Emma (Miller Wood Whitaker) Smith Moffitt Prime (1856-1941)

PRIME, BELCHER, FAIR, MILLER, MOFFITT, BAKER, GRAHAM, ROBISON, SMITH, WHITAKER, WOOD, WRIGHT

Posted By: Sandra Breitkreutz (email)
Date: 4/30/2003 at 14:48:45

PRIME
(from a Lincoln, Nebraska, newspaper)

Mrs. Emma Prime, 84, of 2400 So. 18th(1), died Wednesday night. She came here in 1930 from Rock Springs, Wyo. Where she had taught school 35 years. Surviving are a daughter, Mrs. Alpha Wright (2) of Rock Springs; son Ora F. Smith of Omaha; grandson, Harold Graham(3) of Lincoln; two sisters, Mrs. Mattie Robison (4) of Maxwell, Ia., and Mrs. Ida Belcher(5) of Nevada, Ia., brother Grant Whitaker of Nevada, Ia.; Funeral at 1:30 Saturday at Helmsdoerfers. Lincoln Memorial Park.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM FUNERAL CARD
Emma M. Prime was born December 5, 1856, and died January 15, 1941. Memorial sevices were held at Helmsdoerfer Funeral Home with the Reverend Thomas A. Barton officiating. Music was provided by Mrs. Sylvia Cole Diers. Pallbears were Donald Fair(6), Leonard J. Spahn, Clifford Cunningham, Albert E. Wolf, Lewis J. Davis, and Paul A. Bogott.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION from family records:
Emma Marie, daughter of Harriet Miller and an unidentified Mr. Wood, was named Emma Miller and Emma Wood on early census records. She was known as Emma Whitaker after her mother married Samuel Whitaker. Emma’s mother Harriet Miller was the daughter of Mrs. Eliza Jane Wood, second wife of John G. Wood of Story County, Iowa.

Emma married Benjamin Franklin "Frank" Smith on Nov. 13, 1873, at Story County, Iowa. At some point she was married to Willard Moffitt, and was known as Mary E. Moffitt while teaching in Rock Springs, Wyo. In June of 1921 or 1924, she was married to an old friend, the retired Oxford, Nebraska, businessman, John T. Prime, at the home of Emma’s son, Ora Smith, Lincoln, Nebraska. She joined her new husband at his home in Oxford. Emma was then retired from teaching. The wedding ceremony was performed by Emma’s nephew the Rev. Ray Baker, son-in-law of Emma’s half brother, John Grant Whitaker.

FOOTNOTES from Sandra Breitkreutz
1. This is a Lincoln, Nebraska, address. The funeral home was also in Lincoln.
2. Mrs. Alpha Wright was the former Alpha/Allie Smith, daughter of Benjamin Franklin "Frank" Smith and Emma (Miller/Wood/Whitaker) Smith Allie’s first marriage to George Graham ended in divorce, and her second marriage was to Alfred Wright in Sweetwater County, Wyo.
3. Harold Graham was the son of George Graham and Alpha (Smith) Graham Wright.
4. Mrs. Mattie Robison was the former Mattie Whitaker, daughter of Samuel and Harriet (Miller) Whitaker. Mattie was married to E.R. "Buz" Robison.
5. Mrs. Ida Belcher was Ida May (Whitaker) Belcher, daughter of Samuel and Harriet (Miller) Whitker. Ida was married to S.A. "Al" Belcher.
6. Donald Fair was a step-nephew of Emma Prime. Donald’s mother was Carrie (Whitaker) Fair, who was the daughter of Samuel and Laura (Densmore) Whitaker. Samuel Whitaker was Emma Prime’s step-father and Laura Densmore was Samuel’s second wife. Samuel’s first wife, Harriet Miller, was Emma’s mother.