Price, Ellen Augusta 1882-1916

PRICE

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 6/2/2011 at 08:41:25

The Grinnell Herald; Aug. 18, 1916

OBITUARY.

ELLEN AUGUST PRICE.

Ellen Augusta Price, only daughter of Aaron O. and Amy A. Price, was born near Iowa City, Ia., April 1, 1882, and died at Grinnell, Aug. 14, 1916.

Her parents moved to Grinnell in 1892, where Ellen attended the public schools, graduating from the high school in 1901 with a high scholarship record.

She entered college at once, but interrupted her college course to teach for a year, postponing her college graduation till 1906. During her college course she had become interested in the work of teaching the colored children of the south, and she therefore offered her services to the American Missionary association and was assigned to work in Tillotson college, in Texas, where she taught with great success for three years. Following this she gave a year of service to the same work in Straight university, New Orleans.

During these four years of hard work she had found time and strength to study for two summers at the Iowa State university, and she now spent a year of postgraduate study at Grinnell, receiving her Master's degree in 1911.

Her next teaching was in the high school at Charles City, Ia., where she was most happy in her work; but when her mother's health failed for a time she gave up her work to be at home with her father--a sacrifice of her own ambitions which she never regretted, but must have remembered with thankfulness a year later at his death.

Since that time she has taught near Grinnell, so that she might be with her mother.

Last September she again took up the study which she loved best, and gave up her work at the state university only when her failing health absolutely compelled her to do so.

Through the long weeks of struggle for health her friends prayed that she might be spared to continue her work and to comfort her mother who needed her so much. And she herself wanted so to live. Life meant very much to her. It meant friendship and the companionship of books; it meant the joy of study and the pleasure of travel; it meant the happiness of home. And there seemed every reason to believe that if her health could be restored she might accomplish much along the lines of her special interest and talent.

Many people knew and admired Ellen Price as a student, as a teacher, or in church relations, her affiliation with the Congregational church having been made almost as soon as the family came to Grinnell. But it was given to comparatively few to know the other side of her nature, to know her great sweetness of sympathy, her keen sense of humor, her passionate love and desire for all that is beautiful. Only those whose rare good fortune it was to know her in her home, when that home as complete, really knew her. We may believe that it is better with her, in this life to which she has gone, but we cannot forget that we have lost a strong, sweet friend.

Many friends join in loving sympathy for the mother, who, within a short time, has been called upon to give up both of those who were dearest to her.

The funeral service was held at the home Wednesday afternoon at 4 o'clock conducted by Dr. D.P. Breed.