The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross
Stronghurst Graphic: March 13, 1924
THEY CELEBRATED: The 40th anniversary of the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Graham was appropriately celebrated Wednesday evening, March 12th by a large assemblage of friends and neighbors who gathered at the W. J. McElhinney home. Mr. and Mrs. Graham, who have spent practically their entire married life in this community, started life together on the McElhinney farm northeast of Stronghurst and it was deemed appropriate that the W. J. McElhinney home be made the scene of the happy event. The Grahams and a few friends were guests of the McElhinneys at a six o'clock dinner and at about 8 o'clock friends and neighbors to the number of 50 or more gathered at the home to assist in the celebration. A genuine old fashioned social time was enjoyed with the time being spent with games, charades, contests and social conversation. A unique feature of the celebration was the reproduction of the wedding scene of 40 years previous, the bride and groom being represented by the Misses Leone Knustrom and Blanche Beardsley, dressed in costume with Philip Hicks representing the officiating minister. These little people also sang a number of songs. Mr. and Mrs. Graham were the recipients of a purse of money presented by the assembled guests as a token of their esteem and good will.
LOCAL AND AREA NEWS: Mrs. W. H. Cross is confined to her home with an attack of rheumatism. Mrs. Del Dixson is under the care of physicians at her home suffering from high blood pressure. The waffle supper at the Christian Church has been postponed. H. D. Lovitt has been confined to his home for two to three weeks with a severe case of grippe. Mrs. Blanche Burrell and baby visited at the home of her uncle, W.L. Spiker and then went to home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Charter of near Olena. Roy Spiker of Nenah, Wis. and his sister, Mrs. R. B. Chase of Galesburg visited their parents, Mr. and W. L. Spiker. Roy is looking fine and weighs in the neighborhood of 200 pounds. This is his first visit here in four years. The awful roads are temporarily bringing old Dobbin into his own. (Roads are so muddy that horses are being used to come to town.) A. S. McElhinney, licensed real estate broker, reports the sale of 50 acres of the Jno. Wever land near Media to E. S. Mathers of Media. Cliff Shaffer, the Stronghurst deliveryman, has moved from the Sanderson place south of town to the tenant house on the Jos. Dixson farm. Virgil Elston, 18 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Elston of Terre Haute, died at the home of his parents on March 7th following an attack of pneumonia. Mrs. E. G. Lewis has gone to Norbury Sanitarium for a several weeks rest and Drs. McKittrick and Hoyt feel confident that she will recover her usual health. Mr. and Mrs. G.B. Lanphere left for Southern California with the intention of making that their permanent home in the future. While looking for a suitable location, they will make their home with relatives in Monrovia, Calif.
***OBITUARY***MRS. R. M. BILLUPS: The community learned with sorrow that Mrs. R. M. Billups had passed away at Galesburg hospital at about 6:30 pm Wednesday morning. Mrs. Billups was taken to the hospital last Sunday and underwent an operation for the removal of gall stones on the following day. Twenty one stones in all were removed, but the shock of the operation proved to be so great that the patient failed to rally and she passed away on Wednesday morning. Funeral arrangements are being deferred, the time for them being dependent upon of the arrival of her daughter, Mrs. Opal Libey from California where she and her husband have been spending the winter.
OBITUARIES: "MRS. FRANK EDMONDS: At exactly the same hour three weeks after the remains of her beloved husband, Frank A. Edmunds, were laid to rest in Terre Haute Cemetery, the funeral of Mrs. Anna M. Edmunds was held last Sunday afternoon in the Terre Haute M. E. Church. Mr. Edmunds died Feb. 15, 1924 after a long lung illness and his wife's health failed rapidly from that time on. Both were long time residents of Terre Haute country and enjoyed the respect and esteem of a large acquaintance.
Anna M. Edmunds, widow of the late Frank A. Edmunds, passed away at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Frank Myers, March 7, 1924 at the age of 64 years, 8 months and 23 days. Anna M Dean was born in Morrison, Whiteside County, Illinois. When she was about a year old her mother moved to Lomax, in which vicinity she grew to womanhood and spent the greater part of her lived.
On Jan. 18, 1882 she was married to Frank A. Edmunds, and to this union was born four children: Mable Negley of Council Bluffs, Ia., Vivian Myers of Terre Haute, Ralph D. of Burnside and Chester A. of Chicago.
She was stricken with apoplexy Feb. 14th from which she never recovered. She is survived by her four children, three grandchildren, two half-brothers, Henry and Richard Smart, and a number of other relatives and friends"-LaHarpe Quill
SAMUEL A. GILLILAND: Samuel A. Gilliland, son of William and Elizabeth Gilliland, was born in County Antrim, Belfast, Ireland on May 27, 1860 and departed this life at the Mercy Hospital in Des Moines on Feb. 28, 1924 at the age of 63 years, 9 months and 1 day. He came to this country in April 1881 locating in Henderson County, Illinois where he remained for 21 years. On Feb. 6, 1889 he married Miss Glendora Rodman of Olena, Ill. to this union six children were born, one dying in infancy. In 1901 he united with the Kirkwood U. P. Church and later transferred his membership to the M. E. Church at Liberty Center and afterward Oakley. He was a member of the Liberty Center camp of Modern Woodmen. He leaves to mourn his wife and five children: Robert W. Ogden, Ia.; Merwyn A., Lacona; G. Floyd of Chariton and Olive and Clyde W., both of Lacona. He is survived by five grandchildren and one brother and one sister in Ireland. In 1902 he moved with his family to Warren County, Ill. where he lived for seven years and in 1909 moved to his late home in Lucas County, Ia.
