Catherine Smith Perry (1826-1910)

PERRY, SMITH, NEESLEY, TARBOX, GRASEMIERE, STEVENS, GRAFT, HALLADAY, DEWITT, MAGAUGHEY, COLLINS, FAY

Posted By: Kathy Anthony (email)
Date: 9/15/2013 at 23:10:35

Catherine Smith Perry
May 17, 1826–June 26, 1910

The Wyoming (Iowa) Journal in a recent issue contains the following account of the death of Mrs. Catharine Smith, who has a number of relatives in and near Choteau.)

Catharine Smith was born on the river Thames, in Canada, May 17, 1826, and died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Jennie Neesley, at Mount Vernon, Iowa, at 4 o’'clock Sabbath morning, June 26, 1910.

She was married to Rufus Perry in Canada, in 1844. Soon after, she and her husband moved to Rockford, Ill., where they remained until 1856, when they came to Wyoming, Jones county, Iowa.
She was the mother of eleven children, eight daughters and three sons: Mrs. Mary Tarbox, deceased wife of Edgar Tarbox, Anamosa; Mrs. Sadie Grasemiere, deceased wife of H. B. Grasemiere, Chicago; Volney Perry, died at Sioux City; Melvina, who died in infancy; Mrs. C. N. Stevens, Moline, Ill.; Mrs. John Graft, Stanwood; Mrs. Cora Halladay, Raymond, Mont.; Mrs. Jennie Neesley, Mount Vernon; Mrs. Lucy Dewitt, Monticello; Edwin Perry, Cumberland, and Fred Perry, Choteau, Mont.

Mrs. Perry had been in feeble health for the past eight years. The past three years were spent at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Dewitt at Monticello, who patiently and lovingly cared for her during that time until on last Thursday she was brought to the home of her daughter at Mount Vernon, where the final summons came. Her life was all submission, and her death was the death of the righteous. Her departure is an irreparable loss to all who knew her. She was a devoted, faithful, intelligent, loving mother, a source of strength to each and all. A few hours before her departure she realized that the end was near, and smilingly looking into the faces of those around her, bade them each good-bye and she "was not, for God took her."

She united with the Methodist Episcopal Church when sixteen years of age, and later with the Seventh Day Adventists. Indeed, her pure, active life shed a radiant luster in all the spheres in which she moved. She leaves, besides the above named children, to mourn her loss, twenty-one grandchildren, three sisters, Mrs. Anna Magaughey, Denver, Colo.; Mrs. Libbie Collins, Choteau, Mont.; and Mrs. Olive Fay, Stanley, Kas. and one brother, Chandler Smith, Choteau, Mont. All of the above revere the memory of a devoted sister, mother, and grandmother, and each has been blessed in the love of the other. She was laid to rest by the side of her husband in the cemetery in the community of her old home at Wyoming, on Tuesday, June 28.

Source: Choteau Acantha, Choteau, MT, 28 July 1910.