Burton, Rubie A. 1840-1893

BURTON, MERRIMAN, WARNER

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 6/27/2011 at 12:23:40

The Grinnell Herald; May 30, 1893

DIED.

At her home in Grinnell, Saturday, May 27, 1893, Mrs. Rubie Merriman Burton.

Rubie A. Merriman was born in Madison, Lake county, Ohio, July 19th, 1840. She was reared in one of those comfortable, quiet Ohio homes where Christian influences predominate in the larger way. She was married to P.D. Burton, Feb. 5th, 1867, and in the early spring they came to Grinnell to carve out their fortunes in the new west settling on the wild unbroken prairies six miles northeast of Grinnell. Some know what it means to break loose from the comforts of an eastern home and brave the discomforts of the prairies in the early days when neighbors were few and far between, when the common comforts of life could hardly be procured. But accepting these conditions and discomforts they struggled on; both delicate and hardly adapted to farming pursuits, yet gradually reaching out to better conditions, and a surer foundation. During all those years they were faithful in attendance on church service. The deceased was a delicate flower from girlhood, but being transplanted to the purer air of Iowa her health seemed to improve and for fifteen years she was quite strong and rugged, but her lungs, naturally weak, became more sensitive to the cold, and she had frequent spells of prostration from other causes, finally culminating in pneumonia which terminated her life. She was entirely domestic in her tastes, rather avoiding than courting society, her highest ambition being to be at home with her family administering to the fullest extend of her strength to their comfort and happiness and was satisfied with her efforts in that direction without seeking notoriety or popularity with the world. She united with the church in her girlhood days and remained an earnest, conscientious Christian woman to the end, never faltering nor wavering but having an abiding faith all the years of her life. She was the youngest of four sisters, two of whom have hastened to her bedside from distant eastern homes to soothe and comfort her dying moments. They reached here but a brief time before her death.

Dr. Warner, a brother-in-law, was summoned from his home in Lowell, Mass., to be present and see if something more could not be done, but every thing had been done which human skill could accomplish and she passed peacefully and quietly to her reward.

The funeral was held at the house yesterday afternoon. Services being conducted by Pres. G.A. Gates and Prof. L.F. Parker. The members of Gordon Granger Post, of which Mr. Burton is a member, were present in a body and the bearers were chosen from that order. The remains were followed to their last resting place in Hazelwood cemetery by a very large number of the citizens of this place.