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

 [John Hoover]

Bedford Free Press

Thursday     December 16, 1897     [p.5]

----Died, Friday night, December 10, five miles south of town, John Hoover.   Funeral services were conducted by Rev. Ware.

 [Carolyn Christine Thompson]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday   October 15, 1981

Christine Thompson Dies in California

[Carolyn] Christine Thompson, 24, of Auburn, California, was killed in an automobile accident October 10.  She was the daughter of the late Doyle and Genevieve (Combs) Thompson.  Services were held in California October 13.

She was a niece of the Dean Thomases, Cleo Thomases, Paul Thompsons, Claude Thompson, Bedford; Dale Combs, New Market; Hazel Foster, Clarinda and Orlene Marshall, Kansas City.

 

[Alta Mae Weatherly Miller Thompson]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday   August 20, 1986    [p. 6]

Alta Mae Thompson

Services were held August 14, 1986 for Alta Mae Thompson at the Shum-Novinger Funeral Home in Bedford.  Rev. Carl Cummings officiated with burial at Graceland Cemetery.  She died August 11, 1986 at the age of 96 years, 9 months, and 15 days.

Alta May Weatherly, daughter of J. N. and Josephine Weatherly, was born in Atlantic, Iowa, October 26, 1889.  When about four years of age she came with her parents to Taylor County, Iowa, where she grew to maturity.  On February 18, 1920 she was united in marriage to Dewitt Miller.  Mr. Miller died February 20, 1941.   On September 11, 1943 she was united in marriage to Arthur Thompson.  Mr. Thompson died September 3, 1968.

Mrs. Thompson was a lover of music and flowers.  She was music teacher for many years.  She united with the Gilead Methodist Church early in life.

She is preceded in death by her father and mother, and three brothers, Earnest, Frank and Roy Weatherly.

Those left to mourn her passing are three stepchildren, Mr. and Mrs. Allen Thompson [Hazel Stephens] and Mrs. Karl Cobb [Alice Thompson], seven step grandchildren, 14 step great grandchildren and one-step great great grandchild, many nieces and nephews and a host of friends.


[Ruby May Taylor Speelman]

Bedford Times Press

November 2, 1988    [p. 3]

Death

Ruby May Speelman, the daughter of Albert and Effie Thompson Taylor was born in Taylor County near Bedford, Ia., on July 27, 1899.  She passed away October 26 at the Lenox Care Center at the age of 89 years, two months and 29 days.  She had resided there for the past 7 1/2 years.

On January 8, 1955 she was married to Adley Speelman at Creston, Ia.  He preceded her in death on September 2, 1976.  At that time she returned to Lenox to make her home.

She was a member of the Methodist Church in Creston and a member of the White Shrine.

She is survived by her sisters Susie Brown and Helen Hamblin and her husband Lloyd; three nephews, Gary Hamblin of Oakland, Ia., Richard Hamblin of Loveland, Co., William Martin of Hickory, N.C., a niece Karin Martin Hasman of Evanston, Il.; several great nieces and nephews.

Ruby was preceded in death by her husband, parents, sister Vera Martin and brother Clark Taylor.

Services were held Friday, October 28 at the Coen-Beaty Funeral Home.  Rev. Don Fisher officiated.  Interment was at West Fairview Cemetery in Lenox.

[Allen Joseph Thompson]

Bedford Times Press

December13, 1989    [p. 8]

Allen Joseph Thompson

Funeral services for Allen Joseph Thompson were held Friday, Dec. 8, 1989 at Shum-Novinger Funeral Home with Merle Yager officiating.  Interment was at Fairview Cemetery, Bedford, Iowa.  Mr. Thompson died December 5 at Bedford, Iowa.

Allen Joseph Thompson, son of Arthur and Zetta [Keith] Thompson was born November 10, 1911 on a farm in Ross Township.  Except for two years in Missouri, Allen lived in Taylor County, Iowa all of his life.  He attended the rural schools and also Bedford High School.

In 1937 he was married to Hazel Stephens in the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa.  To this union were born three children, Carol Ann, Kenneth Allen and Billy Dean.

Allen was baptized and became an active member of the Berea Church of Christ at an early age where he served as an elder.  The church was a major part of his entire life.

Allen and Hazel farmed across the road from Berea for over 20 years; he served as an assessor and clerk of the township.  Allen also served on the Bedford School District Board of Education.

Allen was appointed Taylor County Auditor in 1963 and later was elected, serving in that capacity until his retirement in 1981.

Allen and Hazel moved to Bedford in 1964 where they made their home.  The last six months Allen was a resident of Bedford Manor.

Allen loved his family, his church and his community.  He delighted in traveling and visiting his children and grandchildren.  He was always there to lend a helping hand.

Preceding him in death were his parents, Arthur and Zetta Thompson and his stepmother, Alta Thompson.

Left to mourn his passing are his wife, Hazel of Bedford; daughter, Carol and her husband Keith King of Maryville, Kenneth and his wife Pat of Annapolis, Md., Billy Dean and his wife, Pat of Salt Lake City, Utah; twin sister Alice Cobb of Bedford; his brother Robert Thompson and his wife Ruth of Clearfield; an aunt, Helen Timberlake and family; six grandchildren, Randy King, Jeff King, Terri Gallegos, Tina Fletchall, Troy Thompson and Stephen Coleman; 11 great grandchildren and many other nieces, nephews and cousins.

Allen will be sadly missed by his family and a host of friends.

