Jennie (Walsh) Dean (1929)

DEAN, GUIHER, HADLEY, MILLER, WALSH

Posted By: Linda Brittain
Date: 11/27/2006 at 18:06:29

The Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Thursday, September 29, 1929
Page 1

Death of Mrs. W. J. Dean

Earlham, Sept. 25. Special – Funeral services for Mrs. W. J. Dean, were held Sunday afternoon at the Methodist church, with the Rev. B. W. McEldowney in charge. Ten members from the P. E. O. organization of Winterset, motored over and Mrs. John Guiher said words of appreciation of the life of their sister member. Mrs. Dean, who had been sick for a number of years, died last Wednesday morning at the Iowa State University hospital at Iowa City, at the age of 74 years.

Those who attended the services from a distance were: Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Weyrauch and daughters, Lois and Ruth, and Mr. and Mrs. Dean Stanley and family, of Des Moines; Mr. and Mrs. Stanton and Mr. and Mrs. John White, of Adel, and Joseph Miller, of Chicago, a nephew of the deceased.
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Earlham Library Collection
September 1929

Beloved Woman Called Home

Rites Held Sunday at Earlham Methodist Church Were Attended by Large Gathering of Friends. Interment at Earlham. Tribute of Mrs. Lenna Hadley.

With the passing of Jennie Dean on September 18th, 1929 at Earlham, Iowa, earth lost a priceless treasurer, a noble soul, a life beautified and enriched by the love of Christ in the heart and lived out in kindly deeds, tender ministries and loving words, a pure heart and clear conscience had given her a countenance beaming.

As the irrigating streams flowing through the desert makes it a fruitful garden and to blossom as the rose and the barren places to become glad because of the life giving streams, so the sweet serene spirits of Jennie Dean, freshened by the dews of Heaven revived the drooping spirit made glad the heart and brought beauty and help to every life it touched.

And now that she is gone, how rugged the way, how heavy the burden without her tender ministries. The church, home and society looses heavily but we have our compensations, we are left a priceless legacy. We have the fragrant memory of the beautiful life, of goodly deeds and pure unselfish living. We could not have had acquaintance with a life that has been lived so sweetly and unselfishly without enriching our own lives and adding to our own ability to resist the solicitations of our low ambitions and selfish desires.

Jennie Dean, one of seven children given to the home of John and Elizabeth Walsh, was born at Athens, Ohio, on February 13th, 1855 and of the six sisters, one brother and the father and mother, Jennie Dean was the last to be called to the Heavenly House.

When a small child her parents brought their family by covered wagon to Iowa and became one of early settlers who brought their wealth of love for home and country, enduring, persevering, spirits and abilities to strive and build who have helped to turn the barren waste of land into fertile fields and homes of peace and plenty and build of our state a place where all have opportunity of religious and educational training.

On November 24th, 1879, Jennie Walsh was married to Warren Dean and to this home she gave of the wealth of her love and devotion and exercised her rare gifts making the home a place of beauty and neatness and place of happy retreat and rest for the husband and a gladsome place of fine hospitality to friend and neighbor.

She was a faithful loving companion to her husband, following him in all his work with her faith in his abilities and lending to him a generous portion of her spirit of courage and helpfulness and as opportunity and need was presented, she took her place by his side in school room, store or in any field in which she could aid and back him in his work.

And while she was faithful as a helpmate to her husband she never failed as a friend and neighbor. By her love and kindly deeds as such, she won a large place in their love and confidence and will be sorely missed.

She gave of her time and rare gifts of mind, heart and hand to church and society. She was converted early in life and united with the Methodist Episcopal Church and here she was always ready and faithful and unceasingly useful.

She was a great student and reader, storing her mind with a wealth of knowledge and blessing every life, she touched and every organization with which she labored with the passing on of this rich store of knowledge in her characteristic modest unassuming way.

Life shed its sunshine and canopied the life of Jennie Dean with skies of glory and at other time in nights of storm and darkness; her path was oftimes smooth and pleasant and sometimes deep and ------ and strewn with stones, but through it all down to the eventide of life, (she) manifested the same happy, courageous spirit.