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

[Martha Patrick]

Bedford Free Press

Thursday    December 3, 1925    [p. 1]

Death of Little Baby

Martha, the little daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Patrick, died at the family home 2 miles south of Bedford, November 30, 1925, aged 2 days.  She is one of twins born Sunday, Nov. 29.  Interment was given in the Blockton cemetery, Dec. 1.

[Martha Ellie Dale Keith]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    June 26, 1947    p. 4

Obituary - Mrs. Will Keith

Funeral services for Mrs. Wm. C. Keith, who died at her home in south Bedford, Monday, June 16, were held at the Wetmore Funeral Home Wednesday afternoon, conducted by Rev. George W. Swan.  Burial was in the Hopkins cemetery.

Martha Ellie Dale, daughter of Philip and Margaret A. Dale, was born at Tipton, Cedar County, Iowa, December 10, 1860.

She accompanied her parents to California in 1870 and after spending about three months at Vallejo, they returned to Missouri, locating in Nodaway County.  In 1875 they moved to Hopkins, where she grew to young womanhood and taught in the public schools of the county.

She was married to William C. Keith on February 26, 1882, at Hopkins and they moved to Bedford in 1898.  Mr. Keith died Dec. 1, 1926.  She was a member of the Bedford Christian Church.

[Samuel S. Dresher]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    August 21, 1947    [p. 1]

Former Resident Dies In Omaha

Samuel S. Dresher, 68, died in an Omaha hospital Wednesday last week.  He was one of the four founders of Dresher Brothers Dry Cleaning Company in Omaha in 1898.

Mr. Dresher was a potentate of Tangier Shriner Temple in 1937 and past president of both the Sixteen and Concord Clubs in Omaha.

Born in Taylor County, Mr. Dresher went to Omaha at 18.  He is survived by his wife, Mayme; a son Franklin; two brothers, Albert V. and Charles W. [illard], all of Omaha.; two sisters, Mrs. Elsie Smith of Montebello, Calif., and Louise, of Omaha.  A third brother, J. Denton, died in 1942.

Services were held Saturday at 2 p.m. and burial was in the Forest Lawn Cemetery [Omaha, Nebraska] in charge of Mizpah Lodge No. 362.


[Tabitha Ellen Morgan Marshall]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    May 8, 1947    [p. 1]

Mrs. Frank Marshall Dies At Home Here

Mrs. Frank Marshall died at her home in Bedford Monday, May 5, following a long illness.  The funeral services were held at the Shum Funeral Home Wednesday afternoon, conducted by Rev. Eugene B. Nyman of the Bedford Baptist Church and Rev. U. E. Burroughs of the Mount Ayr Baptist Church.  Burial was in the Conway Cemetery.

Tabitha Ellen Morgan, daughter of Nancy [Warriner] and Daniel Morgan, was born September 30, 1864, in Fulton County, Illinois, near Lewistown, being aged 82 years, 7 months and 5 days at the time of her death

When three years of age she was brought by her parents to Taylor County, where she grew to womanhood.  On January 14, 1883, she was married to Frank [lin] E. [dgar] Marshall and to them were born 10 children, 9 of whom survive.  A daughter, Pearl, died in 1911.

At the time of Mr. Marshall's death, they had lived together 56 years and had witnessed many changes for which their age was characterized.  He preceded her in death in 1940.

Many years ago she united with the Baptist Church and served in different capacities until she was prevented by failing health.  She had an especial interest in the Gleaners Class, and retained to the last a deep interest in their activities.

Shortly after her husband's death, her health began to fail and her later years were marked by suffering and pain so that death came as a blessed relief for her tired spirit.

The surviving children are Mrs. E. [lmore] A. [mi] Ferguson [Olive] of Clarinda, Miss Belva Marshall of the home, Mrs. J. [ames] F. [rank] Layman [Mabel] of Rockwell City, William D. [aniel] Marshall of Woodward, Leon Marshall and Homer Marshall of Bedford, Charles Marshall of Highland Park, Michigan, Mrs. Roy C. Longfellow of Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and Clarence D. Marshall of Kansas City, Mo.

