July 12, 1917

DEATH OF MRS. DELOS OLDS

Mrs. Delos Olds one of the aged citizens of this county and for many years a resident of Como and north of Sterling, died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. John Wetzell, three miles north of here Sunday morning about 2:30 o'clock. Death was caused by paralysis, she having suffered several severe strokes and her health had been very poor for some time.

 

Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon at 1:30 o'clock at the home of her daughter, Mrs John Wetzell and were conduced by Rev. C. W. Thornton, pastor of the Tampico M. E. Church. Two appropriate selections were sung by Mesdames Robert Hellier and George Isherwood with Miss Eutoka Hellier as accompanist. Interment was in Riverside Cemetery at Sterling the following being pall bearers: Lewis and Henry Olds, John and Oscar Wetzell, Chas. Grives, Chas. Olds.

 

Mary Harriet May was born in Jamaica Plain, Mass., in 1848. She came to Illinois in the Autumn of 1854 with her parents, who settled at Como, Whiteside Co. The family were among the first to settle what was then considered the wild and unbroken prairie. Chicago was the nearest trading market.

 

The deceased was married to Delos Olds of Como, Illinois, in 1868. To this union ten children were born. Johnnie died at the age of two and one-half years ; and the rest still survive her, and have done what they could to make her declining years as pleasant, and enjoyable as possible. Those living are: Mrs. Minnie E. Hopkins, of Rock Falls, Ill.; Mrs. William Tibbles, Miles City, Mont.; Henry E. Olds, Rock Falls, Ill.; Mrs. L. H. Barns, Glen Ellyn, Ill.; Mrs. John L. Wetzell, and Mrs. Oscar Wetzell, of Tampico, Ill.; Lewis Olds, of Emmetsburg, Ia.; Mrs. Charles Grimes, Galt, Ill.; and Arthur Olds, of Amery, Wis. Two brothers, W. A. May of Milford, Ia.; and Henry C. May of Primgar, Ia., and twenty-seven grandchildren, also remain to mourn her loss.

 

Mrs. Olds joined the Congregational church in Como, early in life, and later, after moving to Rock Falls, united with the methodist church. She lived an earnest christian life, and although her time was occupied in looking after and raising a large family, she never was so busy with her worldly affairs as not to take time to impress upon the minds of her children the necessity of living upright christian lives. She also saw that they attended regularly upon the services of the church, for which, they all, after growing to manhood and womanhood, have felt grateful toward her.

 

It may well be said of her, as of Mary of old She hath done what she could. 

[July 12, 1917. Great grandmother of Joan Johnson]