Missouri (Butler) Woosley (1906)
BUTLER, WOOSLEY, WRIGHT
Posted By: Kent Transier
Date: 11/8/2023 at 18:03:21
The State Journal
Mulhall, Oklahoma
Friday, January 5, 1906
Page 1, Columns 1 - 3Mrs. Burrel T. Woosley, aged mother of the editor of this paper, also of Miss Ida Woosley and C. B. Woosley, all of Mulhall, died at the home of her son Tom Wednesday morning, January 3, 1906, at 7:30 o’clock. The direct cause of her death Was asthma and capillary bronchitis, resulting in weak heart action, which brought about an overworked heart condition; death resulting.
She had not been seriously ill but a short time, and was able to take nourishment and help herself up to the time of her demise. She had arisen and was dressing herself, with the assistance of her daughters, for breakfast when her breathing suddenly became harder, and in a moment had passed away. Death was apparently painless, and so quietly and easily had the transition taken place that her children thought her asleep. Her physician was quickly summoned, but she was past all earthly aid, be it ever so powerful.
Her daughters, Ida and Bessie, and sons Collins and Tom, were with her when the end came. The two remaining children, Mrs. Sarah Wright, eldest living child of Mother, and John, the youngest of the family, both living in Des Moines, Iowa, were notified by wire.
It was decided to place the remains in the family burying lot at Worthington, Iowa, 36 miles west of Des Moines, where the children were born and where the family resided for over thirty years. The remains were embalmed and prepared for shipment by Mr. Elliott. A brief funeral service was held at the residence of her son at 6 o’clock in the evening preceding the arrival of the train which was to carry the remains to Iowa.
The service was conducted by Rev. Charles Kirkpatrick, pastor of the local Presbyterian church, of which denomination Mother had been a member since early childhood. The rooms were filled with friends of the family, who came to proffer assistance and to offer words of sympathy to the bereft ones. At the conclusion of the services the remains were escorted to the Santa Fe station by relatives and friends. The remains were accompanied to Iowa by her daughter, Miss Ida and her son, Collins B. Woosley and wife. Burial takes place this afternoon.
A telegraphic request was sent to the post office department at Washington for special temporary leave of her son Tom, who is postmaster here, so that he could accompany the remains. The request was granted but came too late, not being received until twelve hours after the departure of the funeral train.
Mrs. Burrel T. Woosley, whose maiden name was Miss Missouri Butler, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Eli Butler, was born at Gallipolis, Gallia county, Ohio, Nov. 8, 1833. She grew to womanhood, however, in and about Galesburg and Abingdon, Illinois, her parents having removed from Ohio to Knox county, Illinois, when she was quite young. On July 4, 1854, she was united in marriage to Burrel T. Woosley.
Soon after marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Woosley moved to Iowa, and settled on the famous “Hoosier Prairie,” in Madison county, Iowa, so named because of the large number of people from Indiana who settled there. Afterward they removed to Madison township, Madison county, and settled at Worthington, a point about 12 miles northwest of Winterset, the county seat of Madison county. Here Mr. and Mrs. Woosley resided continuously until the spring of 1892, when they removed to a farm near Des Moines. In the spring of 1893 the family moved to the city of Des Moines, and with the exception of two years’ residence in Oklahoma in and near Mullhall, Des Moines has been their home since that time.
To Mr. and Mrs. Woosley were born eight children: two daughters and six sons. Three sons died in early life, viz: George, Douglas, and William. Two daughters, Mrs. Sarah Wright, eldest living child and Miss Ida, and three sons, Collins B., Thomas B., and John B., survive her. All but two of the children were born and grew to young womanhood and manhood in the Iowa community to which the remains of Mother were taken for burial.
On August 4, 1903, the husband and father passed away after only a few months’ illness, from a complication of heart, lung and kidney troubles. While Mother’s bodily afflictions were the primary cause of her rapid decline, there is little doubt with us that the loss of the beloved companion of the half-century constantly grieved her, and doubtless her most precious secret and sacred thoughts were of him and when the time should come for them to be reunited in that land of pure delight.
Since Father’s death, Mother’s constant and devoted companion was our sister Ida, who has denied herself every pleasure that Mother’s comfort and care should be carefully guarded. She never left her presence for but a few moments at a time. She ministered to her every want and protected her as she would a child, she was a child in one way, having been deprived of perfect vision, that priceless sense, many years ago. This she made the best of, though it was a terrible affliction.
In the month of August, 1905, her physician at Des Moines recommended a change of climate for her trouble. She recalled that she had had better health while in Oklahoma before, and naturally thought of the dear ones at Mulhall. Accompanied by her daughter, she arrived in Mulhall in the latter part of August, and has made her home with her son Tom since. She began to improve in health almost immediately, and a general improvement was noted.
About six weeks ago, however, she began to grow worse without apparent cause. Since that time until her death, she has been under the care of Dr. Childers, who has done all that could be done for her. Loved ones watched carefully over her, and her physician was almost daily a regular visitor to her. She was able to take nourishment up to the time of her death, and was also able to sleep fairly well. But the strain on the heart, never strong or powerful, was gradually growing too severe for her. When she arose the morning of her death, she was asked how she was feeling. She answered that she felt tired. She never spoke again. There was no trace of suffering on her brow. Death was apparently easy and painless., and she passed to the other world while sitting in her rocking chair.
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