[Geraldine Russell Wetmore Zanoni Perkins]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    April 4, 1940    p. 5

Mrs. G. O. Perkins, 73, Succumbs Sunday

Mrs. G. O. Perkins died at her home in Bedford Sunday morning after an illness of several days.  She was aged 73 years, 5 months and 20 days.

The funeral services were held at the Wetmore Funeral Home at 11 o'clock Tuesday forenoon conducted by Rev. Steffenson, and burial was in the cemetery at Blanchard, Iowa.

Geraldine Russell, daughter of N. J. and Sarah Russell, was born in LaSalle County, Ill., Oct. 11, 1866.  She moved to Iowa when eight years old, where she spent the rest of her life.  She was married in 1882 to R. D. C. Wetmore of Blanchard, Iowa.  To them one son was born, Frank L. Wetmore, a funeral director in Bedford.  Mr. Wetmore Sr. passed away in November 1888.

She was later married to J. L. Zanoni.  To this union a daughter was born, Lola Zanoni Johnson, who passed away Jan. 14, 1932.

She is survived by her husband, Chalon F. Perkins; son Frank Wetmore and four grandchildren, Geraldine L. Douglas, Maxine Johnson, Buddy Wetmore and Suzanne Wetmore.  Also one great grandchild, Shirley Ann Johnson; one sister, Ada Isaacs of Seattle, Wash., and three brothers, Seth Russell of Blanchard, Gene Russell of Pattonsburg, Mo., and George Russell of Lomita, Calif.  Three sisters and one brother preceded her in death, also her parents.

[Asenath Mary "Sena" Wray Wood]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    November 18, 1937    [p. 1]

Mrs. S. W. Wood Ill In California

Mrs. S. W. Wood, a resident of Bedford for many years, is in her last illness at the home of her son, Leon Wood, in Alhambra, Calif., according to word received by friends in Bedford.  According to the information received she is not able to move or speak and is in a coma most of the time.  Mrs. Wood is in her ninety-second year.  She had been ill for the past three months.

[Asenath Mary "Sena" Wray Wood]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    November 25, 1937    [p. 1]

Mrs. S. W. Wood Dies In California

Mrs. S. W. Wood [Asenath Mary "Sena" Wray], 91, a resident of Bedford for many years, died at her home in Alhambra, Calif., Wednesday, Nov. 17, after having been in failing health for several months.

The funeral services were held in Alhambra Friday and the body is being brought to Bedford for burial.

Mrs. Wood is survived by three daughters, Mrs. Nicholas Van Sant [Daisy] of Rock Falls, Ill., Mrs. Will Jenkins [Nettie] of Rockport, Mo., and Mrs. Reid Sanford [Ella] of Missoula, Mont.; two sons, Don Wood and Lynn [sic] [Leon] Wood of Alhambra, and by one sister, Mrs. Jennie [Elizabeth Jane] Conrad of Maryville; and three brothers, I. [saac] N. [ewton] Wray of Maryville, H. [enry] T. [homas] Wray of Pickering and [James] Arthur Wray of Redlands, Calif.

[Asenath Mary "Sena" Wray Wood]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    July 21, 1938    [p. 1]

Mrs. S. W. Wood Is Buried Here

Burial services for the late Mrs. S. W. [Asenath Mary "Sena" Wray] Wood were held at the Bedford cemetery Wednesday afternoon, conducted by the Methodist minister from Rockport, Mo.  The ashes were accompanied here by a granddaughter, Mrs. George E. Brown of Rockport.

Mrs. Wood was a resident of Bedford for many years and died Wednesday, Nov. 17, 1937, at her home in Alhambra, Calif., at the advanced age of ninety-one.  She was in failing health for several months before her death.

Mrs. Wood is survived by three daughters, Daisy, who is now Mrs. Nicholas Van Sant of Rock Falls, Ill., Nettie, Mrs. Will Jenkins of Rockport, Mo.; and Ella, Mrs. Reid Sanford of Missoula, Mont.; two sons, Don Wood and Lynn [sic] [Leon] Wood of Alhambra; by one sister, Mrs. Jennie Conrad of Maryville; and three brothers, I. [saac] N. [ewton] Wray of Maryville, H. [enry] T. [homas] Wray of Pickering and [James] Arthur Wray of Redlands, Calif.

