Ada Josephine (Ringheim) Fitchpatrick (1868-1921)

RINGHEIM, FITCHPATRICK

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 11/4/2021 at 23:22:28

From Nevada Representative January 28, 1921 (page 1)

NEVADA WOMAN DIES; ILL FOR LONG PERIOD

Passing of Mrs. W. P. Fitchpatrick; Pneumonia Causes Death of Woman Who Has Suffered Number of Years.

(By W. P. Payne.)

In the death of Mrs. W. P. Fitchpatrick, better known, since the death of her husband, as Mrs. Ada Fitchpatrick, Nevada people and a wide circle of friends elsewhere, have been called to part with an unique and exceptionally interesting personality.

Her maiden name was Ada Josephine Ringheim, was born in Nevada, Iowa, December 4, 1868, and was the eldest daughter of the late I. A. Ringheim and his first wife. Her demise occurred January 26th, 1921, at the age of fifty-two years, one month and twenty-two days.

Her childhood and youthful years were passed in Nevada. She secured her elementary education in its public schools, matriculating in its grades and in its high school course, except the senior year thereof. Her higher academic education was completed at Grinnell college, on of our best, from which she graduated in 1889. Following her collegiate graduation, she demonstrated her broad minded missionary spirit and her earnest desire to lend an uplifting hand to a lowly bondage debased race by a year of devoted service, as teacher, in Talladega college, at Talladega, Alabama.

Her marriage to William Pierce Fitchpatrick of Nevada occurred August 14, 1895. His lamented death, some eighteen years later, in an automobile accident was one of the heavy griefs in her life and likewise of his relatives and friends.

Mrs. Fitchpatrick's scholastic attainments and general culture were supplemented and rounded out by visits to England and continental Europe, once prior to her marriage and again subsequent thereto. In the latter instance she was accompanied by her then one year old daughter, Harriet.

These various educational attainments noted were highly creditable an worthy of commendation; but they were not the things that made her life and character exceptional. What made her the lovable woman she was and the marvel of all who knew her was her persistent patience and unfailing cheerfulness under long an most trying conditions. For seventeen long, weary years of her life she was a suffering invalid, the last three years practically helpless and the constant occupant of a wheel chair. Yet her unfailing greetings to visiting friends were cheery words and sunny smiles. In her presence one looked upon a racked and broken body, but a body--a shattered temple of the soul, but a temple illuminated with the light of the life eternal.

During all her years of painful illness she was the constant recipient of the unflagging solicitude and care of family friends, to their lasting credit. Since January, 1920, her home was at the Iowa Sanitarium, where everything was done that could be done to make the closing days of her life as comfortable as possible.

In her social affiliations she was a member of the P. E. O. and Thimble clubs. And in her church relations she was a devoted member of the Lutheran church and a life member of its missionary society.

She was the mother of four children: Jeannette, who died in infancy, Harriet V., Des Moines, Elizabeth, Nevada, and Joseph A., Wentworth Military school, Lexington, Mo.

The funeral services will be held at three o'clock this afternoon at the home of J. A. Fitchpatrick and Judge McCall, and conducted by Rev. C. N. Swihart, her pastor.

Out-of-the-city relatives in attendance at the obsequies were Mr. and Mrs. C. J. Tressler, Miss Sara Ringheim and Mrs. Viva Waters, Chicago; Mrs. S. F. McElyea and daughter, Sarah, and Mr. and Mrs. Lew McElyea, Ames; and Mrs. Jennie Ringheim, Edwin and David Ringheim, Garden City, Ia., and Ivan Ringheim of Des Moines.