Helen Harper (1858-1917)

HARPER

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 7/19/2016 at 11:11:53

From Nevada Representative December 17, 1917 (page 5)

HELEN HARPER

Wednesday night, December 12, 1917 at the Harper home in this city after a lingering illness of some ten years of more, Miss Helen Harper passed to her reward.

She was the eldest of Robert Mr. and Eliza Harper, and was born August 9, 1859 on a farm near Farmington, Illinois. She came to Iowa with her parents in 1862 who settled on a farm a mile and half east of Nevada. On this farm, known as the Harper farm, her youthful and young womanhood days were passed. She lived in a day when daughters were taught to do house work more than they are today and to lend a hand to lighten the burdens of over worked mothers, and Helen out of a willing heart and with ready hands became her mother's right hand assistant in the daily routine of domestic affairs. "As one of her sisters kindly sums up her helpful attitude toward her mother: "She rocked the cradle of us five younger children, and in our school days was the last one to leave home on our mile and a half walk in the morning and first one to get home after school and don her working outfit." She was a member of the first graduating class of the Nevada High School, was a good student and womanly in her deportment, never needing any urging or word of reproof. She won her diploma in 1877 with a class of nine, strictly on the basis of school work well done. She was not only one of the first class, but the first of the class to die. For several years following her graduation she taught in the country schools of the county, doing excellent work and winning the affection of her pupils and the regard of their parents In her church affiliations she was Presbyterian and in all her relations to its various activities was an exemplary and helpful member. She was teacher in its Sunday school, secretary of its missionary society, and likewise synodical secretary of the synod in which the local churches held membership. For some two years during the middle of the decade of 1890 she served as librarian of our public library. In her social relations she was not demonstrative, but unassuming, gentle, intelligent, lady like. She was a charter member of the Nevada P. E. O. chapter and from the beginning as long as her health permitted, she enjoyed the meetings and took pleased interest in all the societies activities. Indeed in all her associations of life, home, school, church and social affairs she was accounted efficient, faithful, reliable.

The last twenty or twenty five years of her life were spent in this city. Two winters or that period she with her mother and sister Ruth were passed in Roswell, Texas, with the hope of getting relief from a chronic ailment of bronchial asthma. Some relief resulted, but not a permanent character and so the years of struggle for health and continued life ended at last in the slumber of death, and the upturned face of restful serenity with its wearied body have been committed to mother earth and the trustful spirit to God who gave it.

The funeral services were conducted at the home Friday afternoon by her pastor, the Rev. Mr. Leitch. The immediate relatives of the deceased are her three sisters, Mrs. Aggie Horton, Creston; Mrs. Jennie Palmerton, Owatona, Minn.; and Miss Ruth, Nevada; and her two brothers, R. B., Onawa; and John S., Gervia, Oregon. Mrs. Palmerton and John S. were unable to be present.