Mary Steen

STEEN, MCCUNE, LEFFLER, SKOTT, HULS

Posted By: Lynn McCleary (email)
Date: 9/30/2014 at 07:38:28

West Liberty Index, West Liberty, Iowa, Thursday, Feb. 23, 1933

Mrs. Mary Steen, widow of F.D. Steen, died very unexpectedly Saturday evening in her Davenport home which she occupied until the death of her husband about a year ago. An attack of heart trouble caused her death.

Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon from the Methodist church and burial was made in Oakridge cemetery. The hymns were sung by Mrs. L. B. Holmes and Mrs. R. P. Evans, K. C. Smith and F. G. Tharp, with Mrs. W. A. Smith as organist. The pastor, Rev. Walter A. Smith was in charge. Pall bearers were W. H. Propst, V. H. Birkett, H. J. Klotz, B. W. Barnes, J. K. James and R. R. Wright.

Mary Perlina McCune was born in Coshocton county, Ohio, August 2, 1859, the second daughter of Robert James and Sarah Winn McCune. At the age of seven she moved to a farm east of West Liberty with her family. There her girlhood was spent. When she was sixteen, she with her father, and brother Will drove across the state of Iowa in a covered wagon, to Menlo, Guthrie county, in September 1875. The trip consumed seven days, due to heavy rains and the necessity of fording rivers. The follow March the entire family removed to Menlo.

On Aril 21, 1881, she was married to Frederick D. Steen. Their home was established on a farm, where eight children were born. They moved to Elmenhurst Farm, West Liberty, in March, 1899, and retiring from active farm life, to Davenport in October of 1920. There they celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary two years ago. Her partner of more than fifty years passed away March 10, 1932. Thus bereft, she came to West Liberty last summer to live near her sons.

Going to Davenport, Saturday on business, she was taken suddenly ill in her former home there and passed away late in the evening before her children were summoned. Thus an active life passed in the service of loved ones was brought to an untimely end.

From childhood she had been a member of the Methodist church, and wherever she moved, and her membership transferred.

Surviving the five sons and three daughters; George of West Liberty; Blaine of Melfort, Saskatchewan, Canada; Charles of Des Moines; Mrs. Dorothea Leffler of Vinton, Mrs. Clara Skott of Maquoketa; Herman of Wheaton, Ill.; Leslie of West Liberty, and Mrs. Helen Huls of Saint Cloud, Minn.; one sister, Mrs. Jennie Steen of Lebanon, Oregon’ three brothers, W. E. McCune of Stuart; R. W. McCune of Adrian, Minnesota and Frank McCune of La Junta, Colorado. There also are twenty-nine grandchildren who survive.