Margaret (Lawman) Handsaker (1864-1933)

LAWMAN, HANDSAKER, BOYNTON, KELLY, BROOKS, ODONNELL

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 6/19/2021 at 19:26:20

From Nevada Evening Journal May 25, 1933 (page 3)

FUNERAL SERVICES FOR MRS. HANDSAKER

HAD LIVED IN STORY COUNTY SINCE GIRL OF ABOUT TEN YEARS

The funeral for Mrs. J. T. Handsaker, 69, of north of Colo, who died early Tuesday morning, was held Thursday afternoon at 1:30 at the Methodist Episcopal church in Colo, after which interment was at the Nevada cemetery. The funeral services were conducted by the Rev. G. O. Thompson of the Calvary Evangelical church of Colo. The pallbearers were Manny Morrell, John Morrell, James Thornton, Robert Jack, Geo. Swinbank and Loyd Lounsberry. Mrs. Walter Bamford, Mrs. Hattie McCord and Mrs. Ernest Mead had charge of the flowers.

Two songs were sung by a quartet composed of Chas. Lehman, Chas. Wilson, Johnnie Lounsberry, Sherm Rinehart, and a solo sung by Chas. Hall of Nevada with Mrs. S. B. Goodenow as pianist.

Mrs. Margaret Lawman-Handsaker, wife of J. T. Handsaker was born at Prince Albert, Canada, April 17, 1864 and passed away at the age of 69 years, 1 month and 6 days. She was the daughter of John and Violet Lawman. She moved to Illinois with her parents when only a babe of one year. At the age of ten her parents moved to Story county, Iowa, locating on a farm in Richland township where they were located a the time of her marriage to J. T. Handsaker which occurred on March 11, 1882, at the home of her parents. Immediately following their marriage they resided with the husband's parents. The following year, March 1883, they moved to their own farm located on the NE 1/4 of Section 20 Sherman township. There she faithfully and unremittingly worked with her husband to bring the unimproved farm from the state of a fenceless raw prairie to a modern home. It was there her daughter Ethel, sons Ralph, John W., and Thos. L., were born and raised to young womanhood and manhood. There she remained till the year 1919 when they left their old home and moved in their new home located on SW 1/4 Section 21 Sherman township where she remained until death.

She was a true woman devoted to her home and family, energetic, ambitious, with never and idle moment for a worthy purpose. Her health was such that the present illness was the first requiring service of a physician. Her daughter Ethel passed away Oct. 16, 1921. She is survived by her husband her sons Ralph, John W., Thomas L. and 12 grandchildren. She had still living one brother Thos. Lawman of Rodman, Iowa and two sisters, Lyndia, Mrs. Frank Boynton, of Bangor, Michigan, and Martha, Mrs. Nathan Kelly, of Fairmont, Minn. Mrs. Handsaker's father John Lawman passed away Jan. 29, 1906 at the age of nearly 31 years, her mother Violet passed away April 2, 1916 at the age of 32 years, 1 month and 3 days. She was also preceded in death by her sisters, Isabell, Mary (Mrs. J. E. Brooks) and Violet (Mrs. J. O'Donnell) all of Nevada.

The loved and loving sister, wife, mother and friend died where womanhood's noon shadows began to fall to the east. This brave and tender woman in every storm of life, was oak and rock, but in sunshine she was vine and flower. She was the friend of all heroic souls, she climbed the heights and left superstition far below, while on her forehead fell to golden dawning of a grander day. She loved the beautiful and all that was good in life, she sided with the weak, the poor, the wronged. From the voiceless lips of the unreplying dead there comes no word; but in the night of death, hope sees a star, and listening love can hear the rustling of wing.

The life of a generous, honest and more spiritually truthful woman to all is not known; a perfect wife because of her perfect contentment in making life both useful and happy, and perfect mother for the same reason, gentle, thrifty, modest and reserved. Her closest friends never known her to speak except kindly of anyone; this is indeed a rare tribute, an a real test of true christian life. Her God, was the God of all creation, the God of Truth, and the God of Love.