Mary Jane (Frink) White (1845-1935)

FRINK, ARNOLD, WHITE, DOYLE, HOYT

Posted By: jane austin (email)
Date: 8/29/2021 at 02:35:29

Mrs. Mary White, Pioneer Resident, Passes Away Wednesday.

Had lived in Sanborn and Vicinity for the Past 57 Years

The death of Mrs. Mary J. White on Wednesday marked the passing of another of O'Brien County's pioneer settlers, one who had lived in Sanborn and vicinity for the past 57 years.

Mary Jane Frink, daughter of Perceival and Alvina Frink, was born July 5, 1845 at Sutherland, Ashland County, Ohio, and passed away at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Maude Arnold, in Sanborn, Iowa at 3:30 Wednesday afternoon, May 29, 1935, being in her 90th year. When eleven years of age she moved with her parents to Shellsburg, Iowa, where she received her education and grew to young womanhood.

On December 1, 1860, she was united in marriage to Thomas Dole White of Shellsburg, Iowa, at which place they established their new home and continued to reside until the year 1878 when they moved to the vicinity of Sanborn. To this union, seven children were born: Ida, Eddie and John, who died in infancy. Mrs. Nellie Doyle of Sacramento, California; Mrs. Hattie Hoyt of DeSmet, South Dakota; Dallas White of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Mrs. Maude Arnold of Sanborn, Iowa.

When a girl of thirteen, Mrs. White united with the Baptist Church, in which, throughout her years, she retained her membership. She was also a charter member of Kenyon Women's Organization. She was active in her younger years and later, when her health permitted, holding the various high offices during her membership.

Mr. and Mrs. White were among the early pioneer settlers of Floyd township, taking up a homestead there in 1878, where for one year, they endured the hardships and privations of the early settlers, living northwest of the little prairie village of Sanborn, the the [] of the Milwaukee railroad which had been extended west from Algona, Iowa, that year. The following year, 1879, the family moved to Sanborn where Mr. White entered business as a coal and grain dealer and later took up the real estate business. Mr. White had the distinction of being elected Sanborn's first city marshal and street commissioner at the first town election held in April, 1880.

In Mrs. White's passing, Sanborn loses one of its most highly respected and beloved pioneer women, who has made Sanborn her home for over half a century. Mrs. White was preceded in death by her husband, a Civil War veteran, who served with Company B, Eighth Iowa Infantry as a first Lieutenant, who passed away November 4, 1903. Since his death, Mrs. White has made her home with her daughter, Mrs. Maude Arnold, the greater part of the time. For several years she has been in failing health due to the infirmities of old age and for the past few months has been confined to her bed, being tenderly cared for by her daughter, Mrs. Maude Arnold, who has given her mother constant care and has helped to make her declining years happy ones.

Besides her children previously mentioned, she leaves to mourn her passing 13 grandchildren, 18 great grandchildren, and two great great grandchildren.

Thus another link with the past has been broken and another pioneer of our early Iowa history has gone. She now rests from her labors. Her work is done and she has gone to her reward leaving many pleasant memories not only with her family, but her many friends who had learned to know and love grandma White throughout these many years.

Funeral services were held at the Arnold home at 2 Saturday afternoon. Rev. Ernest Stanworth, pastor of the Methodist church in charge. The floral offerings were many and beautiful and bore mute evidence of the high esteem in which the deceased was held in the community. D.M. Norton, G.W. Harges, Wm. Brahan, Charles Getting, R.C. Sawyer and F.C. Waters acted as pall bearers and bore the body to its final resting place in the family lot in Roseland cemetery.

Out of town relatives and friends attending the funeral were: Mrs. Hattie Hoyt of DeSmet, South Dakota, Mr. and Mrs. Dallas. C. Shite, son Donald and daughter, Betty, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Grant Arnold of Grinnell, Iowa, Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Arnold of Chillicothe, Illinois, Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Arnold of Spencer, Mrs. Clemie Newell and Don Curley of Le Mars, Mr. and Mrs. G.G. Gallup of Ocheyedan; Joe McGranahan of Erwin, Tennessee, and Mrs. Frank Melvin of Hartley.

Sanborn (Iowa) Pioneer, 6 Jun 1935, pp1,5