Pioneer Mother Gone.

March 6, 1895.

There was buried to-day in our Fort Calhoun Cemetery Mrs. Parker, one of the original settlers of this Ft. Calhoun townsite, who came with her former husband, Nicholas Runyan, in 1856, when but one house had been built here.

She was born in New York in May' 1839, and in the spring of 1854, with her husband and his son by a former wife now Washington Runyan, of Beebe & Runyan, Council Bluffs, she came from Macomb, Illinois, to the then Kanesville, Iowa. In 1856 Nicholas Runyan came over here and bought a half interest in a shingle machine with a son of Dr. Moore, after whom Moore creek is named, and who lived a few rods from the present Moore creek bridge.

Nicholas Runyan died some years ago and is buried on the hill, as well as Mrs. Runyan's father and mother, and their married daughter, Mrs. Charles Rowley.

Mrs. Parker has been ill for the past six years, and a few years ago went away to the Sanitarium at Battle Creek, Michigan.

The immediate family consists of her husband, Mr. Parker, and young Charles and Blanche Rowley, her grandchildren that she has brought up from infancy. Her immediate relatives living are her brothers Lon Gilbert, Blair; Dwight Gilbert, Irvington; Thomas Gilbert, Ft. Calhoun; Joshua Gilbert, out in Arizona, and her sisters, Mrs. W. F. Miller. Ft. Calhoun; Mrs. Stilta, Omaha; Mrs. Cornelius Miller, in Missouri, and Mrs. Baker, in Colorado

We have known her personally for over 20 years and esteemed her highly. For a number of years she has been & well known member of the 7th day Advent church, and the funeral was under their auspices from the Congregational church for convenience. The sermon was preached before a crowded house by Rev. B. F. Armatage, of College View, Lincoln, Nebraska, from John XIV, first four yersen, and was & beautiful and clear expose of the Christian's hope and the joys and beauties of the heavenly mansions."It is well with my soul" was the opening hymn. The choir was Hugh Stevenson, Frank and May Boynton, Lillie Price, with Anna Couchmin at the organ. The pall bearers were Descon E. A. Blodgett, Pioneer E. N. Grenell, with Elders Fair and Price.

Among other pioneers present were E. N. Bradle, Omaha; Sam Bouvior and wife, DeSoto; W. H. Harrison, Irvington; Charles Steffen, Aut Beals, Mrs. George, Miss Minnie Neale, Marion Trialer, Mrs. Brooks, Mrs. Tim Daily and the three daughters of the late Newton Clark , Mrs. Dr Pettengill, Mrs. R.G Fenner, Calhoun, and Mrs. Chas. Sampson, of Omaha. We did not go to the cemetery.

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

FindaGrave # 128682265