Dickson, Lura May 1880-1964

DICKSON, MOLING, VANDIVERT, HUNTER, LARSON, NICKELSON, FRANCIS, GARTON, HARRIS

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 6/16/2012 at 09:42:44

The Montezuma (IA) Republican; Nov. 5, 1964

FUNERAL SERVICES HELD SUNDAY FOR MRS. C.F. DICKSON, LOCAL AUTHOR

The funeral of Mrs. Lura Dickson, wife of Montezuma's town clerk and well known attorney, Charles F. Dickson, was held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, at the Presbyterian Church. Rev. G.R. Dieken presided at the service. Mrs. Vincent Johnson sang several selections accompanied by Miss Alice Underwood, organist.

Pallbearers were: Edward Ammann, Marion Palmer, Howard McKee, Frank Bryan, Raymond McKee and C.E. Kercheval. The burial was in the Masonic-IOOF Cemetery.

Lura May Moling was born April 23, 1880, in Gentry County, Mo., the only child of William E. and Rosa Moling. Her death came Thursday evening Oct. 29, in an Oskaloosa nursing home where she had been a patient for many months.

She graduated from Cameron, Mo., high school, attended the University of Missouri, then moved to Iowa City, with her mother and stepfather, A.H. Vandivert, who was on the University faculty. She received a B.A. degree from the University of Iowa in 1905, and has been a member of the Emeritus Club there since 1955. She taught in the high schools of Jewell, Manilla and Shenandoah, Iowa for several years.

On June 11, 1909, in Bethany, Mo., she married Charles F. Dickson, a 1905 law graduate of the University of Iowa, who had settled in Montezuma. Twin daughters, Elma and Velma, were born to the couple, one of them, Elma, died at the age of four. A third daughter, Dorothy, completed the family.

Mrs. Dickson was a 50-year member of the Order of the Eastern Star, Past Matron of Lafayette Chapter No. 232 and member of the Past Matron's Club. She belonged to the Study Club for many years and served as president.

She was a member of the Presbyterian Church in Montezuma since 1915, active member and president of the United Presbyterian Women, member and president of the Missionary Society, the Westminister Circle, and teacher of a women's Sunday School class for over 50 years. For a number of years, she was co-director of the young people's group, Christian Endeavor.

About 30 years ago, she became interested in genealogy, beginning with family facts and anecdotes told by her grandmothers. She researched her own and Mr. Dickson's lineages, as well as the families of many Montezuma people.

She was a member of the Grinnell Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution for several years, and in 1941 she became the organizing Regent of the Montezuma Chapter. Later she was state consulting registrar of the D.A.R.

She authored three books, one concerning the Francis family, another the Garton family (both her own lineage) and the third of the Steele family, Montezuma residents. Material for a fourth genealogy book has been compiled and will be published in the future. Her descent from King John of England is given in a British book, "Living Descendants of Blood Royal."

She is survived by her husband, two daughters, Velma and Dorothy, both teachers in the Downers Grove, Ill., school system, and a half-sister, Mrs. B.B. Hunter of San Diego, Calif.

Out of town relatives who attended the funeral included Mrs. E.E. Larson, a niece, and Mr. Larson of Kansas City, Kans., and their daughter, Mrs. Walter Nickelson of Olathe, Kans., Mrs. Orville Francis, a first cousin, and Mr. Francis of Bethany, Mo.; Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Garton of Albany, Mo.; Mrs. Charles Harris of Leon, Iowa; Dr. and Mrs. F.D. Francis of Iowa City.