Malinda (Thornton) Madren Berkey (1951)

BERKEY, THORNTON, MADREN, NICHOLS

Posted By: Ida Morse (email)
Date: 1/16/2006 at 18:59:56

Earlham Library Obituaries May 1951
Earlham, Iowa

MALINDA THORNTON

Malinda Thornton, daughter of Joshua and Lousia Thornton was born October 25, 1861, at Bear Creek, Dallas County, Iowa. Here she resided with her parents until Joshua returned to Indiana on a visit having sold his Bear Creek home and land grant received from the Government. In the Spring the family returned to Iowa and settled on a farm in Polk County near Greenwood. They came from Indiana to the river by train. The train was ferried across the river and they proceeded on the rest of their journey by stage. When Malinda was seven years old the Polk County Farm was sold and this Spring the Rock Island road was laid out from Des Moines to Council Bluffs and town sites were marked. Joshua's oldest son (now seventeen years of age), persuaded his dad to put in a grocery store at Dexter where they moved, and father Joshua plied his trade as a carpenter. His work being near Earlham he moved to that town where farm homes were being rapidly built up. Malinda was eight years of age when they moved to Earlham and ten when the stone school house was built and she finished her school days there. A Redfield barber decided to make Earlham his new location Laevinus Madren by name. He boarded at the Thornton home and fell in love with the seventeen year old Thornton lassie, Malinda. They were married January 27, 1878.

To this union were born four children, all born at Earlham. Inez, Leroy, Herald and Freeda. Herald died in 1883 and Freeda in 1887. Leroy of Spokane, Washington and Inz (Inez) of Osage, Wyoming, survive, also one brother James Thorton (Thornton)of Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

In the Spring of 1910 Laevinus died of blood poison. In the Spring of the same year, Malinda accompanied her son and daughter and their families to Weston County, Wyoming, where they all filed on homesteads and proved up on the land. She later returned to her old Earlham home in the year 1930 she was united in marriage to Alvin J. Berkey. He died in the Fall of 1941.

The remainder of her days she made her home in Osage, Wyoming, with her daughter, Inez Nichols and her husband and departed this life on Sunday, May 6th, 1951 at the age of 89 years, seven months, 11 days. She was buried in the Earlham Cemetery beside her husband Laevinus Madren. Her son, Leroy and family from Spokane, Washington were present at the burial. Her daughter Inez was unable to be in attendance on account of her husband's illness. She left us one week before Mother's Day and this Mother's day she will be with the good all Father in heaven.
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Earlham Echo - May 10, 1951

Earlham, Iowa

MALINDA BERKEY FUNERAL FRIDAY

Mrs. Malinda Berkey, a former resident of Earlham, passed away at New Castle, Wyoming, where she had been making her home with her daughter, Mrs. Inez Nichols, for the past few years. The Welch Funeral Service has been notified that the body will be shipped to Earlham for burial, and funeral service will be held Friday. Further particulars are not available at this time.

Earlham Echo - May 17, 1951

Earlham, Iowa

Last paragraph of obituary of Malinda Thornton Berkey

Funeral services were held for Mrs. Berkey at the Welch Funeral Home Friday, May 11. Rev. S. R. Overholser conducted the services. Interment was in the Earlham cemetery.