Iowa Old Press

The Ruthven Free Press
Ruthven, Palo Alto, Iowa
Wednesday, June 7, 1939

MRS. MARY GOFF DIES AT DICKENS
Passed Away Last Thursday at Age of 83 Years;
Came Here in 1873.

    Funeral services for Mrs. Mary Goff, former Ruthven resident, were held at the Methodist church at Dickens last Sunday afternoon at 2 o'clock with Rev. Ellison officiating. Mrs. Harold Toland sang "Mother's Dear Hands," and a men's quartette sang two favorite songs of the deceased. Rev. Ellison of Dickens was assisted by Rev. Weikel of the Methodist church at Ruthven. Mrs. Goff was laid to rest in the Dickens cemetery on the 60th anniversary of her wedding day.
    The pallbearers were three nephews and three grandsons: Barrison Goff, Paul Goff, Emory Goff, Verle Goff, and Maxon and Eldon Gadsby. These nephews and grandsons were pallbearers at the funeral of Mr. Goff almost ten years ago.
    Mary Melissia Brayton, youngest daughter of Permelia Spencer Brayton, was born in Green county, Wisconsin, December 9, 1855, and passed away at her home in Dickens on Thursday, June 1, 1939, at the age of 83 years, 5 months and 22 days. She was a member of a family of nine children, all of whom have passed away, except one brother, John Brayton.
    When she was 12 years of age, she moved with her family to Clear Lake, Iowa, where she grew to womanhood.
    On June 4, 1873, she was united in marriage to Dwight Alvin Goff and they came on a covered wagon to Mr. Goff's homestead 2 miles north and 2 1/2 miles east of Ruthven. Here they made their home for 31 years and in the spring of 1904 they moved to their place a half mile north of Ruthven, and in 1908 they moved to Dickens. Mr. Goff passed away on December 20, 1929. Four children were born to this union.
    Mrs. Goff willingly and cheerfully assumed all the duties and responsibilities of early pioneer life in this section of the state where she lived for 66 years. Her home was always a community social center where neighbors and friends found a warm welcome. She was a member of the Methodist church and took an active part in the Ladies' Aid and missionary work.
    The deceased is survived by one son, Wilmer C. Goff, of Ruthven, and one daughter, Mrs .Ethel Gadsby, of Dickens. One son, LeGrand Goff, passed away on February 1, 1930, and another son, Joseph Elmer, died in 1876. She is also survived by her youngest brother, John Brayton, of Waucoma, Iowa, four grandchildren, nine great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
    Among the relatives and close friends from a distance who attended the funeral at Dickens last Sunday afternoon were: Mr. and Mrs. John Brayton of Waukoma, Mr. and Mrs. Walter J. Leonard of Ventura, Mr .and Mrs .Alex Anderson from Britt, Mrs. Alden Thompson and son of Britt, Mr. and Mrs. H.S. Fassett and Mr. and Mrs. Olin Watt of Spencer, Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Myers of Milford, and Mr. and Mrs. George Hargrave of Webster City.

Rudolph Christianson Weds Miss Center of Estherville.
    Rudolph Christianson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Christianson of Lost Island township, and Miss Magda Center, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dan Center of Estherville, were united in marriage at the Lutheran church at Estherville last Sunday afternoon, June 4th, with Rev. Mathre officiating. The single ring ceremony was [?]. The interior of the church was beautifully decorated with peonies, an in pink and white.
    The bride was attended by Miss Maxine Rhodes and Alton Simonson was best man to the bridegroom. Avonell Simonson and Marilyn Christianson were the flower girls.
    A reception was given at the church immediately after the ceremony and was attended by a large number of relatives and friends of the contracting parties.
    Mr. Christianson is a graduate of the Ruthven high school and a young man who is popular in the Lost Island vicinity, and well liked by all who know him. The bride is a graduate of the Estherville high school and the Estherville Junior college, and taught school at Wallingford last year.
    The newlyweds will make their home at the Charles Christianson farm in Lost Island township. Their many friends wish them much success and happiness.

Condensed State Items.
- Mrs. Honor Allen of Waterloo, Ia., who would have been 102 years old last Friday, died on Thursday of last week
- Virgil Fisher and Richard Fisher, two brothers, were drowned in the Des Moines river near Boone last Monday evening.
- Ortlynn Wittrock, 13-year-old Rock Rapids boy, was instantly killed on Sunday afternoon when he rode his bicycle onto a highway. An automobile driven by a farm hand, struck him.