 

[Susie Alice Taylor Brown]

Bedford Times Press

November 14, 1990  [p. 5]

Susie Alice Brown

Funeral services for Susie Alice Brown were held October 24, 1990 at Coen-Beaty Funeral Home in Lenox with Rev. Don Fisher officiating.  Interment was in Washington Cemetery, Gravity, Iowa.

Susie Alice Brown, eldest daughter of Albert and Effie Thompson Taylor, was born in Taylor County near Bedford on November 24, 1896.  She passed away on October 21, 1990 at the Lenox Care Center at the age of 93 years, 10 months, and 27 days.

Susie worked as a telephone operator in Lenox for several years.  On June 30, 1942, she was married to Guy Brown of Sharpsburg.  They lived on the farm near Sharpsburg until 1964, when they retired and moved to Lenox.  In 1987 Susie moved to the Lenox Care Center.

Susie was a member of the United Presbyterian Church in Lenox.

She is survived by a sister Helen Hamblin and husband Lloyd of Lenox; two step-children: Irene Brown Vaclavika and her husband Joe of Inkster, Mich.; Harold Brown and wife Lea of Westland, Mich.; and their children and grandchildren; three nephews: Gary Hamblin of Avoca, Iowa; Richard Hamblin of Loveland, Colo.; William Martin of Hickory, N.C.; a niece Karen Martin Hasman of Evanston, Ill.; and several great nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband Guy, her parents; two sisters: Vera Martin and Ruby Speelman; and her brother Clark Taylor.

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    January 5, 2005 p. 10

Elfie Margaret, daughter of Orie and Bessie Walkinshaw Duncan was born December 25, 1910, on a farm near Gravity, Iowa.  Her parents moved to Bedford when she was four years old and she lived near Bedford all her life, except one year spent in California.  She attended and graduated from the Bedford schools and was a member of the United Methodist Church of Bedford.  On December 17, 1930, she was united in marriage to Claude H. [oward] Thompson at Osceola, Iowa and they farmed near Bedford for 25 years.

After leaving the farm, they moved into Bedford and lived there the rest of their lives, except the one-year in San Leandro, California, near their son Richard and his family.  Elfie was employed as a cashier for many years for the Bedford Wholesale Grocery, the Bedford Grocery and the Hy-Vee stores.  Her hobbies were bowling, golf, traveling, card club and coffee time with friends.  Elfie was known to play a mean game of Dominos and also enjoyed playing croquet with the family at Bibbins Park.

Two sons were born to bless their home, Richard of Dublin, California and Robert of Des Moines, Iowa.  In December of 1980, they celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary by taking a trip to Hawaii with their two sons, their wives and ElfieÕs brother Willard and his wife Irene of Brookings, Oregon.

She was preceded in death by her husband Claude, her parents Mr. and Mrs. Orie Duncan, her six brothers Omar, Fred (Lillian), Raymond (Georgeann), Leland (Thelma), James (Arlene) and Willard (Irene).  Her one sister, Lucile (Dale) Waddell, the oldest child of the family, passed away [in] 1993 in Longview, Texas, daughter-in-law Mary Lee [Williams] Thompson (Richard) in 2004.

Left to cherish her memory are sons Richard of Dublin, California, Robert and wife Mary Lee of Des Moines, Iowa, five grandchildren:  Linda Walters, Danville, California, Kathy Johnson (Tim) Danville, California, Cheryl Kuks (Bob), Tracy, California, Michael Thompson, Des Moines, Iowa, Teresa Sutton, Mt. Vernon, Iowa.  Fourteen Great Grandchildren: Cade, Cole, and Cameron Walters, Tyler and Tori Johnson, Bobby, Justin and Lauren Kuks, Matthew Thompson, Shawnee Schuller, Lana Stanton, Scott and Shaun Sutton, Melissa Sutton Koop.  Five Great, Great Grandchildren: Sidney and John Schuller, TreÕ and Sequoia Stanton, and Spencer Sutton, one sister-in-law Naomi Thomas of Bedford and many nieces, nephews and cousins


[George G. Patton]

Taylor County Democrat

Thursday    February 1, 1894    [p.4]

J. [ames] G. [aines] Patton received a telegram Friday, which brought him the sad intelligence that his brother, Geo. [George] Patton, whose home is at Cherry Valley, Kans., was seriously ill, with no hopes of recovery.  Mr. Patton departed on the 5a.m. train Saturday, to help care for the sick.  He informs us that his brother has had two strokes of paralysis previous to the present one and that he is more than 70 years of age.

[George G. Patton]
Taylor County Democrat
Thursday    February 8, 1894    [p.4]

J. [ames] G. [aines] Patton returned from Cherry Vale, Kans., Friday evening, where he had been summoned by a telegram Jan. 27, to attend the bedside of his brother George Patton, who was suffering from a stroke of paralysis, which was the third one with which he had been afflicted during the last few years.  He was an only brother, and died within 8 hours after Mr. Patton's arrival.  He was still conscious on his arrival and recognized him but very soon relapsed into a comatose state from which he did not again recover.  He died on the 28th day of January at the age of more than 71 years.  The funeral services were conducted by the G.A.R. Post of Cherry Vale, of which the deceased was an honored member. 

The deceased was a private in the 42nd Illinois infantry, which formed a part of the 14th Army Corps, which was under the command of Gen. Geo. H. Thomas.  At the close of the civil war the 42nd regiment with others, was camped on the border line of Mexico, in anticipation of being marched into that country to settle the question as to whether Maximillion [sic], the Austrian emperor, should be permitted to violate the "Monroe doctrine" by establishing an empire on the American continent.  The question being settled in the negative, the 42nd was mustered out of service, and Mr. Patton returned to civil pursuits.