Obituaries
submitted by: Julia Johnson - julia.johnson63@gmail.com

[John R. Armstrong]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    December 27, 1951    [p. 1]

John Armstrong Funeral Friday

John R. Armstrong, 75, a resident of Bedford for many years, died at the Armstrong Nursing Home, Dec. 23.

Funeral services will be held at the Wetmore Funeral Home at 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 28, Rev. T. J. and Lulu Overholt will be in charge of the services.  Burial will be in the Bedford cemetery.

[Grace John Kinnison]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday      April 12, 1951    [p. 1]

Mrs. Grace Kinnison Died In California

San Francisco----A letter has been received by Mrs. Walter Houck of Bedford from her nephew, Court Kinnison of San Francisco, telling of the death [March 29] of his mother, Mrs. Grace Kinnison, of Alameda, Cal.

Mrs. Kinnison had been ill following a stroke a year ago and passed away the evening of March 29, at the home of her son.

Mrs. Kinnison will be remembered in Bedford as Grace John, daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Alex John [Eliza Shoemaker].  She was born in Bedford, June 27, 1876.  Since her marriage May 1, 1901, to Glade Kinnison of Bedford, her home had been in the west.  Mr. Kinnison died in February 1935.

She was also preceded in death by her parents and two sisters, Mrs. Mattie Dowlin and Mrs. Alla Kieffer.

She is survived by her son, Court Kinnison; a brother, Frank A. John of Fort Collins, Colo.; and a sister, Mrs. Walter A. Houck [Susie].

Her ashes have been placed in a niche at the Chapel of the Chimes, beside those of her husband.

[Clarence Gould]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    April 12, 1951    [p. 1]

Former Resident Dies In Colby

Colby, Kans.----Clarence Gould, former Bedford and Sheridan resident, died March 30, at St. Thomas hospital in Colby, Kan., after an illness of several years.

Mr. Gould had lived on a farm near Rexford, Kans., since World War I.  Military services were held at the First Methodist church in Rexford, April 2.

Surviving are his wife, Beatrice, a daughter Delores, and a son John Ray at home and another son Carrol.

Fred Gould and family of Conway, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Gould of Villisca, attended the services.


[James W. Aiton]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    February 28, 1963

James W. Aiton Dies Feb. 26

Funeral services for James W. Aiton, 92, will be held Saturday at 10:00 a.m. in the First Presbyterian church here with Rev. John D. Kerr officiating.  Mr. Aiton died Tuesday morning at St. Francis Hospital, Maryville.  Interment will be in Fairview cemetery.

He is survived by three sons, John, Omaha; Joe [Joseph], Inglewood, Calif.; and Grant, Los Angeles.

[Olive Myrtle Auten Dukes]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    February 7, 1963

Rites Tuesday At Bedford For Mrs. Fred Dukes

Mrs. Olive Myrtle Dukes, 71, died unexpectedly in her sleep sometime during the night Saturday.  Her death, which occurred at the family home located east and north of Hopkins, came as a complete shock to the family when they discovered her Sunday morning.  Mrs. Dukes had been in failing health for several years.

Funeral services were held Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2 p.m., at the Shum-Novinger Funeral Home, Bedford, Iowa.  The Rev. L. B. Day, Maryville, was the officiating clergyman and burial was in the Hopkins cemetery.

Duane Thummel, soloist, sang "In the Garden" and "Beautiful Isle of Somewhere," accompanied by Mrs. Robert Stacy.

Connie Cox, Donna Holker and Dorothy Sleep, granddaughters of Mrs. Dukes, were the flower girls.

The pallbearers, all grandsons of Mrs. Duke, were Ronnie Fine, Marvin Sleep, Kenneth Dukes, Roger Dukes, Gary Rankin and Eddie Yearington.

Mrs. Dukes was born April 6, 1891, the daughter of Ovan and Rachel Auten.  She was married Dec. 19, 1909, to Fred Dukes, who survives.

Other survivors are three daughters, Mrs. Ober Cox (Rachel) and Mrs. Joe Holker (Clara), both of Bedford, Iowa, and Mrs. John Fine (Eva), Hopkins; four sons, Fay Dukes, Bedford, Denzel Dukes, St. Joseph, Cleo Dukes, Greeley, Colo., and Rex Dukes, of the home; 14 grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.


[Olive Myrtle Auten Dukes]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    February 14, 1963

Mrs. Fred Dukes Taken In Death

Funeral services for Ollie Myrtle Dukes, held at the State Street Shum-Novinger Funeral Home, February 5, were conducted by Rev. L. B. Day of Maryville, Mo.  Interment was in Hopkins cemetery, Hopkins, Mo.

Ollie Myrtle Dukes, daughter of Ovando and Rachael Auten, was born April 6, 1891, in Nodaway County, Missouri, and passed away at her home Feb. 3, 1963, at the age of 71 years, 9 months, 27 days.

She was united in marriage to Fred Dukes December 19, 1909, and to this union were born four sons and three daughters who are:  Fae [Fay], Mrs. Rachael Cox, Mrs. Clara Holker, of Bedford, Mrs. Eva Fine, Hopkins, Mo., Denzel, St. Joseph, Mo., Cleo, Greeley, Colo., and Rex of the home.  She was preceded in death by her parents, one sister, four brothers and one grandchild.

