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

[Charles H. Bailie]

Bedford Free Press

Thursday    April 25, 1901    [p. 1]

A Very Sudden Summons

Chas. H. Bailie Strangled To Death

Called Suddenly From a Life of Vigorous Manhood to Try the Realities of Another World.   No Warning

Like a thunderbolt from a clear sky the news was quickly spread over Bedford last Thursday evening at a little after 6 o'clock that Charles H. Bailie was dead.  Nobody could believe it.  No one could accept such an announcement with any degree of credibility because on that afternoon Mr. Bailie was in his store in the vigor and prime of manhood, waiting on customers and performing his duties in his usual gentlemanly and pleasant manner.  Quickly the little home filled with sympathizing friends, and alas! the news was found to be true.  On the couch of that once happy home lay all that was mortal of Mr. Bailie, now forever stilled in the cold embrace of death.  People shuddered and turned aside to brush away the tears from sad and weeping eyes to see such a pitiful and unusual sight----a man in the prime of vigorous life, possessed with more than the ordinary vigor and strength of man, lying so still and quiet, with his life suddenly and without a moment's warning taken from its tenement of clay.  Even as they looked upon the strong frame and glanced at the handsome, placid countenance people could not grasp the idea that Chas. Bailie's voice was forever hushed, so natural did he seem as he lay upon the couch.  But no endearing words brought a smile upon his face nor yet received a look of recognition from those kindly eyes.  Chas Bailie was indeed dead. 

Thursday afternoon at about 5 o'clock Mr. Bailie had complained of a sick stomach, and had gone to the office of Dr. Archer, who administered to his needs.  After taking some medicine, Mr. Bailie returned to the store and laid down on a couch.  Chas. Stephens, his partner, suggested that he had better go home, and Dr. Archer was sent for who walked with him to Bailie's house.  Mrs. Bailie was not at home at that time, being uptown doing some trading and visiting her parents.  Upon arriving at the house Mr. Bailie remarked that the room was chilly, and directed Dr. Archer to the back porch for fuel.  The doctor went after the wood, and was gone perhaps a little less than two minutes.  When he returned Mr. Bailie had fallen from the couch on which he was reclining and lying on the floor, gasping for breath and struggling.  He had vomited on the floor. Doctor Archer raised him up and used every endeavor to relieve him, but to no avail.  The unfortunate man quickly expired in the doctor's arms.  Mrs. Bailie arrived at home just as her husband was breathing his last, and was shocked and horrified to find him in such a condition.  Other physicians and neighbors were hastily summoned, but Mr. Bailie had passed beyond all human aid.  Coroner Dr. Dunning was summoned and viewed the remains.  After hearing the testimony of Dr. Archer he concluded that an inquest was unnecessary.

At that time the physicians were unable to give the cause of death, so Friday afternoon a post mortem examination was made to determine the matter.  The operation was performed by Dr. Archer, assisted by Doctors H. [enry] F. [rancis] Dunlavy, C. M. Paschal, J. W. Beauchamp and M. B. Dunning.  A thorough investigation was made, and it was the unanimous verdict of all the doctors that death was caused by strangulation.  It was found that the lungs and windpipe were filled with a thick watery substance that had come from the stomach when Mr. Bailie had vomited.  The case was a very unusual one, in that a death hardly ever occurs in that manner.  The probabilities are that an acid arose from the stomach and out of the mouth before Mr. Bailie realized what was happening, and some of it had gone down his windpipe, and before he could regain his breath he was choked to death.

It is a sad and lamentable affair, and the young wife left in widowhood, the poor old saintly mother, the brothers and sister, have the sincere sympathy of all in their bereavement.  Mr. Bailie was a man among men.  He was a noble type of honorable, upright, conscientious and manly manhood, a businessman of integrity and honor, and a citizen whom all were proud to call friend.  He will be greatly missed in the business circles of Bedford, in which he was an honored member.

The funeral exercises were conducted Sunday afternoon at the home by Revs. Collins and Ware.  Owing to the fact that George Bailie, a brother of the deceased, had failed to arrive from Pueblo, Colorado, the burial was postponed until Monday afternoon at 10 o'clock to enable the brother to have a last look at the features of one he loved.  The funeral was attended by the Knights of Pythias in a body.  The Rathbone Sisters were also present and assisted in the work.  Mr. Bailie was an honored member of these organizations.  The Knights also had charge of the burial, and performed their beautiful ritualistic services of the order at the grave.  The grave was beautifully decorated, being lined throughout with white wadding.  Each end was decorated with a wreath in colors, one having the initials "K. P." and the other "R. S."  On one side there was "K. P.," and "F. C. B.," while on the other was "R. S., P. L. E. F."  The floral offerings were beautiful and profuse, and the attendance was very large, giving evidence of the high esteem in which deceased was held.

The pall bearers were J. C. Beauchamp, H. M. Long, A. A. Archer, J. J. Clark, C. M. Paschal and J. A. Minor.

Charles H. Bailie, son of H. [Havillah] and U. [sic] [Nancy] E. [mma] Bailie, was born February 19, 1858, near Greensburg, Indiana.  On Jun 1, 1887, he was united in marriage with Miss Ida Bailey.  To this union was born August 12, 1889, a son, Drexel F. [airleigh], who died January 6, 1894.  Mr. Bailie united with the M. E. church in 1886, and continued a member of the same until his death.  Mr. Bailie was aged 43 years, 1 month and 28 days.


