Grandma Kilworth's 96th birthday party (1937)

KILWORTH, WHEELER, HEALEY, MARTIN, KLEVER

Posted By: Ken Akers (email)
Date: 5/27/2013 at 12:10:52

Audubon County Journal (IA)
Thursday, Dec. 23, 1937, page 1

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Pioneer Woman
Observed 96th
Birthday Here

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Grandma Kilworth Pleas-
antly Surprised Saturday
By Numerous Friends

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Grandma Kilworth, pioneer resi-
dent of this county, passed her
96th milestone on life's journey at
her home here Saturday. During
the day and evening 52 persons
called to congratulate her. The
Sunday school boys of the Fed-
erated church went to her home in
the morning and sang Happy
Birthday and Christmas songs.

Many people took cakes and
cookies to her and one cake, baked
by her daughter, Mrs. Oscar
Wheeler, was adorned with 96
candles. Pies for lunch were baked
by Mrs. Kilworth, a custom she
has followed for many years.

Mrs. Kilworth was born near
Northampton, England, on Decem-
ber 18, 1841. Her maiden name
was Mary Healey. She was mar-
ried at Northampton to Thomas H.
Kilworth on September 6, 1863, and
they came to America shortly af-
terward, settling on a farm near
Geneseo, Illinois.

They farmed 160 acres some
years and gradually added to their
holdings until they had 240 acres
of land. They moved to Exira in
1906, purchasing the home still
occupied by Mrs. Kilworth. Her
husband died in October, 1906.

Mrs. Kilworth has four children.
They are Mrs. Oscar Wheeler,
John H. Kilworth and Mrs. Bruce
Martin of Exira, and Earl Kil-
worth of Scapoose, Oregon. There
are 20 grandchildren and 35 great
grandchildren.

She has always attended to her
own household duties and always
raised her own garden, taking
great pride in the quality of the
vegetables produced therein.

Audubon County Journal (IA)
Thursday, Dec. 30, 1937, page 1

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Error In Birthday
Writeup Last Week

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An error occurred in the write-
up concerning the 96th birthday
anniversary of Grandma Kilworth
which was published last week. It
was stated that Mrs. Oscar Wheel-
er baked the birthday cake which
was adorned with 96 candles when
it was Mrs. L. F. Klever who did
the baking and decorating. We are
sorry this error was made.