Bentley, Ellen 1817 – 1906

BENTLEY, LANDGRAFF, THOMAS, FORBES, ALTON

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 1/2/2022 at 17:01:23

Source: Decorah Republican August 2, 1906, P3 C5

At a Ripe Old Age.
News was received in Decorah Monday of the death of Mrs. Ellen Bentley at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Sarah Landgraff of Rockwell, Cerro Gordo Co. Mrs. Bentley was born in Staffordshire, England, in March, 1817, and was in her ninetieth year. She was married in England to Matthew Bentley and came to America with her husband in the middle forties. They resided in Ohio for about ten years and then came to Iowa, locating on a farm in Madison township a mile west of the Decorah township line, where they resided until about twenty-eight years ago, when they sold their farm to D. C. Bacon, taking his home in Freeport in the trade. Mr. Bentley died in 1881 and Mrs. Bentley continued to reside in Freeport until about eighteen months ago, when she went to reside with her daughter at Rockwell.
To Mr. and Mrs. Bentley were born eight children. Mrs. Mary A. Thomas of Decorah and M. R. Bentley of Hot Springs Ark., their oldest were born in England. Mrs. Thomas died six years ago. Mrs. Landgraff of Rockwell, Mrs. Ellen Forbes of Mankoto, Kas., J. W. Bentley of Hot Springs, S. D., Mrs. Caroline Alton who died in Washington state, Henry who died in New York and Fred, whereabouts unknown, were born in this country. The only living relative of Mrs. Bentley in Decorah is her grandson Fred W. Thomas.
The remains were brought from Rockwell yesterday, accompanied by her two oldest sons, and were interred in Oakwood cemetery. Mrs. Bentley was a woman of wonderful strength and vitality considering her age. Her native independence made her prefer to live alone and only when an accident befell her, in which both bones of her wrist were broken, did she consent to go to her daughter.

Transcriber’s Note: Find a Grave shows she is buried in Phelps Cemetery.

Phelps Cemetery
 

Winneshiek Obituaries maintained by Jeff Getchell.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen