Dora E. (Smith) BILNEY

SMITH, BILNEY, WELSH, TIBBETTS, DEGEN, LONNING, MIDDLETON

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 2/10/2024 at 13:06:56

Dora E. Smith Bilney
9 December 1874 ---- 2 February 1967

Mrs. E. C. Bilney Burial Service Here

Graveside services were held here Saturday afternoon at Rose Hill cemetery for a former long-time Eagle Grove resident, Mrs. E. C. Bilney. Mrs. Bilney, 92, died Thursday afternoon Feb. 2nd at the Good Samaritan Center in Estherville. She had been very ill since last April. Rev. C. R. Buckwalter of Estherville officiated at the funeral service Saturday morning in the First Methodist church, Estherville, and came here with the family for the interment service.

Mrs. Bilney is survived by three daughters and two sons, Mrs. Raymond Welsh (Ruth) of Lake Bluff, Ill., Mrs. Guy Tibbetts (Mildred) of Estherville; and Mrs. H. A. Degen (Jeanette) of Minneapolis, Minn., Raymond Bilney of Stanhope, N.J. and Lowell J. Bilney of Hot Springs, Ark. She is also survived by nine grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren. She is the last of her family having been preceded by her husband, her parents, three brothers and eight sisters. Three of her brothers died since July 1966.

Mrs. Bilney, whose maiden name was Dora Smith, was born Dec. 9, 1875 in Tama County. She was educated in the Tama schools and Toledo college, and on Oct. 24, 1893 she was united in marriage to Ellsworth C. Bilney at Tama. They came to Eagle Grove the year following their marriage and Mr. Bilney was a long time employee of the Chicago and North Western Rail Road. He died in 1928, and Mrs. Bilney and her son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Guy Tibbetts, made their home here until 1938 when they moved to Estherville.

She was a member of the Methodist church, and a life member of the W.S.C.S. She was also a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, the Order of Eastern Star, Daughters of the American Revolution and the Estherville Woman's club.

Here from out of town for the services were Mr. and Mrs. Tibbetts and son John of Bismarck, N.D., and Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Welsh of Lake Bluff, Ill., Mr. and Mrs. H. A. Degen and two daughters Mary and Debbie of Minneapolis and Ed Lonning of Waterloo. Old friends in Eagle Grove gathered at the cemetery to be with the family for the services.

Mr. and Mrs. Burdette Middleton entertained all those present at a buffet dinner in their home later in the afternoon.

Eagle Grove Eagle --- Eagle Grove, Iowa
February 9, 1967