Sarah E. (Wolph) Fegtly (1830-1909)

WOLPH, FEGTLY, GRAMM, GRAHAM, WOLF, WOLFE, KRUM, KRUMM, CRUMM, WOODS, BUCK, ALTAFFER, MCCUTCHEN, HARRINGTON

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 3/21/2017 at 17:55:40

OBITUARY

DEATH OF MRS. FEGTLY

Sarah E. (Wolph) Fegtly was born in Richland county, Ohio, June 3rd, 1830 and died in Seattle, Washington January 19, 1909 aged 78 years, 7 months and 10 days.

She was the seventh child in a family of ten children,--eight girls and two boys--only three of whom are now living viz: Mary Woods of Fairfield, Iowa, Huldah Buck of Colfax, Washington, and Lucretia Altaffer of Seattle, Washington, with the last of whom she has made her home for more a year.

Her father's name was Henry Wolph and he was born in Virginia of German parentage and being opposed to slavery, he went to Ohio--a free state where he ment the mother whose maiden name was Krum, also German. The mother's people were Moravians whose original home was somewhere near the Rhine but on account of their religion were driven from place to place until they finally came to America and settled in Pennsylvania, the mother being a little child at that time. From Pennsylvania, the father, Henry Krum, went to Tuscarora county, Ohio, the mother riding on horseback and the girl there meeting the young Virginian. A marriage was the result, and then followed another long horseback ride through the wilderness from Tuscarora county to Richland county Ohio, where a small clearing had been made the year before by the young man and a cabin had been built. On this horseback trip the young wife carried in her lap the entire distance a set of cups and saucers, two young currant sprouts and a young poplar. The currants and poplar grew finely, fulfilled the expectations of the wife and in after years furnished berries and shade for the family which grew up there.

Mrs. Fegtly grew up there and was married in 1852 to Rev. Jacob Fegtly, and having been reared by a religious father and mother early in life she became an earnest Christian and entered heartily into the work of her husband and was of material assistance to him in the charges to which he was called. She was ever ready to aid her husband in the work to which God had called him and of his success in the church and the affairs of hoe the wife contributed her full share. When they came to Iowa it was then a new state and as every one was poor the lot of a pioneer preacher was not a bed of roses by any means; but Mr. and Mrs. Fegtly accepted the conditions, bore the hardships and aided in the work of building up a great state. Mrs. Fegtly was indeed a very superior woman, strong in character and devoted in her life, and while her strength endured entering most heartily into every good work which came in her way to o. She will be honored and mourned as a woman of such character and life most richly deserves.

Mr. Fegtly first came to Iowa in 1854 bringing a p-----y of $700, which he invest in 389 acres of Story country land at the government price of $4.25 per acre. This land he always held, and it probably is now worth about $125 per acre. This land was his and Mrs. Fegtly's fortune, which supported them in later years and provided for her quite comfortably after his death. In 1870 this Iowa investment caused him to seek a pastoral location out here, and he held pastorates in succession for two years each at Missouri Valley, Nevada, Denison and Dunlap. In 1878 they returned to Nevada, which continued to be their home to the end. Mr. Fegtly died here on March 21, 1905, and Mrs. Fegtly, after a year's absence in the west in search of restored health and strength, has now followed him. In her decline and illness she has had the most devoted care of her daughter, Mrs. McCutchen, whose last work of devotion is now being done as she brings the mother's body home for burial.

To Mr. and Mrs. Fegtly were born 6 children, all of whom were born in Ohio, and two of whom are buried there. Four of them survive their parents, Rev. E. F. Fegtly of Des Moines, Iowa; Mrs. J. R. McCutchen and Mrs. E. M. Harrington of Nevada, Iowa, and Samuel M. of Chicago.

It is supposed that the body in Mrs. McCutchen's charge will arrive sometime Saturday, in which case it is probable that the funeral will be held sometime Sunday, but as to this, announcement will be made later.

SUBMITTER'S NOTE: The spelling of Wolph seems to be interchangeable with Wolf or Wolfe. John Wolph's wife's name seems to be reliably Mary or Maria Gramm (also spelled Graham) daughter of Heinrich Gramm (in the above article "Henry Krum.") They were married 2 April 1817 in Tuscarawas County, Ohio and on their marriage record they are recorded as John Wolf and Mary Cram which is believable to be construed with German pronunciation as Kramm or Krum. I have tried to cover all spellings.