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

[Elbert Troy Thompson]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    August 20, 1960    p. 1

Troy Thompson Dies Unexpectedly at Home

Troy Thompson, 79, died unexpectedly at his home southwest of Bedford, Monday morning, August 22.

Funeral services were held at Berea church Wednesday afternoon, conducted by Charles C. Balcom of St. Joseph.   Burial in Fairview Cemetery [Bedford].

Mr. Thompson is survived by his wife, Cora; and by three daughters, Mrs. Carl Marley [Hazel], Mrs. Glenn Van Camp [Gladys], Mrs. James Keith [Dorothy], all of Bedford and their families.

 

[Elbert Troy Thompson]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    September 1, 1960    p. 7

Obituary—Troy Thompson

Elbert Troy Thompson was born March 7, 1881 near Corydon, Iowa, to Ira G. [raff] and {Iowa] Alice Warder Thompson and passed away at his home southwest of Bedford on Monday, August 22, 1960 at the age of 79 years, five months, 15 days.

When very small he moved to Taylor County where he lived the remainder of his life, with the exception of a short while spent in Missouri and a year in Washington State.  He spent his entire life farming, living on the home place the past 42 years.

He was married to Cora Ellen Parks on Dec. 24, 1907 and on Dec. 29, 1957, they celebrated their Golden Wedding anniversary.

To this union were born three daughters, Mrs. Hazel Marley, Mrs. Gladys Van Camp, Mrs. Dorothy Keith, all of Bedford.

He was baptized into Christ when a young man and has been a member of the Berea Church of Christ the past 42 years.

He was preceded in death by his parents, one brother Lester Thompson; one sister, Mrs. Bertha Ratliff; a granddaughter, Jana Lynn Keith.

He is survived by the wife of the home; the three daughters and their husbands; four grandchildren, Robert Marley, Mrs. Lois Coulter, Kenneth Keith and Joyce Keith; four great grandsons, Michael and Timothy Coulter; Richard and Steven Marley.  There are also three brothers, Elmer, Arthur and Walter Thompson; two sisters, Mrs. Effie Taylor of Lenox, Mrs. Flossie Newkirk of Bedford.

Funeral services were held at the Berea Church of Christ with burial in Fairview Cemetery [Bedford].

 


[Edwin Cummings McCormick]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    March 30, 1961    [p. 4]

Ed McCormick Rites Held Tues., March 28

Ed McCormick, a resident of Bedford and Taylor County most of his life, passed away Saturday, March 25 at the home of his son and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Leighton McCormick [Bessie Noble] in Columbia, Mo., where he had been spending several weeks.

Funeral services were held at the Shum-Novinger Funeral Service Home on Madison Street, Tuesday afternoon, March 28.  Rev. E.M. McGehee officiated.  Burial in Fairview cemetery [Bedford, Iowa].

Edwin Cummings McCormick, and a twin-brother Edgar Dean, were born April 5, 1878 in Kirkwood, Illinois.  He came to Taylor county with his parents, Elisha and Susan [Cummings] McCormick, when only one month of age, and spent the major part of his life in Jackson township.

He was united in marriage to Bessie L. Kemery on March 16, 1904.  His wife and twin-sons preceded him in death.  He was later married to Mrs. Estella [Hoover] Denton, who died on May 1, 1959.

He is survived by one son, Leighton and his wife, Bessie, of Columbia, Missouri; one granddaughter, Barbara, lives in Denver, Colo., his other granddaughter, Jo Ellen and his grandson, Leighton Edwin, reside at the home in Columbia.

Mr. McCormick was one of a family of ten children, all of whom preceded him in death except one brother, Fred McCormick of Bedford.  In addition he is survived by three brothers-in-law, Lay Kemery of Sheridan, Mo., Claude and Frank Trumbo of Bedford; several nieces and nephews and their families who live in Texas, Kansas, Missouri and Iowa.

