Kasson, Mrs. Alice Pierce (1933)

KASSON, PIERCE

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 3/19/2012 at 10:37:17

Grinnell (IA) newspaper; Jan. 1933

FUNERAL SERVICES OF MRS. ALICE PIERCE KASSON HELD THURSDAY

Mrs. Alice Pierce Kasson passed away in Montezuma January 11. The funeral services were held from the Snyder chapel last Thursday afternoon and interment was at Hazelwood. Rev. E.M. Vittum conducted the services and Mrs. Margery Bouma sang a solo.

Mrs. Kasson was taken down with influenza less than a week prior to her death and at that time her condition was not considered serious, but pneumonia developed and she was taken to the hospital where she died.

Alice Pierce came to Grinnell in 1869 with her parents, from Castile, New York, and they built a home about three miles north of the Bailey corner on the Chester road. She attended the public schools and afterwards taught for a number of years in room four. A number of her pupils are still living in the community.

She was married in 1886 to Joseph Robbins Kasson, the oldest son of Rev. James. H. Kasson, a Congregational minister, who had moved to Grinnell in 1862 and who owned and resided on a farm across from schoolhouse number 2. They had come to this community from Marquette, Wisconsin and Joseph was a brother of LeBaron and Rev. Frank Kasson, both graduates of Grinnell college and well known in this city.

Mr. Kasson was in bad health and passed away in 1889, a few months before the birth of a daughter. Mrs. Kasson was in ill health and the baby daughter was taken by Mr. and Mrs. Robbins, cousins of Mr. Kasson, with whom she lived until her death at the age of five years. The father of Mrs. Kasson passed away several weeks following the death of her husband. One brother lived here for a short time and then left for Ackley, Iowa. Word was received from him there telling that he was planning a trip west, but was never heard from by his relatives after that.

Though suffering Mrs. Kasson was a constant reader until the time of her death and subscribed to many magazines and papers. She was united with the Congregational church in 1873 and was a member at the time of her death. She is survived by a niece, Miss Mary Kasson, a daughter of LeBaron Kasson, who was in attendance at the funeral, and who was accompanied to this city by Dr. Julia Hill, prior to the death of Mrs. Kasson. Another daughter of LeBaron Kasson lives in the state and there are two nieces, children of Rev. Frank Kasson who live in the east.

It is interesting to know that Judge J.P. Lyman, prominent jurist, well known to many Grinnell people, was named after Mrs. Kasson's father, Jacob Pierce.