Algona Youth Shot Sunday Trying to Rob Pool Hall
    Vernon Winter, 18-year-old Algona youth, was shot in the left side in an attempt to rob a pool hall at Titonka last Saturday night. His brother, Ben, who was with him, was captured.
    The town marshal at Titonka saw someone moving about in the darkness in the pool hall and began investigating. Young Winter ran from the building. The marshal commanded him to halt and then fired two shots in the air. Failing to stop him, the marshal fired two shots at the fleeing youth and one bullet hit him.

RURAL SCHOOLS HOLD GRADUATION
    115 boys and girls of the rural school of Palo Alto county received 8th grade diplomas at a county graduation program held at Emmetsburg on Monday evening of this week.
    Eighth grade graduates in the western part of Palo Alto county were as follows:
    Highland township - William Boyd, Dorothea French, Darrel Hume, Madine McKinney, Oscar Norblad, Donald Peglow, Robert Tornow, Harold Wichman.
    Lost Island township - Ralph Frederick, Raymond Duhn, Betty Hermansen, Margaret Hermansen, Iva Nelson, Vance Knutsen, Lowell Nyberg, Doris Peterson, Leroy Rasmussen, Harris Rogeness, Lillian Vollmert, Orville Westfall.
    Booth township - Kathleen Boles, Deryll Broderson, Don Brown, Eileen Dahlberg, Lois Dahlberg, Patricia Ford, Ardys Foster, Russel Fuchs, Maxine Gillman, Leah Lane, Kenneth Rubel, Jean Tinius, Lloyd Triggs.

MISS CARRIE NELSON MARRIED
    An account of the wedding of Miss Carrie Nelson and Carroll Ross was received too late for publication this week. It will be given in next week's issue. They will live at Nevada, Iowa, where Mr. Ross is a photographer.

MAN ELECTROCUTED AT ALGONA
    Austin R. Gardner of Algona, was electrocuted on a farm near that place on Tuesday night of last week. He was attempting to remove a cow that had been electrocuted by a line wire that had fallen down because of a broken insulator. He had apparently touched the wire and was killed instantly. A farm had found his body.

INTERESTING NEWS IN NEARBY TOWNS

- R.G. Baker of Estherville was sentenced to ten years in prison last week on charges of breaking and entering a store at Spirit Lake.
- W.O. Johnson, a traveling salesman for the Atwood Coffee Co. of Minneapolis, Minn., was found dead in his room at a hotel in West Bend last Thursday morning.
- Dewey L. Groves, stockbuyer at Spencer, was fined $250 and costs last week on charges of operating an automobile while intoxicated. His driver's license was revoked for a year. He had recently bought a new car for a trip east.
- Mrs. Isa Lauman graduated from the Buena Vista college at Storm Lake last week and her daughter graduated from the Sioux Rapids high school. Mrs. Lauman will teach at Washta next year.

Murder Sioux Rapids Man Near Phoenix, Arizona
    Laurence Stennerson of Sioux Rapids, Ia., was found dead on the outskirts of Phoenix, Arizona, last Saturday. It is thought that he was murdered by highwaymen late last Friday night. His body is scheduled to arrive at Sioux Rapids this Wednesday. Stennerson and a brother had been working at Phoenix.

Lost Eye in Fishing Accident
    Thomas Andrews of Fort Dodge lost his right eye in a fishing accident at Lost Island lake one day last week. In company with a man from Pocahontas, he was fishing along the lake shore and a sinker on a fish line that was being used by the Pocahontas party, struck him in the eye.

Langdon Youth is Injured Fatally Beneath Tractor
    Jack Youdes, 22, was fatally injured last Thursday afternoon when he was pulled beneath the wheels of a tractor on his father's farm near Langdon.
    The young man had been plowing and when he did not return home, a search was started by members of his family. He was found so badly hurt that he could not move and died a few hours later. He had reached down to turn off the machine and his clothing caught in a pulley and he was pulled beneath a rear wheel.

RUTHVEN AND VICINITY

- Miss Georgia LeClair left last Sunday for Storm Lake to attend summer school at Buena Vista college.
- Mrs. Grant Rice went to Triumph, Minnesota, last week to attend the high school graduation of a grandson.
- Mr. and Mrs. W.H. Moore of Ames arrived here last Sunday for a visit at the home of his uncle, L.R. Moore.
- O.S. Lee, who suffered a slight stroke about a month ago, is slowly improving and is still confined to his apartments over the Lee cafe.
- Mrs. William Booth of Bremerton, Washington, has spent the last six weeks here with her daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Nelson.
- Mrs. Anna Denham of Little Rock, Arkansas, is visiting here this month with her mother, Mrs. Kate Fitzgerald and her brothers, Francis and Gerald.
- Mrs .D.W. Prather is visiting her daughter, Mrs. Walter Pitcher, at Emmetsburg this week.
- A new 26 x 28 foot house is being built on the Iver Oppedal farm east of Mud Lake. The building will be a story and a half high.
- Miss Iona Organbright, who had been teaching at Swea City, visited her parents here last week and then left for Fairmont, Minn., where she has employment.
- Franklin Hastings, who is with an artillery division at Fort Sam, in Houston, Texas, arrived here last Sunday for a visit with his mother, Mrs. J.F. Hastings.

