Jane "Jennie" (Kirkwood) Hawthorn (1843-1912)

KIRKWOOD, DUFF, HAWTHORN, BATMAN, GREGG

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 5/17/2021 at 16:53:13

From Nevada Representative September 13, 1912 (front page)

MRS. HAWTHORN DEAD

Tragic Event Thursday Morning

Mrs. Jane Hawthorn, widow of the late Major James Hawthorn, was found dead in her home north of the city library about nine o'clock Thursday morning, the discoverer being her son, Lockhart Duff, whose home has been with her. The son had risen early for a trip into the country and getting back to town and seeing no sign of the house being opened up, he hastened home and found his mother dead on the floor. From the appearances it was evident that she had risen, put on her stockings and shoes, done up her hair and sat down to smoke some herbs she was using for her asthma. In the latter operation she had set her night robe on fire, and a hole was burned in it, although she was not herself burned. So she doubtless put out the fire; but the incident had been such as to startle too much an already weak heart, and hence her death.

Mrs. Hawthorn, whose maiden name was Jane (or more commonly "Jennie") Kirkwood, was born near Toronto, Ontario, in September, 1843, and she died as stated at Nevada, Iowa, September 12, 1919, aged about 69 years. She was reared in Canada and there married to Lockhart Duff, with whom she came to Ames and afterwards lived in Des Moines, Knoxville, Oskaloosa and Nevada. She came here in the early '90s and engaged in the restaurant business, sometime after which event Mr. Duff died. In 1897 she was again married to Major James Hawthorn of this city, becoming his fourth wife. She is credited with having made his last years very pleasant and he died here in October 1904. Since that time she continued to reside in the Hawthorn homestead. She is survived by her son Lockhart, who lived with her, and her daughters, Mrs. Jennie (Arvel A.) Batman of this city, and Mrs. Cassie Cregg of Des Moines. She was a woman of capability and force of character, and she is much mourned by those who were about her.

The funeral will be conducted from the Hawthorn home Sunday at two-thirty o'clock by Rev. Latch.