Mary Louise Staker 1858 - 1919

STAKER, MILLER, PAYNE

Posted By: A.M.W. (email)
Date: 3/3/2006 at 21:27:18

Mt. Pleasant Weekly
August 27, 1919

Mary Louise Staker was born in Baltimore township October 28, 1858 and died at her home in Mt. Pleasant August 19, 1919, her entire life having been spent in Henry County, yet a life fully lived, worthily lived, and dying, leaves a memory fragrant to all her loved ones and friends. Sweet, modest, and retiring, such more often stamp their worth on the regard of a neighborhood or community than those of more pronounced personality.

March 20, 1887, she was united in marriage to Charles F. Miller of the Pleasant Hill neighborhood and on this farm they raised their family of three sons and one daughter. The father’s failing health brought them in 1908 to the home on S. Walnut street where two years later Mr. Miller died.

The present summer brought a great contentment to Mrs. Miller in the return from France of her youngest son, Emery who was with the 109th company.

Mrs. Miller was in her usual health up to Wednesday of Fair week and attended the first day of the fair and was taken ill on the following day, suffering intensely with what afterwards proved strangulation of the intestine. On Friday, the attending physician decided that a surgical operation would be necessary for her relief, and a surgeon and nurses from Burlington were summoned.

Early Saturday morning, the operation was performed, revealing a critical situation. The surgeon gave little hope of her recovery. She reacted satisfactorily from the operation and for a day or two there was strong hope that she might recover, but on Tuesday she began to fail and Wednesday evening passed away. Her only daughter, Mrs. Roy Payne, of near Wayland, and her three sons were constantly in attendance upon her but nothing that love or skill could do could save her.

Mrs. Miller was one of the few remaining members of the fine old community which a generation ago peopled the Pleasant Hill neighborhood, a community that stood for all that was best in rural life, but which time and death has largely scattered. Here she and her husband lived and reared their fine family of children and then moved to Mt. Pleasant and to the home where she died. Her husband passed away in the summer of 1910. She leaves four children, Claude Miller, Mrs. Nellie Miller Payne, James Miller, and Emery who was at home.

Her neighbors as well as her family feel very deeply her loss because of the sweetness and charm of her disposition and her unselfish and devoted life. With the broadest charity for others and the kindliness that was constant in its manifestation she could not and did not fail to attract to herself the most loyal and devoted friendship of all with whom she came in contact. Her home was always open for neighborhood gatherings as she was always ready to do her part in any good work. Cheerful and dependable, she lived the Christian life. The funeral services were held Friday at Pleasant Hill by Rev. Wilson and Rev. Weston and interment was by the side of the husband of her youth.