Pexton, Maria Langworthy Abbott

PEXTON, LANGWORTHY, ABBOTT, KELSEY, RICKERSON, DELAHOYDE

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 12/26/2011 at 22:00:48

Grinnell, Iowa; Obituary dated June 2, 1908

LANGWORTHY

THE LANGWORTHY FAMILY IN EARLIEST GRINNELL

To human vision Maria Langworthy-Abbott-Pexton was laid to rest in Hazelwood last Wednesday, May 27th. The earliest residents in Grinnell first saw her father in 1855, herself, her mother, two brothers and two sisters in 1856, and her brother-in-law, (C.D. Kelsey) with his wife and their two sons the next year. In and very near our town site there were twenty houses in June, 1855, and probably thirty more in 1856.

That family received a most cordial welcome on arrival, for the hamlet needed house-builders and such were those men. As the months passed by their welcome became still more cordial, for they brought genial grace into all social circles and hearty co-operation into all the industrial, educational, and moral enterprises of the place. The two youngest daughters, Laura and Eunice, vivacious, intelligent and winsome, became famous in Colonel Cooper's school and later as teachers in Grinnell and elsewhere. Such young women always should be teachers. It seems like pre-destination by natural endowment.

Those two families were the founders of the Baptist church here. Rev. F.D. Rickerson was its first settled pastor, a brilliant young man. He thought very wisely that Eunice Langworthy would be a most excellent assistant. She became Mrs. Rickerson, and now resides in Phoenix, Arizona. Through all her years she has transformed acquaintances into friends.

Mr. Kelsey was especially active in making intruding whisky sellers uncomfortable and conspicuous by their sudden departure. One such opened his saloon, made a sale, and in twenty four hours by the aid of C.D. Kelsey, he hastened away to find a more healthful climate. No saloon in Grinnell? Kelsey's men dreamed that he had one but only during twenty-four hours, until Mr. Kelsey started for him!

The civil war began. The two Langworthy sons were in the battle of Wilson's Creek when Lyon fell. Afterwards one of them was shot by a rebel sympathizer. The other was leading a company of Union refugees toward safety when he was ambushed and a bullet was sent through his head from ear to ear. Strange, marvelously strange, the shot was not fatal. A third son was a member of a Wisconsin regiment. John Delahoyde became a member of the family as the husband of Laura. He was in the Tenth Iowa infantry, a private, a lieutenant, an adjutant, and severely wounded, carrying rebel lead into his funeral casket, a genial gentleman, of literary taste. His widow has a happy home in Exira, Iowa, near the family of her son, a successful banker. Her presence is sunshine.

Maria became the wife of Moses Abbott, and, after his death, of Wm. Pexton, both honorable young men in Grinnell. Her later widowhood was spent with her sister in Exira, in fair health until near the end, carrying brightness into all her homes. Mrs. Kelsey is now a widow and resides with her daughter in Los Angeles.

Of the house-mother of the Langworthy family no words can be uttered with better knowledge or greater sincerity than those of Mr. Kelsey: "No words can express the love and admiration due to such a woman as Mother Langworthy." It is now enough to say that, in a large degree the qualities of the mother appeared in all the children.

Such families as this made early Grinnell attractive. We are enriched even yet by their presence in the years of the pioneers.
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Mrs. Maria Pexton was buried here on Wednesday, May 27, the funeral services being conducted from the Baptist church at 10:00 o'clock in the morning, by Professor L.F. Parker. The pall bearers were old friends of the family, as follows: S. Nelson, A.C. Harriman, G.H. Hamlin, Leonard Walker, W.J. Rapson and Charles F. Ricker.