Malinda (Stephenson) Devault (1910)
DEVAULT, STEPHENSON
Posted By: Pat Hochstetler (email)
Date: 1/5/2017 at 07:46:41
Stuart Herald
Stuart, Iowa
Friday, August 26, 1910
Page 3Mrs. Malinda Devault died at her home in Madison county Aug. 18. Her death was sudden and due to heart failure. She was past 87 years and leaves two sons and four daughters. She was buried Sunday at Penn Center.
________________________Dexter Sentinel
Dexter, Iowa
August 1910Matilda Stephenson, daughter of Alexander and Rhoda Stephenson, was born in Jackson county, Ohio, January 24, 1824, died in Madison county, Iowa, August 18, 1910, aged 86 years, 7 months and 24 days.
In the year 1834 she with her parents moved to Kosciusko county, Indiana, settling on Bone Prairie, Near Leesburg, where she grew to womanhood. She was left motherless at the age of 12 years, with the care of seven younger brothers and sisters, she and an older brother Frank passed a laborious youth with little chance for education even such as was available in those days.
After the death of her father she was united in marriage June 20th, 1849 to Jonathan De Vault, who preceded her to the spirit world on Sept. 10, 1890. To this union was born nine children, two of whom have preceded her to the spirit world.
In the year 1854 she came with her husband to Iowa, settling in Johnson county. During the year 1877, between Christmas and New Year, she came to Madison county, settling on the old home where she passed to her reward. She leaves to mourn their loss seven children, four daughters and three boys, eight grandchildren and five great grandchildren and a host of relatives and friends.
She was a kind and faithful mother and wife and a friend to all.
At the age of twelve years she united with the Baptist church at Oswego, Indiana, to which she remained faithful to the end.
One remarkable feature of her life was that she had never known sickness, other than the natural decline from old age, and it is a pleasant thought to know that when the end came, so suddenly and without warning that she passed away in peaceful slumber without pain or suffering.
In the absence of her daughter, who had gone to Stuart that morning, she did an unusual amount of work for one of her age, such as baking and getting dinner, afterwards she went out on the porch to enjoy her accustomed afternoon nap, where she was later found by her son, sitting in her easy chair apparently asleep.
She was one of the pioneer women of the state, and one of the old settlers of Penn township, moving here in the wagon thirty-three years ago.
The funeral services were held at the Penn Center church at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, August 21, conducted by Rev. A. A. Thompson, who took for his text Rev. 14:13, after which interment was made in the Penn Center cemetery.
The funeral was largely attended by sympathizing friends and neighbors.
The relatives present from a distance were: Mr. and Mrs. Anglin, Etna Green, Indiana; Mrs. Gibson, Mr. Jackson Filkner, Milford, Indiana; Miss Stephenson, Algona, Indiana; Steve DeVault, Solon, Iowa.
________________________Transcriber’s note: Typed as printed in Dexter Sentinel. First name was Malinda per gravestone at Penn Center cemetery and marriage date was June 1, 1851 per Indiana marriage records in Kosciusko county.
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