Miss Matilda Overman was born in Highland county, Ohio, in 1819, and moved thence to Grant County, IN, in 1838. Here she was married to Geo. W. Iiams, Sept. 4, 1846. In 1872 the family moved to Fremont county, Iowa, settling in Sidney, on or near which place they have ever since lived.
Mrs. Iiams was the mother of five children, three of whom are still living. The oldest of these is Mrs. Thomas Irwin, the next in age is J. W. Iiams, who is the tinner in the hardware establishment of Travis & DeFreece. The youngest is Mrs. Joshua Ballinger.
Mrs. Iiams became in early life a member of the denomination of Friends and to this faith she adhered during her life. There is no society of this order with which she could connect herself here, and she never became identified with any of the local churches of the place. She was a woman of great energy and industry, performing cheerfully and with apparent ease her household duties to the very last.
Her death occurred on Friday, April 4, 1902, at a little after 10 a.m. and was of a very sudden character, being of heart failure. She has just been across the street at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Ballinger, and had reached the gate of her own yard, when she was stricken with partial blindness; reaching the house, she lay down on the lounge where she was found a few minutes afterward by Newt. Burson who was working about the premises and stepped into the room for some instructions, when he discovered her condition and as soon as possible summoned Mrs. Ballinger and Mrs. J. W. Iiams; these arrived before death had taken place, but the end came soon. It is thought she only lived about an hour after experiencing the first shock of her disease. She was not considered subject to heart disease, never having felt any symptoms of the same but a very slight shoch some 12 years ago.
Besides her children and grandchildren, deceased left a husband, who is 82 years, 6 months and 3 days old, she having reached the age of 82 years, 5 months and 2 days. There was but a difference of a month and a day between the ages of the husband and the wife.
The funeral was from the residence and took place on Sunday, April 6th, at 2 o'clock p.m. exercises being conducted by Rev. Hoff, of the M. F. church.
The following persons, composed of the grand children, were pall bearers: George Irwin, Caleb Kerney, Duke Rank, Wallace Ballinger, Madison Leeka and Thomas Iiams.
The remains were laid to rest in Sidney cemetery.
~ submitted by Roberta W. Iiames
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