HALDEN, Maude 1877-1949

HALDEN, PEPPERMAN, MURRAY

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 10/27/2016 at 14:53:15

Mrs. Maude Halden Dead; Librarian For 37 Years

Was Widely Known In Library Work; Took Active Interest In Civic Activities

Mrs. Maude Halden, who had served as librarian at Grundy Center for thirty-seven years, died at a Waterloo hospital at 1:15 Monday morning. She had been suffering from a heart affliction for two years. She was in the hospital at Waterloo seven weeks before her death. She was 72 years old on January 3rd of this year.

Funeral services will be held Thursday afternoon at 1:30 at the First Presbyterian church of Grundy Center, of which she was an active member for several years. Rev. Gerben Van Putten, local pastor, will conduct the services. Burial will be in the family lot in the Conrad cemetery.

Deeply Interested in Library Work
Mrs. Halden became deeply interested in library work. After the Carnegie Library was erected in Grundy Center, Mrs. Halden was chosen as its librarian and she remained in that position during the remainder of her life. She was widely known in library circles throughout the country and state and attended district and state library meetings regularly. Before taking up active library work she completed library courses at the University at Iowa City and at Des Moines.

Associated With Other Organizations
Mrs. Halden took an active part in church, social and civic activities in Grundy Center as long as her health permitted. She gave much of her time to church work, she was a member of the D.A.R., of the Grundy Chapter of the Eastern Star. She was a charter member of the Business and Professional Women's Club in Grundy Center and she was affiliated with the Grundy Woman's club.

Spent Early Life in Conrad
Mrs. Halden was a daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Pepperman. She was born at Mt. Carroll, Ill. She came to Grundy county with her parents about 70 years ago. The family located at Conrad and they were among the early residents of that community. Her father was postmaster at Conrad for a term of four years and during that time Mrs. Halden served as assistant to her father in the Conrad post office.

Was Twice Married
While the family lived at Conrad, Maude Pepperman and Melvin Murray, station agent at Conrad, were married. Mr. Murray died six years later. His widow came to Grundy Center with her parents when they moved here after her father was elected to the office of county treasurer and she made her home here ever since. In 1922 she and Will R. Halden of Grundy Center were married. Mr. Halden died five years ago.

Surviving are one sister, Mrs. James W. Gaffey, Cedar Rapids, and three step-children, James Halden, Chicago; Mrs. Ivadell Wells, Midway City, Calif., and Will Halden, Los Angeles.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 13 October 1949, pg 1