Marie Ketcham - 1879-1952

CANTRIL, KETCHAM, COX, BRIDGE, PARKER

Posted By: norma ann cox mielke (email)
Date: 7/5/2005 at 14:42:42

Mary Emma Ketcham, daughter of James and Emma Parker Bridge, was born in Bonaparte, Iowa, June 17, 1879, and passed from this life at Graham hospital, Keokuk, Wednesday morning, May 7, 1952, at the age of 72 years, 10 months and 20 days.
Marie, as she was best known to her many friends, attended the Bonaparte school, graduating with the class of 1896. She attended the summer Normal school at Keosauqua and taught for two years in the rural schools of Van Buren county.
May 22, 1896, she was united in marriage with lemuel C. Cantril, an employee of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railway with headquarters at Ft. Madison, where they made their home for a time. Their marriage was of short duration as Lemuel succombed to ill health and died Feb 15, 1905. His wife returned to the home of her parents in Bonaparte. Here for several years she engaged in the millinery business.
Nov 4, 1908, she was united in marriage with Mr. Clay Ketcham, and their home was on a farm in Lee county in the Sharon community. Thirty-three years later, on their wedding day, Nov 4, 1941, Clay Ketcham died.
Again left a widow, Marie Ketcham demonstrated her executive ability by staying on and managing the farm. This she continued to do with the help of Wm. McMillan, a young man who, as a boy of thirteen, had come to work for Mr. and Mrs. Ketcham, and had become so much a part of their family that when he was married he and his wife, Della May, seemed to fill the place of a daughter and son; and their two daughters, Patricia Sue and Marilyn Jo, received from Mrs. Ketcham the affection of a grandmother.
Marie Ketcham was a member of the Presbyterian church of Bonaparte, a charter member of the Sunshine Society of that determination and an ardent worker in the Ladies Aid. She also helped with activities in the Sharon church near her home. She held a life membership in the Women's Christian Temperence Union, serving for many years as an officer in the Mt Hamill Union, and as president and later secretary of Lee county. She gave unsparingly of her time and talents, "doing with her might whatever her hands found to do".
Marie was the last of her immediate family, having been preceded in death by her parents, her two brothers, Lee and Sydney, and her sister, Mrs. Nellie B. Cox, who died March 24 of this year.
She and her sister had spent much time together of late years, either at the parental home in Bonaparte or at the Ketcham farm. Marie, who shared with her sister, Nellie, the love and consideration of her sisters' sons and daughter, who, with their children, are left to regret their loss of a devoted aunt.
Funeral services conducted by the Rev. C. F. McMietan (sp?) were held at the Bonaparte Presbyterian church, Friday afternoon, May 9 at 2 o'clock. Keith Caston sang, accompanied by Mrs. Mary Sanford.
Burial was in the Bonaparte Cemetery.