Vannatta, Martha Maud – 1880-1908

VANNATTA

Posted By: Diana Wagner
Date: 10/9/2016 at 13:27:22

Martha Maud Vannatta was born in Hastings, Nebraska, September 26, 1880, where her father, Joseph A. Vannatta, son of Thomas Vannatta, now living in Newton was a practicing attorney. Failing health compelled him to seek outdoor employment, and he, with his wife and Maud, moved to a farm in this county in 1882. In 1885 the family moved to Lincoln, Neb., where, for a short time, the father again engaged in the practice of his profession. He died in Newton, of tuberculosis, In December of that year. After graduating from the Newton Public Schools, Maud entered the Iowa State College at Ames, from which she graduated in 1903. She then took one year of post-graduate work in Domestic Science at Chicago University. Subsequently, she taught her last work being as an instructor in Domestic Science at Fall River, Massachusetts. While there, she had a prolonged illness from which she never fully recovered. In April of the present year, upon the advice of her physician, she went to Colorado Springs, hoping to there regain her health. After remaining a couple of months, she and her mother were together in Lyons, Kansas, with friends, until shortly before her death, which occurred at the home of her mother, Mrs. Margaret H. Vannatta in this city, on September 7th AD 1908.
The funeral was held from the First Presbyterian church yesterday afternoon at 4 o’clock. The service was conducted by Rev. W. W. Hess. He said some beautiful things about the short life ended which gave promise of being so much to the part of the world in which it would have been spent. The many lovely flowers silently told of the love of her friends. There were several handsome floral pieces, one was from her classmates here in town who completed with her the Newton High School course. These were Misses Edith Woods, Lillian Jasper, Dick Clark, Charles Hunter and L. A. Wells. The flowers were tied with the class colors yellow and white.
The singers were Mrs. Will Carrier, Miss Edith Sowerwine, Messrs. T. G. Bryant and Will Carrier. Miss Helen Bringman presided at the organ. The bearers were: Walter Morgan, Charles Hunter, Clifford Cox, Percy McCord, Fred Jasper and Reed Fugard.
The interment was made in the Wittemburg cemetery where her father was buried.
Source: Newton Daily News; September 14, 1908, page 1