Also, two sisters, Mrs. Sarah Martin of Gravity, and Mrs. Effie Fields of Clear Lake, Iowa; three brothers, Daniel Morgan of Springfield, Missouri, Joe Morgan and Cecil Morgan of Gravity; 37 grandchildren and 37 great grandchildren.

[Isaac Carter]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    May 8, 1947 [p. 1]

Isaac Carter Dies In Bedford Recently

Isaac Carter, a resident of Taylor County the major portion of his life, died in Bedford, Sunday, April 27.  The funeral services were held at the Shum Funeral Home the following Tuesday afternoon, conducted by Rev. G. W. Swan.  Burial was in the Athelstan cemetery.

Isaac Carter, son of Benjamin and Sarah Carter, was born September 5, 1859, near Afton in Union County, Iowa, being aged 87 years, 7 months and 22 days at the time of his death.

He was married to Anna Lee and to them were born five children, one daughter passing away in 1912.  His wife died several years ago.

He is survived by four children, several grandchildren, and one brother, Harvey Carter of Clinton, Missouri.

[Delbert Jared]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    May 1, 1947    [p. 1]

Delbert Jared Dies After Long Illness

Delbert Jared, a resident of Taylor County the past seventy years, died at his home in Bedford, Thursday, April 24, after a long illness.

The funeral services were held at the Wetmore Funeral Home Sunday afternoon, conducted by Rev. Russell G. Nye and Rev. G. W. Swan.  Burial was in the Fairview cemetery.

Delbert Jared, son of Marshal and Mary Ann Jared, was born in Paris, Illinois, July 26, 1859, being aged 87 years, 8 months and 28 days at the time of his death.

At the age of 18 he came to Taylor County, Iowa, and spent the rest of his life in and near Bedford, with the exception of two years spent in Creston.

He was married to Lucinda McMurtry July 3, 1881.  To them three children were born, Edna May Marley of Bedford, Ruth Wolfe of Ord, Nebr., and a baby that died in infancy.

Several years after his wife's death, he married Lena Catherine Busby of Creston on October 27, 1925.

He leaves to revere his memory, his wife, two daughters, seven grandchildren, and seven great grandchildren.  He was a kind husband, loving father and good neighbor.

When a young man, he became a member of the Berea church south of Bedford, and retained his faith throughout the rest of his life.

[Paul Clifton McColm]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    February 1, 1973

Paul McColm, 76, Last Rites Held January 25

Funeral services for Paul Clifton McColm, 76, of Bedford, formerly of Gravity, were held January 25, at Shum-Novinger Funeral Home in Bedford with Pastor Perry Cozadd officiating.  Mr. McColm died January 21 at his home in Bedford.  Interment was at Washington Cemetery, Gravity.

Paul Clifton McColm was born on a farm near Persia, Ia., to Sherman T. and Carrie Elizabeth (Turner) McColm on March 15, 1896.

The family moved to a farm north of Gravity in the spring of 1900 where he grew to young manhood.

He is survived by his mother, who made her home with him, a brother, Howard, of Bedford, a sister, (Bethel) Mrs. L. R. Conkling of Easton, Mo. and a sister (Lorena) Mrs. Harold Staton of Canon City, Colorado.

His father, a sister (Gertrude), Mrs. B. L. Knodle, and a brother, Jesse, predeceased him.

As a boy, he loved sports, especially baseball, and fishing, and was a charter member of the Oak Hill Church, north of Gravity.   He left home at 15 to find work, spending several years in various places before enlisting in the Air Force during World War I.  Several months were spent in the Panama Canal Zone before he was discharged as a fine serviceman.

During his middle years, he acquired a fine Chili Parlor in Wichita, Kansas, which he operated for many years.  Making fine chili gave him some fame there.  Here he became affiliated with the Masonic Lodge and kept his membership until the last few years.  After selling his business, he worked as a cook in Fort Collins, Colorado, and Estes Park and then in Lincoln, Nebraska, until he retired in 1961.

For many years he spent his vacations with his mother.  After retirement he and his mother spent 10 years in Mountain Home, Arkansas, before moving to Bedford, Iowa, in 1971.