Lamb, John Robbins 1819 - 1906

LAMB, BEARD, NEWTON, GIBSON, MUMFORD, GIBFORD, HOLMES

Posted By: Barbara Hug (email)
Date: 2/15/2005 at 11:41:40

John R. Lamb was born July 23, 1819, in Randolph County, North Carolina, and his death occurred Sept. 25, 1906, at the age of 87 years, two months and two days.

In the fall of 1829, when he was ten years of age, his parents removed to Southern Indiana and two years later to Highland County, Ohio. At this place his father died in the prime of life, leaving the mother with four small children. As John was the oldest, he endured many of the hardships, which he loved to relate to children when telling them of those early days, and privations connected with them.

In 1833 the family moved to Hendricks County, Indiana, and it was here in 1842 that he joined the Regular Baptist Church, always remaining a member of this denomination, being a member at the time of his death of the Liberty Church near Grinnell.

In the year 1844 he was married to Mary J. Beard, and in 1851 they moved to Jasper County, Iowa, and this has for fifty-five years been his home. The family resided many years about a mile east of this city, but of late years their residence was on West Main Street, where he passed away, after having suffered for many years of Bright’s disease.

He had no children of his own, but he and his good wife cared for seven homeless orphans. The first of these was Charlotte Holmes Gibson, who was taken into the home when she was but four years old, and later John R. Newton, his nephew, James D. and Charles Beard, two grand-nephews of Mrs. Lamb, Sarah Newton Mumford, his niece, Cora Falls Gibford and Anson Holmes were taken and cared for by these big hearted people.

For the past six years Anson Holmes and his wife resided with them, caring for the invalids, who had been mother and father to him since he was a helpless child.

The funeral was held yesterday from the residence, Elder F. Elmore officiating and taking for his text “Wilt not the Lord of the whole earth do right.” The music was furnished by the Baptist Church Choir. The sang the beautiful hymns, “Nearer My God to Thee” and Asleep in Jesus.”

The body was laid to rest in the Newton Cemetery beside that of his wife, who preceded him to the beyond just thirteen months ago. Here also two brothers, Richard and Caleb, and a sister Mrs. Newton lie buried. Caleb Lamb died just nine years ago on the same day of the month that he passed away.

The funeral was attended by a large number of friends and neighbors and family relatives and Mrs. Robert Gibson and Mrs. Sarah Newton Mumford of Woodburn, Ia. The Newton Daily News, Thursday, September 27, 1906, Page 1, Column 4