Rhoda B. Morley Linn 1829 - 1909

LINN, MORLEY, SMITH, BANNISTER, RAMSEY, GLADMAN, WHALEY, BRUMIT, CHANDLER, CLOUGH

Posted By: debbie (email)
Date: 5/17/2007 at 10:07:26

The Evening Gazette, Burlington, Iowa - Tuesday, May 25, 1909, page 6

PIONEER DEAD
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MRS. RHODA LINN, 69 YEARS A NEW LONDON CITIZEN, DIES
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Community Owes Much to Example Set by Noble Woman. Born in Pennsylvania in 1829.
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New London, Iowa, May 25 - Once more the angel of death has entered a home and lain its paralyzing hand upon one of our most dearly beloved mothers. Mrs. Rhoda Linn, who had lived here sixty-nine years, and who had the love and esteem of a very large circle of friends, all of whom feel that in the death of Mother Linn we are losing one of our women who helped build up this town and community as very few of our women living now ever did.

Mrs. Linn was born February 7, 1829, in Union county, Pennsylvania, and came with her parents to Iowa in 1840. The stopped a short time near Burlington, then came to New London, which was then a little settlement of three years of age. Her father, Mr. Morley, settled here just west of town, where he raised his family. On the 18th of September, 1849, Rhoda Morley was united in marriage to Mr. John E. Linn, a wealthy farmer, owning 280 acres of fine land, said farm having been laid out in lots and is the North addition to our city. Here she lived and raised her five daughters to womanhood. Being a woman of remarkable strength and a very pleasing disposition, she endeared herself to every one with whom she came in contact and was a great inspiration to the neighbor women in those days of frontier hardships, of which she was fond of talking.

In the year 1863 her husband raised a company of 183 men and went to the war, leaving his wife to care for the children and look after the large crops on the farm. While these were trying times to the mother, a great many amusing incidents occurred, of which the deceased never tired of relating, and would always enjoy a hearty laugh over them.

Of the five daughters, all of whom grew to womanhood, the third daughter, Mrs. Alma Gladman died a number of years ago. The others, Mrs. Catherine Bannister of Ord, Neb., Mrs. Irene Ramsey of New London, Mrs. Jennie Gladman of Sheridan, Mo., and Mrs. Mary L. Whaley of Boston, Mass, were able to reach her bedside, Mrs. Bannister and Mrs. Whaley arriving here just minutes before death came. Mother Linn leaves to mourn her death, besides her immediate family, three sisters and one brother. Sarah Brumit of Denver, Colo., Daniel Morley of Winfield, Iowa, Eliza Chandler, who lives just west of New London, and Mary T. Clough of Ridgeway, Mo. She also leaves fourteen grandchildren and fifteen great-grandchildren.

While her children and granddaughters did everything to make her last days comfortable, she had been in the constant care of her daughter, Mrs. Ramsey, at whose home she spent the past winter, just east of town. Some three weeks ago Mother Linn expressed a desire to be taken to her own home in town, as she felt her time was short and she seemed to want to pass her last days in her own little cottage. Her last wish was gratified and Mrs. Ramsey brought her home just three weeks ago. Monday evening she was feeling unusually well, talking and laughing with her granddaughter and retired as usual; but in the morning she was found in her bed in an unconscious condition, from which she never ralled, and the end came Sunday morning about 7 o'clock.

The funeral service were held Tuesday afternoon at the M.E. Church, Rev. Mr. Barker officiating. Interment in the Burge cemetery.

Her work on earth is finished, and through the change we call death she has simply passed on to a more glorious life. We revere her memory and realize that she has left an impression on our lives which can never be blotted out.