Carrie W. Wilson

WILSON, RAE

Posted By: Jean Wenke, volunteer
Date: 3/22/2009 at 19:50:00

Carrie W. Rae was born, Sept. 24, 1860 in Missouri and departed this life at her home in Bonaparte October 20, 1950. She had been in failing health for a year. When a very young child she came with her brother, father and mother to Iowa, where they homesteaded northeast of Bonaparte. The father died soon afterward, then the family moved to Bonaparte, where the mother worked in the woolen mills; and little Carrie did the housework and attended school. Later she was one of Bonaparte's most accomplished dressmakers. She joined the Methodist church in her youth, and while not able to attend for some time, she remained loyal to her faith to the end. February 28, 1899 she was united in marriage to Jay Wilson and moved to a farm southwest of town. Early in 1900 she and her brother and mother went to Oklahoma, where each of them homesteaded. She lived five years alone in a sod house and had many interesting things to tell about her hardships and lonely life, which were occasionally broken by a visit by her husband.

The mother died in 1913, the brother in 1930, and excepting two second cousins living in Fairfield she leaves no relatives. In 1920 Carrie and Jay moved to Bonaparte where he died August 1, 1942. Since then she has lived alone. She was one of the many whose home was in the flood in 1947, and in January 1950 her home caught on fire and was damaged quite a bit, but although she was sick at the time she was quite interested in having it repaired and continued living there alone caring for herself, her home and her furnace, a remarkable thing for one of her age. One week ago she took seriously ill. On Sun Mr. And Mrs. Alden Watts came in from their home in the country to care for her and were with her at the time of her death that came very quietly as she slept away Friday afternoon, at 8:45.

Funeral services were conducted Sunday afternoon, at 2:00 by the pastor, the Rev. John S. Ellis. Interment in the Bonaparte cemetery.

From Dorothy Watson's scrapbook, Bonaparte, Iowa Library