Ed McCormick was widely known and highly respected in Bedford and Taylor County.  His passing will be mourned by many lifelong friends as well as the immediate family

 

[Effie Estella Thompson Taylor]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    April 20, 1961

Mrs. Bert Taylor Rites In Lenox

Mrs. Bert Taylor, a long-time resident of Lenox and Taylor County, died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Ruby Speelman in Creston, Tuesday, April 11, 1961.

Funeral services were held at the Bender Funeral Home in Lenox, Friday afternoon at two o'clock.  Rev. Robert Duckett, pastor of the Lenox Christian Church of which she was a member, officiated.  Burial was in Fairview Cemetery at Lenox. 

Effie Estella Thompson was born Dec. 22, 1873 near Glenwood, [Schuyler County] Missouri to Ira G. [raff] and Alice Warder Thompson, and passed away at the age of 87 years, three months, 20 days.

When a small child she moved to Iowa where she spent the remainder of her life with the exception of one year in Enid, Oklahoma.

She was united in marriage to Albert C. Taylor on June 21, 1894.  To this union were born five children: Susie Brown of Sharpsburg, Ruby Speelman of Creston, Clark Taylor of Lenox, Vera Martin of Greenfield, Helen Hamblin of Lenox.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and by two brothers, Lester Thompson and Troy Thompson; and a sister, Mrs. Bertha Ratliff.

She is survived by the son, four daughters and their husbands; four grandchildren, Gary and Richard Hamblin, Bill and Karen Martin; one great granddaughter, Kimberly Jo Hamblin.  Also by three brothers Elmer, Arthur and Walter Thompson and one sister, Mrs. Flossie Newkirk, several nieces and nephews, all of Bedford.

 

 [Garrett Roy Newkirk]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    March 14, 1963    [p.] 4

G. Roy Newkirk Services Tues.

Funeral services for G. [arrett] Roy Newkirk, long-time Taylor County resident, held last Tuesday at Shum-Novinger State Street Funeral Home, were conducted by Rev. Ivo Randels.

Included in the service was the following obituary:

Garrett Roy Newkirk, son of Albert and Amanda Bristow Newkirk, was born near Rapid City, South Dakota, March 22, 1888 and passed away at St. Francis hospital, Maryville, Mo., March 9, 1963 at the age of 74 years, 11 months and 14 days.

At the age of eleven he moved with his parents to Taylor County and has resided here ever since.

He was united in marriage to Flossie Thompson, Feb. 21, 1912 and to them five children were born, one son dying in infancy.  The living children are: Howard of Bedford, Dwight of Council Bluffs, Ethel Mae Shehan and Donald of Bedford.

He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers and one sister.

He is survived by his widow and children above named and nine grandchildren, other more distant relatives and many friends and neighbors.

Mr. and Mrs. Newkirk celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Feb. 18, 1962.  Mr. Newkirk's community interests were shown by his membership in various organizations working for the betterment of the community.  In early life he united with the Gilead Methodist church.

 

[Walter Ray Thompson]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    January 23, 1964    p.8

W.R. Thompson Rites Held Here Jan. 18

Funeral services for Walter Ray Thompson held January 18 at Madison Street Shum-Novinger Funeral Home, were conducted by Rev. J. Milton Kinney, local Methodist minister.  Mr. Thompson died at his home [from prostate cancer] northwest of Bedford January 15, 1964, at the age of 74 years, five months and 13 days.  Interment was at Graceland Cemetery, Taylor County.

Included in the services was the following obituary:

Walter Ray Thompson was born Sept. 2, 1889 near Sharpsburg, Iowa, to Ira G. [raff] and Alice Warder Thompson.

Most of his life was spent in Taylor County, except for a few years spent in Missouri.  He spent his entire life farming, living on the home place for the last 44 years.

He was married to Kate M Patton Feb. 10, 1914.  They would have celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary on Feb. 10.

To this union were born three daughters, Fern Lucille, deceased, Mrs. Phyllis Henry and Mrs. Ellen Jean Mullen.

Mr. Thompson was a member of the Bedford Methodist Church since 1951 when he and his wife transferred their membership from Gilead Church west of Bedford.

He was preceded in death by his parents, an infant daughter Fern Lucille, two brothers, Lester and Troy; two sisters, Effie and Bertha.