Funeral services were held at the M. E. Church in Oakley with remains laid to rest in Zion Cemetery.
NORVILLE BABY: The 18th day of June, 1923 a sweet baby boy, the first son of the family was delightfully welcomed into this world by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Norville and by five little sisters. He was given the name of Harry, Jr. and most tenderly nursed and cared for by those to whom he was so dear, and he grew and waxed strong by this devoted care until March 4, 1924 when little Harry was stricken with pneumonia. Doctors, a trained nurse and the best of care could not prevent his dread disease from taking away this dear baby and he quietly fell asleep at 12:15 Friday am. The sorrowing parents took the little body to Swan Creek, their former home, Saturday where it was laid to rest by the side of a little sister gone before.
BIGGSVILLE BRIEFS: The Annual Meeting of the Women's Cemetery Society and election of officers was held in the township building. All the old officers were re-elected: Mrs. D. P. Jackson, President; Emma Folmer, Vice-President; Mrs. Irene Zimmerman, Secretary; and Arthur Bergren, Treasurer. Mrs. Nell Harper, who has been a guest at the home of her niece, Mrs. Lee Mekemson, left for Hammond, Ind., where she will visit her brothers. The Misses Julia Stevenson, Lucille Bigger, Pauline Smith, Russell Sanderson and John Bigger attended the play, "District School," at the U.P.Church in Gladstone. Mr. and Mrs. Marion Cleek moved from the Graham home to a farm on the bottoms. Eddie Sloan is confined to the house nursing a badly lamed foot caused by one of his horses getting lively and stepping on it. Mrs. Gus Anderson entertained the Eldeen Book Club at her home where books were exchanged and the afternoon spent sewing. Fifteen members and three guests were present. The Cemetery Tea was held at the home of Miss Mary Stevenson. A lunch of sandwiches, cake and a whipped cream, pickles and coffee were served.
CARMAN CONCERNS: Mr. William Babcook, the grain merchant, is busy shipping out wheat and taking in corn. Ernie Giese loaded his household goods and will move his family to Mt. Pleasant, Ia His brother, Henry Giese, has moved to a small truck farm west of Burlington, Ia. where he will do trucking for the coming season. Paul Pendry reports he has been transferred over in the Galesburg Division as a brakie. Two carloads of implements and livestock from Quincy were unloaded for Frank Lynch, going on a farm near Stronghurst. The Rose Lodge No. 409 of Carman held a regular meeting and initiator degree was conferred on two candidates. On account of bad roads, Rev. J.B. Seble has not been here for two weeks. Mr. Albert Peterson's father still remains quite poorly. Mr. and Mrs. Asel Dowell of Stronghurst are moving down on the Evans place east of town going to work for Warren Dowell this summer.
MEDIA MEANDERINGS: The play, "The Hidden Hand," was given by the high school under the direction of Mrs. Dennis. Mrs. E. G. Lewis became so much worse that she was taken to the Burlington Hospital and from there to the sanitarium at Jacksonville. Ed Barry was an unfortunate as to have two ribs broken and several other bad bruises by a limb of a tree striking him while working in the timber for Archie Heap. He was brought to the office of Dr. H. R. Rankin, who dressed his wounds and he is resting as easily as could be expected. A 12 lb. bouncing baby boy has come to stay at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Winifred Keith. Carolyne Campbell, Harvey and Elizabeth Kimball, Carl Leftwich and Harold Powell are victims of mumps.
RARTIAN REPORTS: Mrs. George Freeman was sick several days last week at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Nick Smith. Wayne Livermore is the victim of mumps. Cornelius Leptack, a student from Holland, Michigan , will occupy the pulpit of the Reformed Church Sunday. A party was given at the G. H. Voorhees home one evening last week in honor of Mrs. Sallie Butler of Monmouth who expects to leave for her new home in Kansas . Mr. and Mrs. Boyd Lauver were Sunday dinner guests in the Lue Lauver home. Clyde Thrush is the victim of pneumonia. G. E. Voorhees is confined to his bed with blood poisoning.
LOMAX LINGERINGS: Aribin Vaughn and family of the south country moved to the Lowery farm where he will farm the coming year. The Junior Loyal Daughters Sunday School Class of the Christian church will present Sally Ann Finds Herself, a two act play at the Lomax Opera House on the evening of March 19th. Quite a number attended the funeral of Virgil Elston at Terre Haute ; the high school closed in the afternoon so that Prof. Apt might attend. The 29th session of old man winter seemed to open up Sunday having sent a real snow and almost zero weather in this locality.