WILL, Margaret 1859-1945

WILL, BROWN

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 11/7/2016 at 15:54:44

Mrs. Margaret Will Dies Monday After Long Illness

Mrs. Margaret Will died Monday evening at the home of Mrs. Viola Hasbrouck and daughter Lucille in Grundy Center where she had been a patient for six years. She would have been 86 years old had she lived until the 27th of this month. She was the last of a large family of Iowa pioneers to receive the final call. She was a native of Iowa and spent her entire life here and all but her early years in Grundy county.

Funeral services will be held this afternoon at the Coffman funeral home. The services will be conducted by Rev. J. B. Bird from Dike, former pastor of the Grundy Center Methodist church and a long time friend of the deceased. Rev. Holtry, local pastor of the Methodist church will assist at the service. Interment will be by the side of the husband in the Grundy Center cemetery.

Obituary
Margaret Brown Will was born Sept. 27, 1859, in Benton county, Iowa, five miles from Vinton. She was the third youngest of ten children, all of whom preceded her in death. Had she lived but ten days longer, she would have attained her 86th birthday.

The death of her father when she was only seven years old obliged her to assume a share of family responsibility throughout the later years of her childhood. This represented direct contact with the many hardships of pioneer life. Nevertheless, her determination to obtain the best education available was great enough to overcome all obstacles, and she attended both Vinton Academy and Iowa State Teachers College. Following this, and when the family moved to Grundy county, she taught for several years in nearby schools. While still a young girl, and at a time when it was yet regarded as a highly adventurous undertaking, she made a trip to England and spent the greater portion of a year there, establishing acquaintance with branches of the family remaining in that country.

On July 2, 1889, she was united in marriage with J. Winfield Will, and shortly thereafter moved to a farm in Dickinson county, Iowa. The untimely death of her husband occurred about two years later. For another year she operated this farm, and then returned to Grundy county to make her home with her mother and brother, Frederick Brown. Other members of this family group were her nephew and niece, Ray and Lylas King, whose mother died at the time of their birth. Mrs. Will assumed responsibility for their rearing, and always thereafter stood in the relationship to them of an affectionate mother, with such devotion being returned by them in full measure.

In 1914 Mrs. Will moved to Grundy Center, where her home has subsequently remained. She had long been afflicted with arthritis, but resisted its advance and remained active until six years ago. At that time she placed herself in the care of Miss Lucille Hasbrouck, who thereafter gave her such devoted attention as might have been received from a daughter.

In spite of her bedfast condition, Mrs. Will never complained of her lot. The days were always too short for her, rather than too long. Reading, conversing with relatives and friends, watching the passage of the seasons, and studying the historical developments of which she could be only an observer, gave her pleasure and a fullness of living at all times. Early in the past summer her condition gradually became more acute, and she sensed that the hour of her passing was approaching. On Monday evening, September 17, she slipped away peacefully into her eternal rest.

In Margaret Will were embodied the experiences, the strength of character, and the virtues associated with early rural life in Iowa. Circumstances forced her to endure much hardship, grief, and suffering, but these she always faced courageously, with never a thought of an easy escape. Rather, she developed a keen awareness of the burdens of others, and always gave herself unreservedly in attempts to lighten them. The many persons to whom she was affectionately known as "Aunt Maggie" attested to the success of her efforts. She contributed liberally to the support of religious activities and innumerable charitable institutions, and was ever eager to seek out deserving but neglected charitable causes.

Her thirst for the good, the beautiful, and the true was unquenchable. A noble thought, a lovely poem, a sparkling river--all were sources of joy to her, and she imparted her enthusiasm for them to all persons with whom she came in contact. To them the memory of her words and deeds will long remain as a monument of inspiration.

To mourn her passing, there remain the two nephews that she always referred to as "my boys," J. Ray King and Richard W. Nelson, a considerable number of other nephews and nieces, and innumerable devoted friends.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 20 September 1945, pg 6