Allfree, Maria Jane (Phillips) 1841 -1921

ALLFREE, PHILLIPS, VANETTA, BALDWIN, NEWELL

Posted By: Barbara Hug (email)
Date: 5/11/2005 at 20:54:49

Mrs. Allfree Passes Away
Had Lived More than Half century in this County.

After a serious illness of only a few days, Mrs. John W. Allfree, nee Maria Jane Phillips died Sunday morning about 4 o’clock, at the home of her daughter, Mrs. C.F. Vanatta on East Second Street, North. For many years she had been in failing health although her final illness lasted only a few days.

The deceased was in her eightieth year and was the only surviving member of the family of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Phillips, pioneer residents of Knox county, Ohio, except Mrs. Martha Phillips Morris, a twin sister of Hartford, Ia. She had been a resident of Jasper county for more than fifty-five years and had made her home in Newton for more than thirty-six years having come to the county shortly after her marriage November 3, 1860.

Mrs. Allfree’s husband, John W. Allfree departed this life in 1916 and since that time she has made her home with her daughters of this vicinity. Her husband was one of the best known citizens of Jasper county during his life—always taking an especially active part in politics and being one of the leading speakers in the days when political debates were a feature of political campaigns. He was an ardent advocate of a high protective tariff and his reputation as an authority on this particular subject was state wide. He was a regular contributor to state papers and also to the national magazines on the question of the tariff. The scrap book he left behind furnishes very interesting reading for anyone who would study the politics of our government relative to the raising of revenues.
Mrs. Allfree was quite as studious as her husband and was always a wide reader. Her knowledge of present day affairs gained through extensive reading was remarkable. While her body grew old and infirm her mind was always kept keen and alert and in this sense she never grew old.

She enjoyed correspondence with relatives and friends. One of the beautiful facts of her life was her friendship with Miss Amanda Haggerty, a school girl friend of Mt. Vernon, O. They kept up regular correspondence throughout the years even though they had not seen each other for many decades.

Mrs. Allfree was proud of her family and took great satisfaction in their successes. Previous to her marriage she was a member of the Christian church but after coming to Iowa she became a member of the Methodist church with her husband. Of her daughters, Mrs. C.F. Vanatta and Mrs. F. P. Baldwin of this city, and Mrs. S.H. Newell, of Kellogg; and two sons, George Allfree, of Des Moines, and H.B. Allfree, of Newton. Her first born Son, Clifford C., died at the age of twenty-one years. She also leaves twelve grand children.

The funeral will be held tomorrow morning at 10 o’clock at the Morgan Funeral Home. Dr. Hankins being in charge. Burial will be in the Newton Union Cemetery. ~ The Newton Daily News, Newton Iowa, Monday, June 13, 1921, page 1.