McCulloch, Ellen Samantha 1840-1931

MCCULLOCH, ALLEN, BALLARD, LANE, ASHING, ROWE

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 10/21/2012 at 18:58:21

The Grinnell (IA) Herald; Jan. 9, 1931

MRS. MCCULLOCH
FUNERAL HELD
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Services are Held from the Late
Home Thursday, Conducted
by Rev. E.M. Vittum
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PALLBEARERS WERE GRAND
SONS AND GREAT GRANDSONS
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Mrs McCulloch is Numbered Among
the Sturdy Pioneers of Hick-
ory Grove Township
-----------------

Funeral services for Mrs. W.H. McCulloch were held from the home at 1235 West street yesterday afternoon, conducted by Rev. E.M. Vittum. Singers were: Thomas Mason of Grinnell; and Rev. W.B. Wilson and Ed Newcomer of Newburg.

Pallbearers were four grandsons and two great grandsons. They were: Harold and James McCulloch, Ralph Ballard, Carroll Lane and Raymond and Floyd Ashing.

Among the large concourse of relatives and friends from out of town who were here to attend the services were: Mr. and Mrs. J.W. McCulloch, Kanawha, Iowa; Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Ballard, Redwood Falls, Minn.; Mr. and Mrs. L.H. Robinson, Algona, Iowa; Floyd Ashing, Des Moines; Carroll Lane, Rolfe, Ia.; Mrs. Mae Morgan, Burlington; Miss Phyllis McCulloch, Mediapolis, Iowa; Miss Helen Westcott, Des Moines; Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Herring, Jeffers, Minn.; Mrs. Frankie Hartmann, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and Mr. and Mrs. H.H. McCulloch, daughter, Ruth, and son, James, Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Lane, Richard Harthorn, Mrs. Doris Taylor, Mrs. Marian Slater, Mr. and Mrs. Harold McCulloch, Mr. and Mrs. Cullin Gregory, and Raymond Ashing, all of Newburg.

Ellen Samantha Allen was born Sept. 5, 1840, in Silver Creek, Cass county, Mich. At the age of five she moved with her parents to a home near Stoughton, Wisconsin. As a young woman she graduated from Milton Academy now known as Milton College. She was a member of the Baptist church there. She taught for a number of years in Illinois, staying there with a sister.

On March 2, 1867, she was united in marriage with W.H. McCulloch. They lived on a farm in La Moille township, Illinois, for two years. In the spring of 1869 they moved to Rutland, LaSalle county, Ill., and in the fall of the same year emigrated to Jasper county, Iowa, a short distance from where Newburg was afterwards located, and started a home on the virgin prairie. They moved to Grinnell in the fall of 1924.

Four children were born to this union: Mrs. M.H. Rowe of Grinnell, who has been making her home with her parents and caring for them, J.V. McCulloch of Kanawha, Ia., H.H. McCulloch and Mrs. Lillian Lane of the Newburg neighborhood. There are ten grand children and several great grand children.

Mr. and Mrs. McCulloch were charter members of the Christian Union, an organization which preceded the Congregational church at Newburg, and she was an earnest and efficient member of the church when it was organized. For a number of years she was a valued member of the Eastern Star of Grinnell.

Mr. and Mrs. McCulloch were unusually blessed in the long period of years which they were privileged to live together. Their happy golden wedding observance was an event which is still pleasantly remembered by their many friends. They have lived worthy, useful lives and Mr. McCulloch has universal sympathy in the loss of his helpmeet during so many years.

The following little poem, marked "Going Home" was found in Mrs. McCulloch's scrap book and is repeated here because it had evidently appealed to her:

"AT EVENTIDE IT SHALL BE
LIGHT"

"We are too tired to work--put up
the tools;
Too tired for music--let the old
harp rest.
Once for such idleness, we had been
fools,
Now it is wisdom--now 'tis only
best!

Give us a little spot--out there in the sun;
A corner where the fire is warm
and bright;
A bit of bread and broth--and we are done,
And ready for our journey in
the night.
No, no, we do not miss the labor
now;

'Tis strange, perhaps, but all the music's naught;
We do not feel the snow that's on
the brow,
The trembling hand brings not a
trembling thought.

We like the little quiet, sunny spot;
We chat and doze; we sometimes
doze and dream;
The fireside's good--we never get
too hot--
And very good our bread and len-
tils seem!

And--no--we do not dread the trip
to come;
One will go first and see it--how
it is;
Then wait nearby, to call the other
home,
And lead along the darker pass-
ages."

Margaret Steel Anderson in
Southern Woman's Magazine.