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Martha (Hoskins) Hill (1923)

HILL, HOSKINS, GORTON

Posted By: Pat Hochstetler (email)
Date: 11/19/2010 at 16:26:08

Earlham Echo – April 5, 1923

Martha Hoskins Hill, daughter of Milton and Zilpha Gorton Hoskins, was born May 26th, 1877 near Pleasant Plain, Jefferson county, Iowa. She was one of three children born in this home. When a young girl she moved with her family to a farm near Waukee, Iowa, at which place she grew to womanhood. She attended the Earlham Friends Academy; also entered the State Teachers College at Cedar Falls, Iowa, and attended this school to within a few months of her graduation. She left school and came home to care for the mother who had fallen ill. After the death of her mother she stayed with the father and gave herself, as was characteristic of her, in tender, loving service to the father and invalid sister for a number of years. And during some of these years of service to father and sister, she also taught school, and here she proved herself the same loving, devoted soul that she was, winning a large place in the hearts and lives of her pupils.

She was married to Harry W. Hill November 9, 1905 at Earlham, Iowa. This home thus established and maintained through the 17 years these loving hearts were given to live in our midst, was not only a home of love and devotion to those who resided there, but many have been gathered into it to be loved and served as only Martha Hill would do. She had the true spirit of hospitality and Christian charity. She loved and served her home and family with a love and devotion beyond the average, yet she had (paper is dark and torn here) Christ as her Saviour and Friend.

She did not seek places of leadership or prominence, but always found the places where love and hard work were needed—the places others pass by. No task was too lowly or difficult for her to undertake and accomplish. She was not thinking of being ministered unto but to ministering.

Her spirit was born of the Masters love for her and her love for the Master. Of her we can say “She hath done what she could,” and her sudden and tragic death, which came on March 24, 1923, bore inexpressible sadness to a multitude of friends and neighbors. She leaves a little daughter, Mary, one brother, R. G. Hoskins, four nieces and many other relatives to miss her kind ministry and warm love, but the radiance of her life left behind, shall be as a beacon light, lighting the way from sin and selfish striving, to Christ and righteous serving.
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Winterset Madisonian – April 15, 1923
Pg 7
Earlham

The funeral of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Hill and Mrs. Richard Hoskins, who were killed at the Randolph hotel more than two weeks ago, was held at the Friends church, of which all were active members, on Thursday afternoon. The Rock Island railway sent a special train from Des Moines, bringing three cars filled with people from Des Moines, Oskaloosa and other places for the funeral. There were at least 1,000 people present as the last sad rites were said over the three caskets in front of the pulpit. Two truck loads of flowers were beautifully arranged as a background for and on these three caskets, containing the bodies of some of the best loved citizens of our town.

The service was conducted by Rev. McGrew, president of Penn college, and Rev. Nelson, pastor of the Friends church and the obituaries were written and read by Mrs. Lenna Lescault. It was a sad sight as the hearses, preceded by eighteen pall bears, started to the cemetery, which led past the recent home of the Hills, and on to the last resting place of these beloved ones who have laid their burdens of earth down and are now rejoicing where sorrow and pain will never come.

Mr. and Mrs. Hill were laid side by side in a double grave. Their little daughter, Mary, is still a great sufferer and has not been told of the death of her parents. The Hoskins girls, with the exception of Lucile, all know of the death of their mother, but were unable to be up at the time of the funeral and are still in bed and will be for perhaps many weeks.

Gravestone Photo
 

Madison Obituaries maintained by Linda Griffith Smith.
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