Survivors besides her husband and children are: brothers, Charles Auten, Parnell, Mo., Guy Auten, Sheridan, Mo., George Auten of Bolckow, Mo., Troy Auten of St. Joseph, Mo.; a sister, Mrs. Jane Wilson, Maryville, Mo.; 14 grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.

[Clara Currie Lewis]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    April 17, 1958    p. 4

Clara Lewis Rites at 2 This Afternoon

Mrs. Clara Lewis, 59, died at the Missouri Methodist hospital, St. Joseph, Mo., Tuesday morning, April 15, following several weeks of illness.

Funeral services will be held this afternoon (Thursday) at the Presbyterian Church at 2 o'clock, Kenneth Miller officiating.  Burial will be in Fairview cemetery.

Surviving are her husband, Mahlon D. Lewis of this city; one son, Donald Lewis and wife and their two children, of Grinnell, Iowa; and two sisters, Miss Dorothy Currie, Tarkio, Mo., and Mrs. Arthur (Ruth) Anderson, Blue Mound, Ill.

[Clara Currie Lewis]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    April 24, 1958    p. 4

Clara Lewis Rites Held Here April 17

Clara Currie Lewis, daughter of Rev. John A. Currie and Minnie Hogue Currie, was born in Craig, Mo., May 31, 1898, and died April 15, 1958, at the Missouri Methodist hospital in St. Joseph, Mo.  She was married to Mahlon D. Lewis, June 20, 1917, and they made their home in Bedford.  One son was born, Mahlon Donald.

She was a member of the Bedford Presbyterian Church, Order of the Eastern Star, American Legion Auxiliary and served as a Blue Lady.

She is survived by her husband, son Donald and his wife of Grinnell, Iowa; two grandchildren, Deborah and Kathy; and two sisters, Dorothy Currie of Tarkio, Mo., and Ruth, Mrs. Arthur Anderson, of Chicago, Ill.   She was preceded in death by her parents.  In addition to the many flower remembrances at the last rites, many cash contributions were placed in the cancer fund as a memorial.

Funeral services were held at the Presbyterian Church here Thursday, April 17, at 2 o'clock, with interment in Fairview cemetery, with Kenneth Miller in charge.

Those present from out of town were Mr. and Mrs. Donald Lewis and children, Deborah and Kathy, Mr. and Mrs. William Cunningham, Grinnell; Miss Dorothy Currie and James Currie, Tarkio, Mo.; Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Henderson, Chicago; Mr. and Mrs. George Cobb, St. Joseph; Mr. and Mrs. Virgil M. Kinnison, Ottawa, Kansas.

[James A. Zeller]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    April 17, 1958    p. 4

Zeller Boy Dies In D. M. Hospital

James A. Zeller, seven months old, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Zeller of this city, who underwent heart surgery in a Des Moines hospital Wednesday morning of last week, died late Wednesday afternoon.  He had been ill for several weeks.

Services were held at 2 p.m. Thursday in Caldwell-Brien Funeral Home with burial in Glendale cemetery in Des Moines.

Surviving with the parents are two brothers, Bobby, 6, and Tom, 3; and grandparents, Mrs. R. M. Zeller of Des Moines and Mr. and Mrs. A. R. Wolf of Lytton, Iowa.

[Bertha Ann Oxley Murr]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    April 17, 1958    p. 4

Mrs. Wm. T. Murr Rites At Berea Sunday

Funeral services for Mrs. Wm. T. Murr were held at Berea church Sunday afternoon, April 13, with V. M. Gilbert of Des Moines officiating.  Burial in Berea cemetery.

Bertha Ann Oxley, daughter of William T. and Rosannah Oxley, was born Jan. 16, 1880, in Ross Township, Taylor County, Iowa, and passed away at Municipal hospital in Clarinda, April 10, 1958, at the age of 78 years, two months, 24 days.

When a young woman she united with the Berea church of Christ and remained a faithful member.

On Jan. 5, 1908, she was united in marriage to William T. Murr of Fletcher, Okla.  Their married life was spent on the farm where she was born.  Her entire life was spent in Ross Township, except for a short time spent in Blaine County, Okla.

She is survived by her husband, William T. Murr; one brother, Ben A. Oxley; several nieces and nephews.  Her parents, four brothers and three sisters preceded her in death.

[John Hilton Fanning]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    April 17, 1958    p. 4

J. H. Fanning Burial At Lexington

Funeral services for J. H. Fanning were held at the Shum Funeral home Friday afternoon, Rev. Anthony Blankers officiating.  Burial was in Lexington cemetery.

John Hilton Fanning, son of Addison and Annie Fanning of Cedar Falls, Iowa, was born near Bedford, Iowa, August 15, 1913 and died April 7, 1958, in a Chicago hospital, after a long illness, at the age of 44 years, seven months, 23 days.

On May 29, 1937, he was married to Frances Lindley, and to them two children were born, Bonnie Lou of Waterloo, Iowa, and Dixie Marie Ormand of Long Beach, California.

He was later married to Dorothy Highland and one daughter, Nancy, was born to them.

Survivors are his parents; two brothers, Bob of Waterloo, and Loren of Janesville, Iowa; two sisters, Mrs. Glen Fickess and Mrs. Russell Enlow, both of Waterloo, Iowa.  He was preceded in death by a sister.