Louisa (Mumford) Hix (1836-1930)

MUMFORD, HIX, MEAD, SCHULER, EDDY, SAUNDERS

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

From Nevada Evening Journal December 29, 1930 (page 1)

MRS. SEYMOUR HIX, PIONEER WOMAN, CALLED BY DEATH

NINETY-FOUR YEARS OF AGE, OF WHICH 57 WERE SPENT IN STORY COUNTY

Mrs. Seymour Hix, 94, died at her home 937 corner Lincoln avenue and Tenth street, at an early hour Sunday morning, after a gradual decline, for the past three weeks. The aged woman was unconscious for thirty hour previous to her passing.

Funeral services will be held Wednesday afternoon at 2:00 from the home, with Rev. Baumgartner, Zearing, in charge. Interment will be in the Nevada cemetery by the side of her husband, Seymour Hix who died October 8, 1908.

Thus passes another of pioneer mothers of Story county, who had closely approached the mark of the centenarian.

While Grandma Hix had been gradually declining in health for the year or more, she has kept up her spirit and interest in affairs and surrounded by her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren had rounded out her long and useful life by giving as little trouble to others as possible and spreading much sunshine and good cheer.

Louise Mumford was born near Windsor, Nova Scotia, July 17, 1836 and lived there until with her parents she came to Illinois in 1843.

On Feb. 29, 1853 Louise was married to Seymour Hix at Mayville, Ill., and three years later moved to Sycamore, where they made their home for twenty years.

In 1873, the family moved to Story county, Mr. Hix having previously visited his brother Major E. Hix, and purchased 1 1/2 sections of prairie land. Section 16 in Sherman township became the location of the new home. Mr. Hix and one of the older boys driving out from Illinois and Mrs Hix and the younger children following by train. The family lived first in the barn, until the house was built. Here the family lived until the boys were grown to manhood and lived in homes of their own. This Sherman township residence was one of the largest in that part of the country and had built into it a ballroom, which became the social center for the youth of many miles around. The Hix homestead was purchased of the government at $12 per acre. Although but less than five miles from Colo, many a time it took a double team to get through a load, because of the sloughs across the road and the distance lengthened by the necessity of driving in a round about way to miss as many sloughs as possible--a forerunner of the modern detour of which the motorist complains as he drives over the present highways.

The Hix residence was long a landmark, visible for many mile on the raw Iowa prairie and easily seen from the then small village of Colo.

In 1887 Mr. and Mrs. Hix and younger children moved to Nevada where Mr. Hix passed away Oct. 8, 1908. Death also claimed the son Harry in 1911, William in 1918 and Major E. when a babe of six months.

In the accompanying cut are five generations, the picture being taken four years ago, while Mrs. Hix was visiting in Minnesota. In the picture is Mr. Hix, her daughter, Mrs. Amy Mead of Story City, her granddaughter, Mrs. Cecelia Mead Schuler of Welcome, Minn., her great grandson, Jay Schuler of Welcome, and her great, great granddaughter, Bernice Schuler.

On the occasion of her ninty-fourth anniversary July 17 last, she was reminded of the occasion by calls from her children and grandchildren, as well as many neighbors and old friends and spent the day with much satisfaction, reviewing the history of her long life.

Mrs. Hix leaves three sons and three daughters. They are Walter D. Hix of Rhodes, Albert D. Hix of Zearing and Charles E. Hix of Nevada. The daughters are Mrs. Amy Mead of Story City, Mrs. Susie Eddy of Nevada and Mrs. Sadie Saunders of Boston.

Besides these children, Mrs. Hix leaves 23 grandchildren, 34 great grandchildren and 3 great great grandchildren.

At the present time the sons Charles Hix and wife are in California and will not be able to return in time for the funeral, nor is it expected that the younger daughter Mrs. Saunders, will be able to get here from Boston.

Relatives who will be here aside from those in Story county are W. D. Hix and family of Rhodes, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Schuler of Welcome, Minn., Mr. and Mrs. Guy Mead of Madalia, Minn., Mr. and Mrs. S. R. Hix and family of LeMars, Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Miller of Union and Mr. and Mrs. Paul Bremer of State Center and possibly others.

For the past few years the home has been in charge of the daughter, Mrs Frank Eddy, who was assisted during the past three weeks and at a number of other times in the care of the mother by the daughter, Mrs. Amy Mead of Story City.