Obituaries
submitted by: Julia Johnson - juliajoh@usc.edu

[Maria Kemery Gartside Dawes]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    November 17, 1938    p. 8

Obituary - Mrs. G. A. Dawes

Maria Kemery, daughter of George and Elizabeth [Paul] Kemery, was born in Lee County, Iowa, August 6, 1849, and died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Ernest Ford, near Blockton, Nov. 10, 1938, at the age of 89 years, 3 months and 4 days.

At an early age she moved with her parents to Taylor County, where she grew to young womanhood.  On Nov. 5, 1871, she was married to Orelva T. [homas] Gartside.  To them were born two children, Mrs. Ernest Ford [Clara Ophelia] of Blockton and Ora Gartside of Sheridan, Mo.

In the early nineties she moved with her family in a covered wagon to Bartley, Nebr., where they made their home for a short time.

On January 29, 1914, she was married to Gustavus A. Dawes.  They moved immediately to Peculiar, Mo., making their home there for a short time and later moving to Athelstan, Iowa.  Her husband preceded her in death.

Surviving with the daughter and son are a step-son, Joe Dawes and a step-daughter, Mrs. Sam Dowden, of Long Beach, Calif.; four granddaughters, Gladys Ford, Mrs. Elmer Fluke [Georgia Bernice], Mrs. Lloyd Larison and Mrs. Hardie Lyle; a granddaughter-in-law, Mrs. Oakley Gartside [Iva Morris]; three grandsons, Orville Ford, Oakley Gartside and Gailand Gartside; four grandsons-in-law, Roy Fordyce, Hardie Lyle, Lloyd Larison and Elmer Fluke.

Also by ten great grandchildren, Naomi, Francis and Eldon Fordyce, Glen Kay and Earl Blaine Fluke, Oren and Garry Larison, Donna and Donald Lyle and Bobby Gartside.

The funeral services were held in Athelstan Sunday afternoon conducted by Rev. C. Max Buck of Bedford.

[C. W. Bryant]

Bedford Free Press

Thursday    December 3, 1925    [p. 1]

Died Following Operation

C. W. Bryant, editor of the Lenox Time Table for the past two or three years, died in the hospital at Creston Tuesday evening about 10 o'clock, following an operation for appendicitis which he underwent Monday afternoon.  He was stricken with the ailment Saturday.  When operated on Monday the appendix was bursted and complications set in from which he was unable to rally.

He is survived by his wife and one son.  He was about 34 years of age, an upright, honorable young man, well liked in the community he was serving as editor and publisher of his paper.  The news of his sudden death came as a severe shock to all his friends in the county.  The Free Press joins in extending deep felt sympathy to his bereaved family.

[Eliza Ann Penny Parker]

Bedford Free Press

Tuesday    March 17, 1914    [p. 1]

Obituary  -  Mrs. F. M. Parker.

Mrs. F. [rancis] M. [arion] Parker died at her home in southwest Bedford Saturday morning after a protracted illness.  Funeral services were held at the home Monday at 10 a. m., conducted by Elder Mart Gary Smith.  Interment was in the Bedford cemetery.

Mrs. Parker, whose maiden name was Eliza Ann Penny, was born August 24, 1852, in Champaign county, Illinois.  At an early age she removed with her parents to Omaha, Neb., her father being the second white settler on a farm where the city of Omaha now stands.  At the age of twelve she united with the Methodist Episcopal church.  April 4, 1871, she was married to Marion M. [Francis Marion] Parker, and from this union three children were born, two of whom died in infancy.  A daughter, Mrs. Guy Thompson [Myrtle Ann], is still living and has been with her constantly during her illness.   In 1893 Mr. and Mrs. Parker removed from Omaha to Bedford, where they have since resided.  After coming to Bedford, both Mr. and Mrs. Parker united with the Christian church, and have taken a deep interest in all church activities, Mrs. Parker having been an active member of the different women's auxiliaries of the church and a Sunday school teacher for many years.  Aside from her church work she found time to take part in many of the social affairs of the city.  Her kindly disposition and sympathetic nature endeared her to a very large circle of friends, who feel the loss a personal one and who deeply sympathise with the husband and daughter in their great bereavement.

