Sallie Willie (Toler) LaGRONE

TOLER, LAGRONE, JONES, KIMBROUGH

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 2/10/2024 at 13:06:42

3 December 1885 ---- 20 July 1926

PASTOR'S WIFE LAID TO REST
Funeral of Mrs. J.W. LaGrone Saturday Morning Largely Attended

Sallie Toler, second child in a family of five children, three girls and two boys, was born on a farm near Kosciusko, Miss., on December 3, 1885. Her father died when she was only five years old and her mother when she was not yet seven. Then the children lived for five or six years with an aunt near the old home place after which the three girls went to live with an uncle at Crowley, La.

While living at Crowley, she met the Rev. J. W. LaGrone, a young Methodist pastor, and they were united in marriage on February 22, 1905, to which union were born four children, Julia Elaine, now 20 years old, Hiram Clark 19, Dellora Gates 15, and John Warne 6. After closing the Crowley pastorate, the LaGrones were moved to Port Arthur, Texas, where Mrs. LaGrone was the faithful co-laborer during five years, then with her husband she came to Iowa where during the four years from the fall of 1913 to October 1917, they served the church at Kingsley, then two years at Clarion, four years at Estherville, two years at Sheldon and during October of 1925 came to Hawarden where they have been engaged since in a most happy administration of the Methodist church activities.

As a mere child, Mrs. LaGrone was converted and together with other members of her family united with the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. At an early age, she became a Sunday School teacher and a leader in Epworth League activities in her denomination. She has always loved her church and has never hesitated to make any sacrifice of her own personal comforts and desires if thereby she saw an opportunity to promote the church and the Kingdom of God. Having become the wife of a minister, she counted it her highest privilege to give him her utmost cooperation in the promotion of every program projected.

Mrs. LaGrone was educated in the public schools and the city high school of Crowley, La., also a privately conducted seminary known as the Crowley University School of Sciences, and besides her church activities she has been an active worker in Women's Club and the Eastern Star. In fact, no cause vital to the best interests of the community in which she lived long went without her active support and championship. She was a Sunday School teacher of marked ability and usually built up a strong class wherever she taught. At Estherville, she took over an organized class and taught it for some time with great profit to herself as well as the class. At Sheldon she had a wonderful class of more than 100 members, and at Hawarden she had built up a class which she loved very dearly. This large ability as a Sunday School teacher and general church worker made her especially effective as a minister's wife.

Her health had not been the best for the past three months, so she sought a little rest when she went to the Lakes on July 9th for a few days quietness, but true to her usual self while there she mothered a company of Epworth League young ladies and was very happy in so doing. The Institute over, she returned to her home on Monday, the 19th, and early Tuesday was about the affairs of the family and the home. She was so engaged when shortly before five o'clock in the afternoon an accident caused by the explosion of some gasoline brought her life to an unexpected end. After the explosion, she was hurried to the hospital where she received the attention of several doctors and nurses, but the injuries had been too severe for her to withstand and after a few short hours at 9:50 o'clock she fell asleep very quietly leaving to mourn her going, besides her husband and four children, two sisters, Mrs. Edward Lee Jones (Hettie Dell) of Kosciusko, Miss., and Mrs. Charles Kimbrough of Idabel, Okla.; two brothers, John Toler and Victor Toler, both of Port Arthur, Texas; several uncles and the aunt with whom she lived as a child.

Funeral services were held from the Methodist Episcopal Church Saturday morning, July 24th, at 10:30 o'clock with the Rev. Dr. M.P. Arrasmith, Superintendent of the Sheldon District in charge. He was assisted by the Rev. Dr. Turbeville of Oskaloosa and the Rev. Dr. Stuart of Newton, Iowa, and Dr. Frank E. Mossman, President of Morningside College, who preached the sermon. Music was furnished by the regular church choir and ushers and pall bearers were selected from among the members of the official board of the church. More than a dozen ministers, together with their wives, were present. About two hundred men and women came from the churches formerly served by the Rev. Mr. LaGrone where Mrs. LaGrone had made many substantial friends. The ...

Hawarden Independent -- Hawarden, Iowa
July 29, 1926

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[her husband was a minister for two years at Clarion, Wright County, Iowa]