Marietta Nelson Perkins

PERKINS, NELSON, DOLE, GROSECLOSE

Posted By: Jennifer Perkins (email)
Date: 11/11/2004 at 12:59:26

Mrs. Perkins' Funeral Set
The funeral for Mrs. Marietta N. Perkins, 94, widow of a former prominent Lewiston physician and mayor, will be held at 10 Tuesday morning at the First Methodist Church of Lewiston.
Mrs. Perkins died at 2 yesterday morning at the Orchards Nursing Home where she had been receiving treatment for pneumonia. She suffered a stroke Sunday and had been in a coma. Mrs. Perkins had been at the rest home since April 1959.
Mrs. Perkins was identified with Lewiston's club and church life for more than 50 years.
She was the widow of Dr. L. J. Perkins, who practiced medicine at Lewiston from 1903 until his death in 1923. Dr. L. J. Perkins served as mayor for two terms. The first was 1911-13, the second 1915-17. He was also a member of the Lewiston School Board.
After receiving his medical degree from Keokuk, Iowa, Medical School in 1892, Dr. Perkins entered the Indian service on the Umatilla reservation at Pendleton. Later he was with the federal pension office at Washington, D. C., as physician and served with the Army Medical Corps in the Phillipine Islands during the Spanish-American War and in France during World War I.
Mrs. Perkins was born Sept. 19, 1867, near Mt. Zion, Iowa, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Nelson. She was educated in Mt. Zion schools and lived there until she was married to Dr. Perkins Sept. 19, 1888. He was a schoolteacher and entered medical college after their marriage.
When they moved to Lewiston in 1903, Dr. and Mrs. Perkins lived on Snake River Ave. Later, they constructed a home at 1008 10th Ave., where they resided until his death. Mrs. Perkins later built a smaller home at 1018 10th Ave.and lived there until entering the nursing home.
In addition to rearing her children at Lewiston, Mrs. Perkins was active in work of the Methodist Church. She taught an adult Sunday school class for many years and was a former president of the women's church organization. She belonged to the Twentieth Century Club of Lewiston for many years and served as it's president in 1927-1928.
On Mother's Day, 1950, Mrs. Perkins was picked as a typical Lewiston mother and offered this advice: "Mother's should set an example for their children. They are an influence either for good or bad. If the childrenare taught in the home, they won't go wrong later. The pride and satisfactionof seeing children grow up the way you want them more than makes up for any cares and sacrifices a mother may bear."
Sons Survive
Mrs. Perkins is survived by three sons, Ralph W. Perkins, 1027 11th Ave., Dr. John N. Perkins, Portland and Paul E. Perkins, Santa Barbara, Calif., and a sister, Mrs. Ethel N. Calhoun, Birmingham, Iowa. A daughter, Mrs. Ira Dole of Lewiston, died in 1948. Another daughter, Dorrell, died in 1904 at the age of 4 soon after the family arrived here. Mrs. Perkins leaves 11 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.
Grandchildren of Lewiston are: Robert S. Dole, Louis M. Perkins, David Perkins, Donald Perkins and Neil Perkins.
The Rev. Bruce Groseclose, pastor of the Methodist Church, will officiate at the funeral. Burial will be at Normal Hill Cemetery. The body is at Vassar-Rawls Funeral Home.

No newspaper source or date is given but believed to be from the Lewiston Morning Tribune, Lewiston, Idaho.