Albina Brockway Letts

LETTS, BROCKWAY, MCCLEARY

Posted By: Char Hixon
Date: 11/16/2012 at 16:18:24

Funeral Services for Mrs. Albina Letts Held at Letts Friday
Was Pioneer of Hawkeye State
Came Here From Pennsylvania is 1842; Late Years Spent in Texas.

Letts, Iowa, Jan. 4 – Funeral services for Mrs. Albina Brockway Letts were held Friday afternoon at 2 o’clock in the Methodist church in charge of the Rev. H. W. Munster. The singers were Mrs. Harry Gipple and Mrs. Norris and the pallbearers were Charles Gipple, John Eliason, Henry Hendrix, Henry Shafer, Louis Parsons and Celia Ross. Burial was in the Letts cemetery.

Mrs. Letts, who was one of the pioneer residents of Iowa, died at her home in Clarendon, Texas, Tuesday evening, at the age of 91 years, 4 months and 15 days.
Many at Services.

Those from a distance attending the funeral were A. R. Letts, Clarendon, Texas; J. D. Letts and son Roger of Packwood, Iowa; Warren Letts of Columbus Junction; Chester Letts of Minneapolis, Minnesota; Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Letts and daughter Mary Gale of Washington, Iowa; Mrs. L. M. Letts of St. Paul, Minnesota; Katheryn Letts of Iowa City; Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Brockway and sons, Mrs. E. B. Darrow, Miss Alice Brockway, Mrs. Fred Tomfeldt of Muscatine; Mr. and Mrs. George Moore, Mr. and Mrs. Mark Brockway and son, Mr. and Mrs. Charles McCormick and daughter of Conesville; Mr. and Mrs. Glen Epperly of Cranston; R. B. Huff, Mr. and Mrs. Scott Blackwell and daughter Bernice, Mrs. Harriet Jetsica, Mrs. Ruby Black, Mrs. Jeannette Fulliam, Miss Margaret Nicola, Dr. and Mrs. A. J. Weaver of Muscatine and James and Harry Kelly of Wapello.
Born in Pennsylvania.

Albina Brockway was born in Brockwayville, Pennsylvania, August 26, 1838. She removed to Iowa with her parents in 1842 when the state was yet the frontier of American civilization. She was married to James R. Letts on March 3, 1859. Nine children were born, four of whom preceded her in death. In 1909 Mr. and Mrs. Letts celebrated their golden wedding. Mr. Letts died in December 1910. The surviving children are Mrs. Ella McCleary and Arthur R. Letts of Clarendon, Texas; James D. Letts of Packwood, Iowa; Emory Clinton Letts of Chicago and Franklin Brockway Letts of El Paso, Texas. She is also survived by 19 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.
Had Deep Love for Iowa.

When the Brockway family first came to Iowa they settled on a farm in the Conesville neighborhood. After her marriage to Mr. Letts they established a home about two and a half miles south of Letts, where they lived for more than half a century. In 1917 she went to Clarendon, Texas, to make her home, but visited Iowa each summer, which she always regarded as her home. Her visit here last summer taxed her diminishing strength, but not her spirit, because on her return to Texas and when asked by a neighbor if she would want to return again to Iowa, said:

“Why mercy me. I should think I do. I had the time of my life and would again tomorrow, if I could.”

Mrs. Letts was a writer of considerable note and shortly before her death had completed a book, now ready for the press, vividly depicting the early pioneer life of Iowa.

Source: Muscatine (Iowa) Journal and News Tribune, Saturday, 4 January 1930