Obituary Record

Harriett Ely
Died on 7/27/1931

#1-6 Aug., 1931 - The Enterprise

Funeral services were held Wednesday morning for Mrs. W. K. Ely, formerly Harriet Spires. Mrs. Ely was 62 years old at her death. She was born in Michigan and moved to Iowa when a small girl. She moved to Arlington in 1899 after her marriage to W. K. Ely. She is survived by her husband, a daughter by a former marriage, Mrs. Speggers of Omaha, and two brothers, Henry and James of Missouri Valley. Interment was made in the Rose Hill cemetery at Calhoun, Iowa.

#2-July 30, 1931- Arlington Review Herald- Harriett "Hattie" Celeste (Spires)

Harriet Celeste Spires was born on a farm near Lansing, Michigan, Sept. 12, 1869, being at the time of her death 61 years, 10 months, and 15 days old.

In 1879 at the age of 10 years, she with her parents and four brothers came to Harrison County, Iowa where they settled on a homestead of her grandfather’s.

In 1885 she was united in marriage to John A. Gibson who is the father of her daughter, Naomi. And again on July 4, 1899 she was united in marriage to William K. Ely and after a month’s wedding trip they settled in Arlington, Nebraska where they have resided ever since.

She has been an invalid for about three years, suffering from anemia and creeping paralysis. For four months she was in a chair unable to walk, when she was taken worse and has been confined to her bed ever since until her death, July 27 at 11 p.m. However, everything was done to make her last days on earth as pleasant as possible.

She was a kind loving wife and mother and a home loving soul and was loved and respected by all who knew her.

Besides her husband, William K. Ely, she is survived by her daughter, Mrs. Hans Speggers of Omaha, and by two brothers, Henry and James Spires, of Missouri Valley, Ia., having been preceded in death by two brothers, Charles and Thomas Spires.

Funeral services were held at the house at 9:00 Wednesday morning, July 29, 1931. Interment was made in the Rose Hill Cemetery at Calhoun, Iowa, where her parents and two brothers are buried.

~~~Obituaries courtesy of the Nebraska Washington County Genealogical Society. News clippings on file in the Blair, Nebraska Public Library~~~

FindaGrave #138106643 1st marriage to a McGookin 2nd marriage to John A Gibson 29 Apr 1891 at Missouri Valley, Iowa 3rd marriage to William Ely 4 Jul 1899 at Missouri Valley, Iowa

Printed in the Washington County Enterprise on 8/6/1931


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