Dexter, Lucy Blanch 1884-1958

DEXTER, STIGERS, MCFATE, SAFRIS, WILCOX, BROWN

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 5/26/2011 at 07:36:32

The Grinnell (IA) Herald-Register; Oct. 9, 1958

OBITUARY

LUCY BLANCH DEXTER

Lucy Blanch Dexter was born Sept. 22, 1884 at Walcott, Iowa, the daughter of Samuel and Rachael Stigers McFate. The McFate family moved to the Sheridan Community in 1886 where Mrs. Dexter grew to womanhood.

She taught school for some time and was married to Charles E. Dexter in February 1907. To this union were born four children: Everett of Flossmoor, Ill.; Mrs. W.E. (Bernice) Safris of Des Moines; Mrs. R.E. (Ruth) Wilcox and Charles, both of Sacramento, Calif.

Mr. and Mrs. Dexter lived in Poweshiek county all their married life. They lived in the Sheridan, Sonora, Ewart and Chester Center communities, moving into Grinnell in 1918.

Mrs. Dexter returned to Grinnell from Montezuma after the death of her husband in December, 1951. She was living at 1014 High St. at the time of her death at a local hospital on Sept. 26, 1958.

She gave freely of her time to help those in need and will be remembered as a good neighbor and a loving mother and grandmother. In addition, she found time to maintain a deep interest in national and international affairs and to express her views in the press.

She is survived by her four children, four grand children, three brothers, Orville A. McFate of Grinnell, Clarence McFate of Tama and Clark McFate of Norwood, Mo., and one sister, Mrs. Laura Brown of Grinnell. Four brothers and one sister preceded her in death.

Funeral services were held at the Smith Funeral Home on Sept. 30, 1958 with Dr. G.S. Bruland, pastor of the Grinnell Methodist Church, officiating. Mrs. Kathleen Heffner was at the organ.

Honorary pallbearers were Arlie P. Binegar and Carl Child, with Wesley Ahrens, Eldon Dexter, John Hotchkin, Arthur McDowell, Ralph Mattingly and Don Souter acting as pallbearers.

Interment was in Jackson Township cemetery at Montezuma.