[Dorothy Idros Campbell Campbell]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    November 18, 1982    [p. 4]

Graveside Services At Graceland Cemetery For Idros Campbell

Graveside services for Mrs. Albert (Dorothy Idros) Campbell, 80, of Bedford, held November 4 at Graceland Cemetery, rural Taylor County, Iowa, were conducted by Rev. James Dale.  Mrs. Campbell died in her Bedford home November 2, 1982.

Dorothy Idros Campbell was born March 10, 1902, to Bessie [Lane] and Darwin Campbell of Miami, Oklahoma.  She grew to maturity and attended school there.

On December 31, 1922, she was united in marriage to Albert Campbell, also of Miami, Oklahoma.  Albert and Idros later moved to Bedford, Iowa where they have made their home for many years.  To this union were born four children.

She was a long time member of the Bedford United Methodist Church, the D. O. C. [Daughters of Ceres] Club and the Travel Club.

Mrs. Campbell was preceded in death by her parents and one sister.

She is survived by her husband, Albert, her children: Mrs. A. [nna] Ailee Ratekin, Allegan, Michigan, Albert E. Campbell, Jr., Waterloo, Iowa, Mrs. Ramona L. [oraine] Halbert, Birmingham, Alabama and Mrs. Sally K. Angel, Saint Louis, Missouri; one sister, Mrs. Wyota Keller, Sacramento, California; 10 grandchildren; and six great grandchildren.

[Simon Forrester Fiester]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    November 7, 1929    [p. 8]

The following account of the death of S. [imon] F. [orrester] Fiester of Washington, D. C., was taken from the Washington Post of Oct. 11----Funeral services for Simon F. [orrester] Fiester, 74 year old poet, educator and former examiner of accounts in the Interior Department, who died yesterday at his home, 22 T Street N. W., following a stroke of paralysis suffered Monday, will be conducted at the home tomorrow morning at 11 o'clock by the Rev. Dr. Jason Noble Pierce, pastor of the First Congregational church.  Interment will be in Towanda, Pa.

Mr. Fiester was a native of Williamsport, Pa., and wrote his first poem at the age of 10 years.  His best-known poems were, "Pearls from the Pen," "The Rarest Pearl," "The Undercurrent," and "A Resolve to Travel."  He first taught school at the age of 14 near Clarkstown, Pa., and after migrating to Bremer county, Iowa, with his parents in 1872, was for 22 years a teacher there and four times County Superintendent of Schools.  He last was a member of the Iowa Educational Council, and contributed numerous articles to magazines.

He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Ophelia Hoover Fiester, two daughters, Mrs. E. [dward] C. [layton] Fish [Lula] of this city, and Mrs. J. [ohn] Lee Wilkinson [Irene Ruth], of Falls Church, Va., two sisters, the Misses Frances V., and May Fiester, of Waverly, N. Y., and six grandchildren.



[Martha Price Eighmy]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    August 24, 1944    p. 3

Mrs. Martha Eighmy

Martha Olin Price, daughter of Perry and Malinda Eagle Price, was born in Greenbrier County, West Virginia August 1, 1853.  She moved with her parents to Taylor county, Iowa, when a small child, where she spent most of her life.  For the past year she had made her home with her children near Ottawa, Kansas.

On October 5, 1875, she was married to John D. [ow] Eighmy.  To them were born seven children.  The husband and three daughters, Mrs. William Parrish [Minnie], Mrs. Ralph Thompson [Della] and Carrie Celesta Eighmy, preceded her in death.

The surviving children are Ralph E. Eighmy of Bedford, Mrs. A. [lfred] B. Lewis [Bessie] and Irvin Eighmy of Ottawa, Kansas, and Gayol C. [layton] Eighmy of Gravity.

She is also survived by one sister, Mrs. Amanda Wilson of Albany, Oregon; twenty-two grandchildren and twenty great grandchildren.

She united with the Methodist church when 13 years of age and at the time of her death was a member of the Bedford Methodist church.

[Mary Elizabeth Ratliff Thompson]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday   April 29, 1944    p. 2

Obituary -- Mary E. Thompson

Mary Elizabeth Ratliff, daughter of Rev. James and Hannah Ratliff, was born June 16, 1869, near Greenville, Tennessee, being one of a family of ten children.  She died at her home in Clearfield April 18, 1944, at the age of 73 years, 10 months and 2 days.

She was married to Enos Thompson, November 27, 1889.  To them were born five children, Roe Ethel, James, Hattie Mabel, Samuel Brainard and Eva Ruth.  Her husband and two sons preceded her in death.  One son, James, died just a year ago.

She came with her family to Clarinda in 1903, and in 1911 moved to Bedford, which was her home until thirteen years ago, when she moved to Clearfield.

At an early age she became a Christian, always taking an interest in the affairs of the church, holding her membership in the Bedford Baptist Church at the time of her death.  Her heritage to her children was her Christian faith.

She is survived by three daughters, Mrs. Glenn Butts of Bedford, Mrs. Walter Mason of Clearfield, Mrs. William Marshall of Woodward, Iowa; one daughter-in-law, Mrs. Hazel Thompson of Clearfield; three grandchildren, Olin Mason, Bonnie Jean Thompson and Dwight Marshall.  Also three brothers and one sister.

The funeral services were held at the Bedford Baptist Church Wednesday, April 21, conducted by Rev. U. E. Burroughs of the Mount Ayr Baptist Church.  Burial was in Fairview Cemetery at Bedford.