Jennie Sarah (Williams) Witham (1954)

WITHAM, WILLIAMS, CURTIS, ORY, BOREN, JAMISON

Posted By: Treva Patterson (email)
Date: 8/8/2007 at 14:39:39

Dallas County News
Adel, Iowa
Wednesday, March 10, 1954
Page 1, column 8 and page 6, column 3

MRS. JENNIE WITHAM

Jennie Sarah Williams, daughter of William and Ann Williams was born April 2nd, 1864 near Hereford, England and passed away on Friday evening March 5th at the age of 89 years, 11 months and three days.

On June 17th, 1880 at the age of 16 she came alone to America where for some time she made her home with an aunt and uncle and a sister who had previously come here from England. She received her education at Cornell College, Mount Vernon, Iowa and at St. Luke's hospital School of Nursing at Cedar Rapids.

On June 13th, 1889 she was united in marriage with James Wilson Witham at Independence, Iowa. They came to Des Moines where they made their home for about 20 years. To this union were born seven children, three sons and four daughters.

In later life she again took up the profession of nursing and for several years nursed in Madison, Dallas and Guthrie counties.

In 1939 she came to Des Moines from Adel where she had lived with her son, Charles and for the past 15 years has made her home at the Home for the Aged. Mrs. Witham was a lover of flowers and it being her hobby was able to carry it on while living at the Home where she was known as the "Little Flower Woman."

In 1889 she with her husband united with the University Christian church of Des Moines of which she was still a member.

Mrs. Witham was the last of a family of six children, she being preceded in death by three sisters and two brothers, her husband, who died on November 24th, 1930 and one grandson.

Surviving are her seven children, Mrs. Pearl Curtis of Bremerton, Washington; Donald M. Witham of Des Moines; Mrs. Lillian Ory of Earlham; Mrs. Edith Boren of Sherrill, Missouri; Charles H. Witham of Winterset; Mrs. Annabel Jamison of Waukee, and James E. Witham of Des Moines; 17 grandchildren; 19 great grandchildren; a number of nieces and nephews and a large circle of devoted friends.
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Earlham Echo
Earlham, Iowa
Thursday, March 11, 1954

Penn Center News

Death Calls Mrs. Jennie Witham

Mrs. Jennie Witham, who had been living at the “Home for the Aged”, 2833 University Avenue in Des Moines, died Friday night around 11:30. She was past 89 years old. Born in Hereford, England she came to America when a young girl.

Mrs. Witham was a practical nurse and some of her services rendered will be remembered in this community.

She is survived by three sons and four daughters; a daughter, Mrs. John Ory of this community, sixteen grandchildren and nineteen grandchildren.

She was a member of University Christian Church of Des Moines.

Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon at Dunn’s Funeral home in Des Moines at 1:30 p.m. Burial in the Earlham cemetery. A more complete obituary will be in next week’s paper. The family were all together for dinner Tuesday at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Witham in Des Moines, the dinner being prepared and arranged by the church and friends. This community extends sincere sympathy.
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Earlham Echo
Earlham, Iowa

Thursday, March 18, 1954

Funeral Services Held For Mrs. Jennie Witham

Mrs. Jennie Witham, a well known nurse, former resident of Earlham, passed away suddenly at The Home for the Aged in Des Moines Friday evening, March 5. Mrs. Witham was 89 years old at the time of her death and would have celebrated her 90th birthday April 2.

She had lived northwest of Adel with her son, Charles for eleven years before going to the home in 1939.

Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon, March 9 at 1:30 p.m. at Dunn’s Funeral Home, Des Moines with the Rev. Paul Hicks of Wesley Methodist church and Rev. Warner Muir of the University Church officiating. Richard Ehrhardt of Adel was the soloist. Casket bearers were: Walter Eisele of Stuart; Sheldon Strong of Earlham; Harry Brown of Waukee; Joe Boss of Des Moines and Martin Stine and D. L. Royer of Adel. Burial was at the Earlham cemetery.

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