her still as the same I say
She is not dead, she is just away"

--Grundy County Democrat (Grundy Center, Iowa), 25 March 1909, pg 1