Leon Reporter, Leon, Iowa
Thursday, September 5, l90l

A letter from MISS MARION E. PORTER, of Marion County, Kas., says there were several discrepancies and inaccuracies in the obituary of her mother, and requests the publication of the following:

At dawn of day on Saturday, Aug. l0, l90l, the lovely spirit of our aged mother, MRS. M.M. PORTER, went out with the angels to meet her God.

MARION MARGUERITE FOWLER was born Oct. 22, l8l5, in New York City, where she lived to womanhood, and where she was baptized in the Methodist Church at an early age.

On May 6, l837, she was united in marriage to JESSE J. PORTER, of Piatchonge, Long Island, who was baptized in the Methodist Church in his l2th year, and was raised to manhood by Methodist parents.

After the marriage, they moved to Greenville, Ohio, where they resided for twenty years, and where eight children were born to them. In l857, they removed to Sidney, Ohio. During their stay of six years there, one more child was born to them, and they were called to part with their eldest son and third daughter.

In l863, they removed to Leon, Iowa, where they lost their youngest daughter.

In l872, this patient-hearted mother gave up her husband at God's command. Always sweet tempered, true-hearted and wise, she forgave her enemies, while they injured her, and her brave words of good cheer were always ready. While living in Leon, her three elder sons married, leaving one son and two daughters to care for her in her declining years.

In l888, they removed to Marion, thinking it would benefit her health; and during her stay of eleven years here, she regained a moderate degree of health. During the past hot weather she failed, and on Sunday, Aug. 4, she was stricken down with the disease that caused her death. After days and nights of suffering, she went out in the early dawn of Aug. l0.

We weep not that our darling mother has left her suffering, but that we shall be so lonely without her.

We sound our silent heart depths,
But we find a vacant place,
And our eyes in vain are looking
For a dear familiar face,
And feel a shade of sadness
On the sunshine of our sky;
For we know that we have wandered
All life's better moments by.

We feel our pleasure fading,
And our joys declining fast,
That the shadow of the future
Dims the sunlight of the past;

(*I am unable to read the last paragraph.)

--THE CHILDREN.

Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert
"With permission from the Leon Journal Reporter"
January 27, 2003