Decatur County Journal

December 20, l906

ELIZABETH ELLEN MACHLAN was born in Rush County, Ind., March 2l, l836.

Departed this life December l4, l906, aged 70 years, 8 months and 2

days. Between these dates lies the life history, covering a little more

than the allotted three score and ten years--a period that, looked back

upon, seems all too short.

SISTER MACHLAN's maiden name was MANN. On August 25, l853, when in her

l8th year, at her childhood home, she was united in marriage to GEO. W.

MACHLAN, who, after over 53 years of happy wedded life, survives to

mourn her departure. Five children, three sons and two daughters, were

given to bless their home. Two of them were born in Indiana and three

in Iowa. They all survive their mother and are present today. They

are: WILLIAM A., of Weldon; HOMER E., of Des Moines; J. NEWTON and MRS.

EDNA A. THOMPSON, of Leon; and MRS. BERTHA BRITT, of Davis City.

Besides these there are twenty-nine grandchildren and three great

grandchildren.

In September, l858, the family, consisting of husband and wife and two

children, came to Franklin Township, Decatur County, Iowa, where they

resided continuously until five years ago, when they moved to the

present home at Leon. In that early day, nearly fifty years ago, when

they came to the bleak prairies of Iowa to make a home, conditions were

vastly different from what they are today. Then the pioneers suffered

hardships of which this generation can know nothing. There were no

railroads near, no telephone, no rural routes. Ottumwa and Keokuk the

nearest points. While the husband and father would go on those long

trips to secure supplies for the family, she was the care-taker of the

home, at first but a cabin home, but what with honest toil and the

blessings of God, they accumulated enough of this world's goods to give

her all the comforts of life in her last years.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert

September 23, 200l