[Grace Ehmen Muppenau]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    March 1, 1956    p. 4

Mrs. S. Cirksena's Sister Died Sunday

Mrs. Grace Muppenau, a sister of Mrs. Sophia [Ehmen] Cirksena of Bedford, died in Oregon, Illinois Sunday, February 26, after an illness of only a few days.  Last rites and burial were in Illinois Wednesday.  One brother also survives.

 [Susan Jane Cummings McCormick]

Bedford Free Press

Tuesday    July 25, 1916    [p. 1]

Mrs. McCormick Dies Sunday At Her Home

Follows Beloved Husband To Grave In Less Than Year

Funeral Services Held At Late Home This Afternoon----Pioneer of Ross Township and Mother of Ten Children----Eight Survive Her Death

Eleven months almost to the day after the death of her husband, E. [lisha] McCormick, Mrs. Susan J. McCormick died at her home in Bedford Sunday afternoon.  The funeral services were held at the late home this afternoon at 2:30, conducted by Rev. J. A. Currie of the Presbyterian Church.  Interment was made in Fairview cemetery.

Susan Jane Cummings was born at Lewistown, Fulton County, Illinois, April 9, 1843, and was the daughter of James and Mary Cummings.  She was married to Elisha McCormick at Monmouth, Illinois, March 13, 1861.

After living in Illinois for a number of years they came to Taylor County, where they settled on a farm in Ross Township.  After farming many years they retired from the farm and came to Bedford in 1907 and purchased a home and continued to reside here until their death.  Mr. McCormick died August 24, 1915.

For several months Mrs. McCormick had been feeble and in failing health and on Sunday afternoon departed this life, age 73 years, 3 months and 14 days.

She was the mother of ten children.  Her first born, Fannie, died in 1885, Elmer died in his sixteenth year in 1888.  The surviving children are Walter McCormick, Amarillo, Texas, Edgar D. [ean] McCormick, Edwin C. [ummings] McCormick and Fred McCormick of Bedford, Mrs. R. [obert] J. Montgomery [Ada Belle] of Nodaway county, Missouri, Mrs. F. [reeman] P. Beard [Mary], Mrs. C. E. [lza] Jones [Ann Villa] and Mrs. C. A. [Alva Claude] Trumbo [Ruby] of Bedford.

The only other surviving relatives are a brother, James Cummings of Burlington, Wash., and two aunts, Mrs. Sybill Moran of Canton, Ill., age 87 and Mrs. Susan Dean of Swan Creek, Ill., age 93.

[Edith Grace Fitzgerald Cowden]

Bedford Free Press

Thursday    June 30, 1914    [p. 5]

Here On Visit.

Mr. and Mrs. T. [urner] F. [rederick] Fitzgerald [Martha Ophelia "Orpha" Thompson], now of Huntley, Mont., were here last week visiting Mrs. Fitzgerald's [step] mother, Mrs. J. [ames] M. [onroe] Thompson [Martha Hedrick] and other relatives.  Mr. and Mrs. Fitzgerald were called here at this time on a sad mission.  Their daughter, Mrs. J. C. [harles] Cowden [Edith Grace], of Riverton, died June 14 in a hospital at Omaha from burns received a year ago.  The following taken from the Page County Democrat gives the full particulars of this extremely sad affair:

Fred Fitzgerald and wife [Martha Ophelia "Orpha" Thompson] of Huntley, Mont., were in the city the latter part of last week, visiting friends at their former home.  They were called to Riverton, Fremont County, on the sad mission of attending the funeral of their eldest daughter, Edith [Grace], wife of J. C. [harles] Cowden of Riverton.  Her death occurred June 14 at the Methodist hospital in Omaha where she had been for nearly a year receiving treatment for severe burns received June 13, 1913, by the explosion of a lamp which set fire to her clothing.  She had been a great sufferer during all that time and looked forward to the last with courage for recovery and the joy of home happiness again.  She was the mother of four children:  John, aged 7, Dorothy, 5, Russell, 3 and Gerald 16 months.  These with the stepdaughter, Josephine, are left to mourn the loss of a devoted mother.  John and Josephine will remain with their father, while Russell and the baby go with Mrs. E. Myers of Villisca and Dorothy will make her home with her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Fitzgerald, at Huntley, Mont.  The funeral was held in Farragut and her remains laid to rest in city cemetery.