OBYE, Chrissie L. 1843-1915

OBYE, CAMPBELL

Posted By: Karen L. Robertson (email)
Date: 10/30/2011 at 19:53:16

#1:

Miss Chrissy Obye, whose home is here, died of pneumonia Friday after a couple of days' illness, at Modale, Iowa, where she was teaching in the primary department of the schools.

Her remains were brought here and the funeral was held at the N.L. Church Sunday at 12:30.

Interment was made in the town cemetery.

[Waterloo Daily Courier and Reporter, Wednesday, April 7, 1915]

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#2:

The St. Ansgar City Cemetery shows:

OBYE, Chrissie L. April 28, 1843 - April 2, 1915

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#3:

Last Friday afternoon a telephone message was received here telling of the death of Miss Chrissie L. Obye, at Modale, Iowa, where she was teaching. She had a large school in a newly organized consolidated district consequently the work was heavy-too much for the strength of one of her age, but she plackily kept at her work. She was sick only a few days-went to Omaha on Saturday and was sick there but got better and kept on teaching. A doctor was called Wednesday morning and found her ready to go to school. He advised her to go to bed but she refused and taught during the day. That night she went to bed never to rise. Her cousins, Louis Obye and sister, Mrs. J.M. Campbell, of Lake City were sent for but could not get there till after her death. She failed repaidly, became delerious Thursday night and died at 9:30 Friday morning, April 2, of that dread disease-pneumonia. Her cousins arrived here with the remains Sunday morning and the funeral was held at the U.N.L Church Sunday at 12:30 conducted by Rev. Waldeland. Six of her former pupils were pall bearers, and she was laid to rest beside her mother in the St. Ansgar Cemetery.

Miss Obye's parents came to America from Southern Norway in 1838, settling at Galena, Illinois. She was born April 28, 1843. Her father died in 1858, and she, with her mother and brother, Lars, came to St. Ansgar in 1862. Lars went west in 1877, visited here in 1880, went again and never returned. The mother died November 23, 1891 and the brother died in Oregon in December, 1911.

It is less than four years ago, at the age of 68, that Miss Obye realized a long cherished ambition and graduated from the primary training department of Highland Park college at Des Moines. This stamps her as being a very remarkable woman. Her early education was not extensive and circumstances-the support of a widowed mother, made higher education an impossibility in the earlier years of her life, but she possessed the pluck to achieve her ambition at that period in life when most people have given up the fight.

She was a natural teacher, with a very quick and active mind; commencing to teach at the age of 15, she taught with the exception of the time spent attending school, for 57 years. This record has perhaps never been excelled in this state. It is not strange then that in the delerium of her last sickness, she fancied she was teaching. The larger part of this time she taught in and around St. Ansgar, and it almost seems that she was the teacher of every second grown person we meet in this community.

After she graduated at Highland Park in June, 1911, she was elected as primary teacher at Orient, Iowa, and was so successful that she remained three years, and left to take the better paying position at Modale.

After the death of her mother, to whom she was very devoted, she continued to live alone in the old home, and out of respect for the memory of her mother never allowed it to be changed. Hers was the problem of the woman who must carry on life's battles alone, and along with self reliance, she developed the trait of keeping her own counsel. She did this so well that even those who were the most intimate friends, knew very little about her-not even her age (as she was well preserved she did not look her years).

Always being required to exercise the closest ecomomy, she never revealed it in matters of dress, as that would interfere with her retaining her positions on which her living depended. Her career shows what it is possible for a woman of ability and perseverence to do. But very, very few have ever been able to fill out as many years of active and successful effort as she has done.

[ St. Ansgar Enterprise ]