Mrs. Martha A. Roberts 1842-1906

STEPHENSON, FITZGERALD, ROBERTS, BENNETT, HOLBERT, WHITE

Posted By: Volunteer - Rich Lowe
Date: 12/23/2002 at 22:36:48

Mrs. Martha A. Roberts

On the evening of Tuesday Nov. 27, 1906, at the hour of 6:10, Mrs. Martha A. Roberts, a pioneer of Van Buren County, Iowa, passed from this life into one eternal at the family home in Harrisburg township, aged 64 years. Another one of the sterling mothers of country is added to the galaxy of those who have passed away.

Her maiden name was Martha A. Stephenson, a daughter of James H. and Martha Jane Stephenson, of Tuscarawas County, Ohio, where she was born July 14, 1842. Her father died while she was a child, and in 1852 her mother decided to emigrate to Iowa which she did, and settled with her family at Keosauqua. The family consisted at this time of the mother and three girls and three boys, and they at once began the life of privation and hard labor which all the early settlers of the county had to endure.

Martha, was but ten years old when the family moved to Keosauqua, and in this county she received the most of her education, and here she grew to womanhood, and eventually was won and wedded by one of the young pioneers of the country; this event taking place when she was seventeen years old. On the 15th day of March, 1859, she was led to the altar by Mr. James Calvin Fitzgerald and for three years made his home a happy one, when death came to the home on April 9th, 1862, and she was left a sorrowing widow, the mother of one child, a boy, Samuel C., who grew to manhood and resides in Floris, Davis County, Iowa.

In 1863, she was again wedded to Isaac Roberts, and for forty-three years this couple lived a happy, ideal life as husband and wife. The fruits of this union were eight children, five boys and three girls, all of whom survive but one, Minnie Roberts, who died Dec. 10, 1870. Her children who survive her and are present at the funeral are Mrs. J.H. Bennett of Bonaparte; Ency Roberts of Sequin, Washington; Elmer Roberts, Amasa Roberts, Anly Roberts, Isaac Roberts Jr. and Martha Roberts, of Bentonsport, and Samuel O. Fitzgerald. Her brothers and sisters who survive her are, Henry S. Stephenson who resides in Missouri; James M. Stephenson of Clay County, Iowa, and Sarah Jane Holbert and Matilda Ellen White of Keosauqua. Eleven grand children also survive her.

At the age of fifteen she was converted to become a follower of Christ at Keosauqua, and united with the M.E. church of which she has been a consistent member ever since. Mrs. Roberts health has been feeble for some years past but with the assistance of her family she managed to attend to her household duties. During the past summer and autumn her health was not so good as usual, and finally the fatal attack came which (remainder missing)

[Note: this partial clipping found later in the scrapbook may be a continuation of above.]

ended her life.

She was a modest and retiring woman, her only ambition being to make her home a happy and pleasant one for her husband and her children. Her life was one of unostentation, being no leader of society or a member of woman's clubs, but her unassuming, modest, retiring, homemaking life and your honest affection and love for her husband and children will be and by those with whom she was related.

A gentle, obliging and respected neighbor; loving, affectionate and self sacrificing wife and mother, a pioneer wife an early settler of the county; a true, humble and consistent christian has answered the call and has gone to heaven.

Source: Enter Scrapbook, vol 3, Iowa Historical Library, Iowa City, IA