Susan Campbell Keith 1838 - 1906

CAMPBELL, KEITH, GOLDSMITH, COE

Posted By: A.M.W. (email)
Date: 1/30/2006 at 00:35:11

Wayland News

Susan E. Campbell was born in Shelby County, Indiana October 27, 1838. On February 9, 1854 she was married to J. W. Keith and they moved to Iowa the same year. Until 1893 they lived on their farm near Finley Chapel. Here their seven children were born and here they all grew to maturity. One daughter, Sopha, had died in young womanhood in 1883 and the other children had all married, consequently in 1893, Mr. and Mrs. Keith moved into Wayland where they lived together until December 6, 1906 when Mrs. Keith died at the age of 68 years, 1 month, and 10 days,. For about eight years Mrs. Keith had been in very feeble health and her friends were nor surprised when they learned of her death. A second one of her children, Mrs. Dora Goldsmith, had died about eight months before. There are left of this pioneer family the husband and father, two sons and three of the five daughters. They all sincerely mourn their loss. For more than 52 years Mrs. Keith had been the soul of a Christian home maintaining her cheerfulness and mental faculties to the last. She was converted and united with the Methodist Episcopal Church in Indiana in 1852 and for more than half a century enjoyed the fellowship of the Christian community in Henry County, Iowa. Especially did she enjoy the consolation of religion in her suffering and her passing away was marked by a triumphant Christian faith.

Funeral services were conducted by a former pastor, the Rev. C. R. Zimmerman of Morning Sun, assisted by the Rev. S. M. Musselman of the Mennonite Church at Finley Chapel, December 8th at 2 PM after which interment was made in the adjoining cemetery. All the children were present at the funeral except Mrs. H. D. Coe of Grand Junction, Colorado who was prevented from coming on account of the poor health of her husband.