Iowa Old Press

The Fremont Herald
Sidney, Fremont County, Iowa
February 16, 1899

Obituary
Mrs. Mary E. Foster, wife of Joseph B. Foster, departed this life on Monday, Feb. 13th, at 6:45 p.m., and the funeral services were held at the Baptist church on Tuesday afternoon conducted by Rev. Riches, pastor of the church. Mrs. Foster was born in Barron county, Ky., on June 18, 1827. She lived 24 years in that state, marrying at the age of 23. She afterwards lived 24 years in Marion county, Iowa, and afterwards ten years in Colorado. For the last eleven years she has lived near Sidney. Of the children there are living four sons and three daughters, one son and one daughter having passed away before the mother. With the exception of one daughter who lives in Colorado, all the children, as well as the grandchildren, were in attendance at the funeral Mrs. Foster has been an invalid for some 18 months preceding her death. Rev. Riches improved the occasion by a short address based upon the 15th chapter of 1st Cor.

February 13, 1899
This day closes one of the most remarkable cold snaps experienced in Fremont county in forty years. For 18 days in succession the temperature ranged from 3 to 28 degrees below zero by the government thermometer; some others registered from 2 to 5 degrees lower, the mimunum temperature averaged 12 degrees below, and the maximum only 6 above. Saturday, the 11th was the coldest, the maximum being 16 below and the minumum 28 below, making the average for that day 22 degrees below. From the best information I have at present, the weather service of Iowa has been registering lower temperature for the last 18 days than since its establishment in the state some 43 years ago, nor has there been a series of storms and cold waves covering so extensive a portion of the United States. I think our peach crop and trees are gone.--G. V. SWEARINGEN, Meteorological Observer.

DIED, Feb. 14, 1899, Miss Hester A. Copeland, aged 72 years 10 months and 28 days. Miss Copeland was born in Putman county, Indiana, on March 17th, 1826. She was converted and joined the Methodist church when she was1 7 years of age and lived a faithful member of the same to the day of her death. The funeral was held at the M. E. church of Knox, on Wednesday last at 2 p.m. and interment made in the Sidney cemetery. Funeral services were conducted by Rev. E. M. Hoff, pastor of the M.E. church at Sidney.

[transcribed by W.F., June 2006]

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THE FREMONT COUNTY HERALD
Sidney, Fremont co. Iowa
February 23, 1899

Jonas Pettit informs us that he has received word from Hay Springs, Neb., of the death, by la grippe, of Aunt Fanny Brourne, who passed away on the 15th inst. Her husband, Harvey Bourne, was the first treasurer of Fremont county. Mrs. Bourne was an old resident of this county and was well known by all the older citizens. Her last residence in these parts was at Hamburg which place she left some 15 years ago.

County News
-Two mules and one mare for sale at my farm two miles south of Thurman.--C. W. Mann....
-We received word over the phone on Friday morning that Mr. Parl Bagley, of Randolph, was taken sick of la grippe Monday morning last and died on Thursday night. Mr. Bagley was accounted one of the wealthiest citizens of Fremont county....
-Work on the new buildings is going forward briskly. The walls of the bricks on the north side of the Sidney square are completed and preparations are being made to plaster. Work on the new Christian church is also resumed and the plastering and finishing of the inside is about all there is left to do....
-The friends of Holly Bryant here will be pained to learn that since his removal to Oxford, Neb., he has been adjudged insane by the proper authorites and taken to the asylum in Lincoln....
-The smile of the past few days ended in an ugly frown on Wednesday evening last. A sweeping wind came down from the north accompanied with snow , and the mercury, from 25 above zero, fell rapidly till shortly after night the zero point was reached; then on down as low before morning as 15 below. It was a terrible night for the poor who had insufficient fuel, shelter and clothing and a bitter atmosphere for unsheltered stock. We began to think the backbone of the winter broken, but it proved that it is yet sufficiently intact to stiffen up with most threatening and effective resolution.

[transcribed by W.F., August 2003]


Iowa Old Press
Fremont County