He is survived by his wife, two daughters, and their husbands; grandchildren: Mrs. Julia Johnson and husband Tim of Warrensburg, Mo.; David Henry and wife Dorothy of Sturgis, So. Dak.; Clifford, Kenneth, and Sharon Henry; Gerald Mullen and wife, Linda, Larry Mullen and wife, Linda;

Dianna, Linda, Denny and Kelly Mullen, all of Bedford; two great grandchildren, Terri and Randy Mullen, two brothers, Elmer and Arthur, and one sister, Flossie Newkirk, all of Bedford.

 

[Kate Patton Thompson]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    July 16, 1964    p.5

Last Rites Held for Kate Thompson

Funeral services for Mrs. Walter (Kate) M Thompson, 72, lifelong Taylor County resident, held Monday (July 13) at Shum-Novinger Funeral Home in Bedford, were conducted by Rev. J. Milton Kinney.  Mrs. Thompson died at her home July 10. [sic] [She died in St. Francis Hospital, Maryville, Missouri.]  Interment was at Graceland Cemetery, Taylor County.

Kate M Patton was born Sept. 28, 1891 to Fred H. and Ellen Gilbert Patton in the home west of Bedford where she was residing at the time of her death.  All of her life was spent in this home except for a few years in Missouri.

On Feb. 10, 1914 she was married to Walter Ray Thompson, who preceded her in death on January 18 of this year.

To this union were born three daughters, Fern Lucille, deceased, Mrs. Phyllis Henry and Mrs. Ellen Jean Mullen.

Mrs. Thompson was a member of the Bedford Methodist Church since 1951 when she and her husband transferred their membership from Gilead church west of Bedford.

She was preceded in death by her parents, one brother Ralph J. Patton, an infant daughter, Fern Lucille, and her husband Walter.

She is survived by two daughters and their husbands and grandchildren: Mrs. Julia Johnson and husband Tim of Warrensburg, Mo.; David Henry and wife Dorothy of Sturgis, So. Dak.; Clifford, Kenneth, and Sharon Henry; Gerald Mullen and wife, Linda, Larry Mullen and wife, Linda;

Dianna, Linda, Denny and Kelly Mullen, all of Bedford; two great grandchildren, Terri and Randy Mullen.

 

[Roy Meikle]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    February 25, 1965    [p. 1]

Roy Meikle Final Rites

Funeral services for Roy Meikle, well known long time Taylor County resident, were held here Feb. 20 at the Madison Street Shum-Novinger Funeral Home with Rev. John D. Kerr officiating.  Mr. Meikle died Feb. 17 at Clarinda Municipal Hospital.  Interment was at Fairview Cemetery, Bedford.

Roy Meikle, the son of William and Ella [Aiton] Meikle, was born in 1879.  In 1907 he was united in marriage to Mary Madge Bailie.

His entire life was spent in Taylor County actively engaged in farming.

He was a member of he Old Presbyterian Morning Star Church in Mason Township.

He leaves fond and loving memories to his wife, three children, five grandchildren, two great grandchildren, one brother, many relatives and a host of friends.  He was preceded in death by his parents, one brother and a sister.

Out of town relatives who attended the funeral were: daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Homer Jensen [Marjorie], Yankton, S. Dak., and their daughter, Janelle Jenson, student at Dakota Wesleyan College, Mitchell, S. Dak.; daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Morton Koser [Ruth] of Iowa City and their three children, Robert, Karen and Steve, John Allen, Omaha, Bob Meikle, Iowa City, Ia.; Mr. and Mrs. Don Dougherty [Julia Katherine Meikle], Osceola, Ia.; Rev. and Mrs. Wayne Nickel, Topeka, Kansas.

 

[Leland Harold John]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    July 22, 1965    [p.8]

Leland H. John Services Today

Funeral services for Leland H. [arold] John will be held at 2 p.m. Thurs., July 22 at 708 State Street Shum-Novinger Funeral Home.  Mr. John died in San Francisco, July 18.  Interment will be at Fairview Cemetery, Bedford.