The Ruthven Free Press
Ruthven, Palo Alto, Iowa
Wednesday, June 21, 1939

Wedding with Participants All Having the Same Name
    Recently, Miss Vivian Kelly of Ayrshire was married to Clayton Kelly of Rockwell City, son of Mr. and Mrs. J.M. Kelly of Carroll. The bridesmaid was Miss Maurine Kelly of Ayrshire, sister of the bride, and Robert Kelly of Des Moines, brother of the bridegroom was best man.
    The marriage was performed by Rev. John Kelly of Denver, Colorado, a brother of the bride and Rev. John J. Kelly of Graettinger read the nuptial mass. A reception was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. J.M. Kelly, parents of the bride.

INTERESTING NEWS IN NEARBY TOWNS
- Chris Hanson of Goldfield was killed in an automobile accident last Sunday.
- Fred Van Briesen, manager of the airport at Sheldon, was badly injured Monday when an airplane he was piloting, crashed to the ground near Sheldon.
- William Shoemaker of Arnolds Park was seriously burned when he fell into a barrel of tar that was being made for repair work.
- Raymond W. Ash and Miss Irene Shaffer of Ayrshire were married at the home of the bride's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Archie Shaffer, at Ayrshire last Thursday.

Francis Gleason Married at Sheridan, Wyoming
    Miss Janet Mary McClusky and John Francis Gleason were united in marriage at 7 o'clock rites Wednesday evening in the Holy Name church in Sheridan, Wyoming. Before the service Tom Coyne, accompanied by Mrs. F.C. Heldt, sang "O Promise Me" and "My Task."
    The bride was attired in navy blue with full skirt and pink lace trim. Her accessories were white. She wore a pearl brooch and a corsage of white daisies and forget-me-nots.
    Miss Mary Bumbaca, bridesmaid, wore a silk print with raspberry background and a corsage of daisies and lillies-of-the-valley. Albert Scherry was the best man.
    After the ceremony Mr. and Mrs. Gleason were honored at a wedding breakfast given by Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Milligan in Sheridan.
    The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John McClusky of Buffalo and the bridegroom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. R.A. Gleason of Ruthven, Iowa. After a short honeymoon the couple will be at home at the Shaeffer apartments.-- Sheridan Press.

RUTHVEN AND VICINITY

-Miss Jeane Hayden of Estherville visited here with her sister, Mrs. Paul Barnett, last Sunday.
- Darlene Needham returned last Sunday from a visit with her sister, Mrs. Rodger Brott, at Spirit Lake.
- A baby girl was born on June 12th to Mr. and Mrs. Sanford Smith, who are now living at Elk City, Oklahoma. She received the name Carol Jean.
- James Egan of St. Francis, Kansas, accompanied by his daughter, Miss Myrtle Egan, and his granddaughter, Corrine Miller, visited at the home of his nephew, Con Nolan, on Tuesday.
- Mr. and Mrs. N.D. Daniels accompanied by his mother, Mrs. Betsy Daniels, and sister, Mrs. Blum, both of Terril, attended a Daniels family reunion at Crawford park in Fort Dodge last week. 88 relatives attended.
- Miss Ruth Currans and Rosemary McDevitt visited with their brother and uncle, John Currans, at a Worthington, Minn. sanatorium last Sunday. The occasion was John Curran's birthday and a number of Ruthven friends had remembered him with birthday cards.
- Bob Hughes and family of Royal visited here at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Hughes, last Sunday.
- Mr. and Mrs. Earl Bussell of Bird Island, Minn., visited Saturday and Sunday with his brother, Dewey Bussell and family.
- Mrs. Fred Brown and twin daughters of Fort Dodge visited here the latter part of the week at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Will Hanna and other relatives.
- Mrs. Srailey and Mrs. Croft from Florida, have been visiting here this week with their brother, Dr. H.M. Huston. They are on their way to San Francisco, California, to attend the world's fair.
- Mrs. Jode Bauencamper returned to Waukon, Sunday evening. Her daughter, Wanda, will remain for a visit at the Ralph Cook home.

Submitted by: C.J.L., March 2007