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

[Rachel Jane Barnes Greeley]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    September 6, 1945    p. 4

Obituary - Mrs. Rachel Greeley

Rachel [Jane] Barnes, daughter of Isam and Deborah [Lindamood] Barnes, was born Jan. 5, 1855, in Iowa County, Iowa, and died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Fannie Weller, August 29, 1945, aged 90 years, 8 months and 24 days.

She was married to Frank Greeley, Dec. 22, 1875, at Marengo, Iowa.  To them, nine children were born: Millard J. [ames], who died Dec. 4, 1944; Anna Hamilton, who died Dec. 14, 1915; Ida M. [ay] Preston of San Bernardino, California; Harry, who died in infancy; John of San Bernardino; Fannie Weller of Conway; Ethelinda Hadley of Santa Monica, California; Jennie Newkirk of Blockton; and David of Burlington Junction, Mo.  She also leaves one sister, Mrs. Amanda Robbins, of Bedford.

In 1882 Mr. and Mrs. Greeley came to Taylor County, locating on a farm northwest of Gravity.  In early life she was converted and was a charter member of the Gravity Methodist church.  She was always a faithful, consistent, Christian mother.

In 1922 they moved to Burlington Junction, Mo., where they resided until 1928, when they came back to Bedford, where Mr. Greeley died Feb. 4, 1936.

Besides her sister and six children, she leaves thirty-one grandchildren and twenty-seven great grandchildren.

She had seven grandsons, three great grandsons and two grandsons-in-law in the service, one of whom, Lt. Alvin Hamilton, made the supreme sacrifice in January 1942 at Corregidor.  It was the great joy of her life when she heard the glad news of peace.

She was a great lover of home and sacrificed much for the welfare of her home and family as well as any neighbor, who needed help.  She was loved by all who knew her.

The funeral services were held at the Walker-Shum Funeral Home Saturday afternoon, conducted by Rev. C. W. Proctor of Sharpsburg.  The pallbearers were grandsons: Paul Greeley, Ralph Weller, Dale Newkirk, Dean Newkirk, Kenneth Bears and Lt. Frank C. Hadley.  Burial was in the Gravity cemetery.

Attend Greeley Rites

Those from a distance who attended the last rites for Mrs. Rachel Greeley in Bedford Saturday, included Mr. and Mrs. David Greeley [Grace Louvada Brown], Jane and Louvada, Jack and Donna Jean Walker, Kenneth Bears, Sklc, and wife of Burlington Junction, Mo.; Miss Ruby Woodyard and Mrs. Laura Hicks of Waterloo, Iowa; Lt. Frank C. Hadley of Sioux Falls, S. Dak.; Mrs. Ethelinda Hadley of Santa Monica, Calif.; Mr. and Mrs. Harold Barchus and family of Maloy.


[Grace Aiton Clayton]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    April 7, 1949    [p. 1]

Mrs. Grace Clayton Dies In Omaha

Mrs. Grace [Aiton] Clayton, a former resident of Bedford, died in Omaha Wednesday night.  Mrs. Clayton was a sister of Mrs. C. [harles] O. [scar] Dresher [Jennie Aiton], Mrs. H. [enry] Kirk Hall [Mary Alice Aiton] and James Aiton of Bedford.

The body will be brought to Bedford and the funeral services will be held at the Wetmore Funeral Home at 2 o'clock Sunday afternoon, April 10, conducted by Rev. Gordon F. MacLean.  Burial will be in the Fairview cemetery.

[Edgar M. Parks]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    May 17, 1951    p. 5

Former Resident Dies In Washington

Clarkston, Wash. ---- Edgar M. Parks, 76, a resident of Clarkston, Wash., since 1919, died May 1 after a sudden heart attack.  Funeral services and burial were at Clarkston.

Born Oct. 25, 1874, in Bedford, Mr. Parks attended school here and engaged in farming before and after his marriage to Hattie C. Burks on March 8, 1899.  Mr. and Mrs. Parks went west in 1904.

He was employed as a street car motorman for several years in Clarkston, and later was custodian of school buildings.  He retired in May 1949.  Mrs. Parks died Nov. 1, 1933.

Survivors include two daughters and a son, six grandchildren and three great grandchildren.  Also one sister, Mrs. Hattie [Harriet Luella] Chilcote of Bedford and one brother, C. A. Parks of Washington.

[Ed Bristow Johnston]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    August 31, 1939    [p. 1]

Johnston Funeral Held At Blockton

Funeral services were held at the Blockton Methodist church Friday afternoon, August 25, for Ed Bristow Johnston, 85, who died Wednesday afternoon at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Friend Guthrie, of Clarinda.  Mr. Johnston had been ill four years.

Rev. Warrior of Blockton was in charge of the services, and burial was at Blockton.  Mr. Johnston was born at Humansville, Missouri, where he farmed most of his lifetime.

He is survived by five sons:  Claude and Will of Salem, Iowa; James of Cody, Wyoming, Tom of Blockton, and Charles of Ft. Peck, Colorado, and five daughters, Dorothy Hanks of Blockton, Maggie Wake of Sheridan, Missouri, Mollie McWilliams of Cody, Wyoming, Addie Heabolim of Mitchellville, Iowa, and Mrs. Guthrie of Clarinda.

[Johnston, Edward Bristow “Ed”]

Blockton News

Thursday     August 31, 1939     p. 5

Obituary

Edward B. [ristow] Johnston was born in Cedar County, Mo., May 20, 1854, and died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Dora Guthrie, in Clarinda, August 28, 1939 at the age of 85 years, 2 mouths and 88 days.

His mother died when he was a baby and an aunt and uncle reared him to manhood.

He cams to Iowa when a young man and has resided here most of the time since.

He was married to Nancy Ellen Brown July 4, 1975 [1875]. To this union 12 children were born—Will of Salem, Mrs. Dorothy Hanks of Blockton, James [Andrew] of Cody, Wyo.; Claude of New Market; Mrs. Maggie Wake of Sheridan, Mo.; Mrs. Mollie [Mary Elizabeth] McWilliams of Cody, Wyo.; Mrs. Ada Heaberlin of Mitchellville; Tom of Blockton; Chas. of Ft. Peck, Montana, and Mrs. Dora Guthrie of Clarinda. One son, Frank, died in 1935, and one child died in infancy.

The wife and mother died in November 1937. Those left to mourn his passing are the ten children, 40 grandchildren and several great grandchildren, along with his many friends and neighbors.

Mr. Johnston had a stroke about four years ago from which he never recovered but gradually grew worse until the end came peacefully and he was called from his bed of affliction.

Funeral services were held at the Blockton Methodist church Friday afternoon at 2 o’clock, conducted by Rev. W. H. Warrior. Burial in Rose Hill cemetery, Blockton.