WISE, Sarah A. (1867-1949)

WISE, MCSWAIN, BURGER, NOBLE, PHILLIPS, STEVEN, OPHEIM, STRATTON

Posted By: Christine Clark (email)
Date: 6/3/2008 at 16:24:35

Obituary of Sarah Ann McSwain Wise
Article appeared in newspaper (not stated which one)

Grandma: Wise, Sexton, Leaves 127 descendants – Mrs. Sarah Ann Wise, 82, one of the county’s most widely known women, died last week Monday evening of a heart attack, after an illness of six weeks. Her death removed Sexton’s most prominent citizen.

The Rev. J.A. Riggs, pastor of the Wesley and Sexton Methodist churches, conducted funeral services Thursday afternoon at the Sexton church, with burial in Britt cemetery, and 99 relatives from Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Oklahoma and Texas in attendance.

Mrs. Wise was born April 11, 1867, at Irvine, KY, where she grew up and attended school. Her farther Joseph McSwain operated a river ferry.

Marriage to G.B. Wise took place March 15, 1883, and they became parents of 13. Two of the children are dead, one at two years old, the other died in 1936. In 1900 the Wise family moved to McLean, IL, and after 15 years there moved to a farm 4 ½ miles northeast of Sexton. Later they occupied a farm near Woden, then moved to Britt, where Mr. Wise died in March 1926.

Mrs. Wise then moved to Sexton, where she spent the rest of her life. The 11 living children are: Mrs. Medith Burger, Sexton; William, Houston, TX; Mrs. Drusilla Noble, Sexton; Mack, Mason City; Strother, St. Ansgar; Mrs. Alice Phillips, Algona; Herman, Wesley; Mrs. Dorothy Steven, Mapleton, MN; Mrs. Nell Opheim, Sexton.

There was a good reason for the family and community title of “grandma: bestowed on Mrs. Wise. She was direct grandmother of 58; great grandmother of 63; and great-great grandmother of 6, and to all of them she was affectionately known as “Grandma”. It was a happy reunion when 102 of her family gathered at Clear Lake to do honor to “Grandma” and again on another occasion at Sexton.

In her last days Mrs. Wise prayed that she might be permitted to live past her 82nd birthday, and then past Easter Sunday, and her prayers were granted.

Mrs. Wise was an active Methodist and always took a hand in church planning. She was the last of her paternal family except a brother (Sid McSwain) at Purcell, OK, who will be 90 in July.

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Last Rites at Sexton for Aged Mother of 13

Wesley - Funeral services for Mrs. Sarah Ann Wise, 82, were held Thursday at 2 p.m. at the Methodist church at Sexton, the Rev. J. A. Riggs officiating. She died Monday evening.

Mrs. Wise was born April 11, 1867, at Irvin, Ky., and was married to G. B. Wise March 15, 1883. To this union were born 13 children, 2 of whom preceded their mother in death.

The wise family moved in 1915 from Illinois to a farm northeast of Sexton, then to Woden and then Britt, where her husband died March 22, 1926.

She is survived by 11 children, all of whom were present at the last rites except Joseph of Knowlton, Wis. The others are Merideth Burger of Sexton, W. A. Wise of Houston, Texas; Drucilla Noble of Sexton, Mack Wise of Mason City, Strother Wise of St. Ansgar, Dovie Stratton of Burlington, Alice Phillips of Algona, Herman Wise of Wesley, Dorothy Stevens, Mapleton, Minn., and Nell Opheim of Sexton; 57 grandchildren, 62 great grandchildren and 5 great great grandchildren.

Three of her sons-in-law were killed last year in a car crash near Mapleton, Minn. They were Henry Phillips, H. Stevens and A. Opheim. Burial at Britt.

source: Mason City Globe Gazette 21 Apr 1949, page 2