Sarah Caroline "Carrie" (Fegtly) McCutchen (1861-1917)

FEGTLY, MCCUTCHEN, HARRINGTON

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 7/30/2015 at 22:22:22

From Nevada Representative February 20, 1917 (front page)

OBITUARY

MRS. J. R. McCUTCHEN

Mrs. Carrie NcCutchen, wife of John R. McCutchen, died at their home in this city early Saturday morning after an illness of ten days with pneumonia. Her illness had been serious from the start but there were times when she at least responded to stimulants, and the day before her death the general advices were encouraging. On Friday afternoon, however, she began sinking and her death followed in the small hours of the next morning.

Sarah Caroline Fegtly, commonly known as "Carrie," was the daughter of Rev. and Mrs. Jacob Fegtly and she was born in Ohio, January 21, 1861. She came with her parents to Iowa in 1870, moving around according to the fortunes of a Methodist minister's family for a few years but becoming permanently domiciled in Nevada in 1878. Here she was married to J. R. McCutchen on June 15, 1892, and here she died as stated on February 17, 1917, age 56 years and 27 days. Prior to the permanent establishment here of the family residence, the family had lived here from 1872 to 1874, Mr. Fegtly being for the two years prior of the Methodist church in this city, and long prior to that residence Mr. Fegtly had come out here as a young man and invested here in government land the patrimony, the increase of which in later years left his children fairly well to do. Because, doubtless, of the fact that he had the land in this vicinity, he did what no other Methodist pastor here has ever done, bought a house and lot here for a residence and so when a little later on he was about ready to retire from the active ministry he took for a time some country charges in this vicinity and returned with his family as permanent residents.

The years between her father's pastorate here and their final return were the ones when Carrie was of high school age; but she had earlier been a pupil here in the grades, and she was later a teacher to the grades. Then she went into the post office as deputy postmistress, and she served in that capacity through the postal administration of T. J. Ross and E. D. Fenn. Going out of the post office with a change of administrations, she went into business and conducted a book, stationery and china store with much success both before and after her marriage. Retiring from business she accompanied her husband more or less in business activities that took them around the state and into other states, and in later years they had made frequent trips to western Canada and spent considerable time up there looking after their investments there. Also after the death of Mrs. Fegtly, as well as more or less before that event, they had charge of the Fegtly farms around here; and all of the time when she was not away somewhere she was keeping up the home on west Court avenue in this city.

From start to finish she was an exceedingly busy woman; capable, energetic, interested in everything good that was going on, helping all such good work in numberless ways, devoted to the welfare of her family, relatives and friends, and never in the world subjecting herself to but one criticism, and that that she was too much disposed to sacrifice herself for others. She was one of the founders and most effective promoters of the cemetery society, was a member of the P. E. O. of the Sorosis club and of the societies auxiliary to the Methodist church, and taken all around was a woman unsurpassed for usefulness in the whole community. Probably the truth is that in her round of unending activity and usefulness she wore herself down until she had not the strength and vitality left to throw off an ailment that might otherwise have been of only passing consequence, and so it happens that it is as true of her as it ever was anyone that she has given her life for those around her. Against such sacrifice there is an instinctive feeling of rebellion; but the answer is that that is the sort of woman she was and that she found her happiness as well as her occupation in good service. She was woman that could ill be spared but she had done more good work than it is given to many women to do, even if their lives be somewhat longer. And her passing is the occasion of unusual expression of sympathy and regard from the whole community.

The funeral is conducted this afternoon from the Methodist church by the pastor, Rev. McDade, There are here for the funeral her brother Rev. Ed Fegtly from Hampton, and Mr. McCutchen's brother, L. S. K. McCutchen from Unionville, Mo. Her only other near relatives are her sister, Mrs. E. M. Harrington of this city and her other brother, S. M. Fegtly of Tucson, Arizona. The last named is professor of law in Arizona University, and even if his work would permit him to get away, the state of his health would not warrant him in coming from Arizona to Iowa at this season.