Mary M. Clark 1834-1911

CLARK, MASON

Posted By: Volunteer - Rich Lowe
Date: 11/30/2001 at 21:25:42

Mary M. Clark departed this life at Bentonsport on the 1st day of January, 1911, at the hour of 10:30 in the morning. She was born on the 6th day of May, 1834, in Franklinville, Cattaraugus, New York. She was married at the age of 17 years to Francis O. Clark and they lived together an ideal life up to the time of Mr. Clark's death ten years ago. There was born to them one child, a daughter Frances, at Bentonsport, who died in infancy. Mrs. Clark was always active in social and in business life. Her husband was a man of broad mind and comprehension, with but very little taste for business, but when Mrs. Clark decided to enter business, he joined with her and was in that, as in all other things, kind and useful. They moved to Des Moines 42 years ago, and for more than 20 years, conducted a successful millinery business, and by industry, accumulated enough for their support in old age.

Mrs. Clark retired from business and moved with her husband to Bentonsport about 20 years ago, since which time she has always considered the old home [several words unreadable] , and spent most of her time there, though frequently during the winter, she has traveled and visited different parts of this country. She has been in bad health for some two years and expressed herself at all times as ready to go and frequently seemed anxious to join her friends who have gone before.

She leaves her surviving four brothers, George II Mason of Davenport, Iowa; Edward R. Mason and John F. Mason of Des Moines, and William E. Mason of Chicago, Illinois.

Her funeral was held on the 3rd day of January, in the old homestead, and all of her requests were complied with. She selected the Reverend Perkins of the Congregational Church at Keosauqua to preach her funeral sermon, and also selected the singer and the music. The funeral ceremony was simple, and as she wished it, and her four brothers acted as pall-bearers bearing her remains to their last resting place.

It would be impossible in this space allotted to give the time and attention which her life and character would warrant. In her domestic life she rendered the full measure of service to her parents, her husband and to all. In her business career she was industrious, scrupulously honest and exact, meeting all her obligations with promptness and regularity and never oppressing or burdening those who were notable to meet their obligations with her.

It may be truthfully said of Mrs. Clark that she never had ambitions to have great wealth. She was never envious of those who had more but always sorry for those who had less than she had. She loved liberty and equality. She frequently wrote and spoke at meetings in favor of the equal rights for women and could never understand why we should not be willing to concede to others absolute freedom of thought when we were demanding for ourselves the things that we denied to others. In Bentonsport she organized a literary club, which was in successful operation for several years, and also organized the cemetery association, which raised the money necessary and kept the cemetery at that place in clean and beautiful condition. She was the President of that Association at the time of her death. She spent some time during the past few years at Colfax, and she made many friends among the visitors at Dr. Turner's Rest Care, and she received during the holidays nearly 100 letters and cards from friends with whom she corresponded.

As to her faith she took the Golden Rule for her own creed. She was born in the Episcopal Church and when she came west with her parents, affiliated with the Congregational Church. The last few years she had engaged in the activities of the Presbyterian Church, and as a matter of fact, she had a broad comprehension of life and rally embraced all of the churches. For the fast forty years she has been a believer in spiritualism but she never tried to focus her opinions upon others and always regarded the matter of religious thought as so sacred that she did not believe in seeking to change another's faith, although always reading to state her own. Very early in her religious thinking, she broke away from all creeds written and prepared by man, and her favorite poem was Whittier's "Eternal Goodness," one verse of which is: --

"I know not where God's islands life
Their _____ palms in air,
I only know we can not drift
Beyond his love and care." W. E. M.

Source: Entler Scrapbook, vol. 5, Iowa Historical Library, Iowa City, IA

Source 2: Bonaparte Record, Bonaparte, Van Buren, IA; 11 Jan 1911, page 1
I am not related and am posting this for those who may find this person in their family history.

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