Isabell (Steele) Irwin (1928)

IRWIN, STEELE, REED, ANDERSON, MUELLER, COLTRANE

Posted By: Pat Hochstetler (email)
Date: 3/10/2007 at 08:27:10

Winterset Madisonian - April 5, 1928
Winterset, Iowa

DEATH OF MRS. ISABELL IRWIN

Mrs. Isabell Irwin, one of the pioneer residents of St. Charles, died Tuesday, March 27th, at the home of her daughter, Mrs. H. A. Mueller. She had been in poor health for some time, and gradually became weaker. She was eighty years of age. She came to Winterset with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Steele, when she was a young girl. She was married to Mr. Irwin in 1865, and he died in 1879. She is survived by five children: Alex, of New Virginia; William and Samuel, of Virginia township, Warren county, and Mrs. H. P. Anderson and Mrs. Mueller, of St. Charles.

The Rev. F. G. Barnes conducted the funeral services at the home Thursday, March 29th, and burial was made in the New Virginia cemetery. More details of her life may be found in the obituary, on page three.

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MORTUARY

Isabell Steele, the fourth child and second daughter of John H. and Mary Ann Gehr Steele, was born in the state of Pennsylvania, on the 20th day of February, 1848, and died at her home in St. Charles, Iowa, March 27th, 1928, aged eighty years, one month and seven days.

When about eleven years of age she moved with her parents to the state of Missouri. Then for the next five years she lived successively in Wapello county, Winterset, Clarke and Warren counties, in Iowa.

September 28, 1865, she was married to Samuel Irwin, a resident of Virginia township, Warren county, a veteran of the Civil war, having served in Co. G. 3d Iowa Infantry. Their home was on the farm about one and one-half miles west of New Virginia, where they wrought and reared a family of seven children. She learned to know the ups and downs of a pioneer life and entered into its joys and its sorrows, its adversarities and its propertities.

While yet a young woman, she was bereft of a husband, Mr. Irwin dying in the month of August, 1879. thus the burden and responsibility of caring for a large farm and rearing her children, fell upon her shoulders. Seven children were born to the union and are as follows: Alex J. Irwin, now postmaster of New Virginia; Mary, who married Ed Reed, and preceded her mother in death, July 21, 1921; William and Samuel Irwin, of Virginia township, Warren county; James, who died February 8th, 1903 from the result of a railroad accident; Anna, now Mrs. H. P. Anderson, and Cora, now Mrs. H. A. Mueller, of St. Charles.

Mrs. Irwin was a member of Model Chapter No. 174, Order of the Eastern Star, of St. Charles, being the first person to become a member after its organization in 1895.

Also she was a charter member of the John Miller Woman's Relief Corps, No. 242, St. Charles, in which organization she has held the office of president and various other offices. While in good health she was faithful in attendance and enjoyed the work of the order. She was a member of the Ladies' Social club and enjoyed their monthly meetings when able to attend. Before coming to St. Charles she joined the Baptist church of New Virginia, and never transferred to any other church.

In the spring of 1889 she, with her children moved from the farm to St. Charles, and that place has been her home ever since. One by one her children left the parental home except her daughter, Cora, who remained with her and cared for her in her declining years. Mrs. Irwin has not only been a grandmother, but a real mother to the three children that came into their home. She will be greatly missed in her home. Her love, her sacrifices, her devotion to that home will never be forgotten.

She leaves to mourn her departure, one sister, Mrs. Lizzie Coltrane, of New Virginia; three sons and two daughters, fourteen grandchildren, six great grandchildren, many nephews, nieces and other relatives and friends.

For some years Mrs. Irwin has not had the best of health, each winter becoming a little weaker. Her last sickness began in the fall and during the last two months she gradually became weaker until the end came last Tuesday evening.

Funeral services were held at the home in St. Charles last Thursday March 29th, 1928, by Rev. F. G. Barnes, and her remains were laid to rest in the New Virginia cemetery by the side of her husband.