[Sarah Elizabeth Webb Morris Nendick]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    December 2, 1937    p. 7

Obituary   Mrs. Sarah Nendick

Sarah Elizabeth Webb, daughter of William and Martha Webb, was born in Davis County, Iowa, in 1854, and passed away at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Charles Dresher, in Omaha, Nebr., Tuesday, Nov. 23, 1937, after an illness of three years.

She came with her parents to Taylor County, Iowa, in 1855.  She was married to Lindsay Morris in 1873.  To them were born three children, Mrs. William Dallison of Ottawa, Kans., W. Clair Morris, deceased, and Mrs. Charles Dresher of Omaha, Nebr.  Mr. Morris preceded her in death.

She was married to William Nendick in 1896.  He died in 1913 and Mrs. Nendick had since made her home with her daughter.

She united with the Christian church of Bedford when sixteen years of age.  After moving to Omaha she united with the North Side Christian Church and was a member there until her death.

Surviving relatives are the two daughters, nine grandchildren, three great grandchildren, and a sister, Mrs. E. [llis] P. [hilip] Titus [Etta] of Clark, S. Dak.

The body was brought to Bedford, where funeral services were held Friday afternoon at the Wetmore Funeral Home, conducted by Rev. C. Max Buck.  Burial was in the Fairview cemetery.

[Ralph Waldo Thompson, Jr.]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    January 6, 1938    [p. 1]

Thompson Is Slugged; Dies

Son of Mr. and Mrs. R. W. Thompson of Bedford

Mr. and Mrs. R. [alph] W. Thompson [Elizabeth Delight Sanborn] of Bedford received word by telephone Monday forenoon of the death of their son, Ralph W. [aldo] Thompson, Jr., of Chicago.  Little detail was given them in the message other than that the body had been found in the loop district, the skull fractured.

Bulletin

Led by his father, Harold L. Patterson, Jr., 21, appeared at the state's attorney's office in Chicago Tuesday and confessed responsibility for the death of Thompson.  He admitted knocking Thompson down after a quarrel Saturday night in the alley where the body was found.  Patterson is being held to the grand jury on a manslaughter charge and police are checking his story.  There are some discrepancies showing up in the stories he tells.

Tuesday morning's Chicago Tribune carried the following story of the death:

Investigators were striving last night to determine whether Ralph W. Thompson, magazine editor, who was found dead early Sunday morning in an alley behind 79 West Lake Street, was killed accidentally or was the victim of murder.

Thompson, who was 33 years old, had been connected with the National Safety Council for the last two years and was in charge of the organization's Public Safety magazine.  He was formerly employed by the Institute of American Meat Packers.

The body, when it was first discovered, was lying on a loading platform bordering an alley.  The skull had been fractured at the rear and there was blood under Thompson's head.

It was first assumed that Thompson might have been slugged and robbed.  This theory was weakened when $10.53 was found in the pockets untouched, as were his ring and his stickpin.  Paul Jones, publicity representative of the National Safety Council, who identified the body, said that Thompson did not carry a watch.  It was suggested that death might have been caused by a fall.

Thompson resided in a bachelor apartment at 1306 Asbury Avenue, Evanston.  Mrs. W. F. Butterworth, from whom he rented the quarters, said that he left home after 9 p.m. Saturday. The investigators have not been able to find anyone who remembered seeing him alive after that.

The editor was a graduate of Northwestern University in the class of 1927.  He was a member of the Delta Upsilon fraternity.  He was a native of Bedford, Iowa, where his immediate relatives still live.  His friends said that he was quiet and reserved and that they knew of no enemies he might have had.  They could not, however, think of any reason why he should have gone into the alley.

Deputy Coroner Edward English continued the inquest to Jan. 13 to allow the police time to complete their investigation.

The body was returned to Bedford Wednesday morning and funeral services were held Wednesday afternoon at 2 o'clock at the Wetmore Funeral Home, conducted by Dr. E. J. Hough, Presbyterian minister, Shenandoah, and Rev. Stanley Schlick, Presbyterian minister at Bedford.  Burial was in the Bedford cemetery.

The entire community is shocked and grieved by this tragedy, and the entire circumstances surrounding his death may never be fully determined.

Thompson was well liked and respected in Chicago and his death is just as much a mystery and shock to his friends and associates there as it is here.  In a letter written to Mr. and Mrs. R. W. Thompson of Bedford, parents of the young man, W. H. Cameron, managing director of the National Safety Council of Chicago writes:

He was one of the most admired and dependable employees of the council, and we were looking forward to a brilliant future for him in our activities.  No one has ever been more loyal or devoted than Ralph