[Lytle C. Widner]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    September 28, 1944   p. 5

Obituary - L. C. Widner

L. C. Widner, a resident of Taylor County the past sixty-seven years, died at his home in north Bedford Friday afternoon, Sept. 15, following an illness extending over several years.

The funeral services were held at the Wetmore Funeral Home Tuesday afternoon, conducted by Rev. G. L. Hufstader.  Burial was in the Platteville cemetery.

Lytle C. Widner was born in Fauquier County, Virginia, January 28, 1860, being aged 84 years, 7 months and 17 days at the time of his death.  He was one of a family of eleven children of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Widner [Mary Litteer], and came to Iowa with his parents in 1877.

He was married to Hettie V. Smalley on September 5, 1886.  To them were born two sons and five daughters, as follows:  Geo. H. Widner of Wichita Falls, Texas; Major Glynn B. Widner, D. C., who is with a hospital unit overseas; Mrs. J. [oseph] T. Brackett [Audra] of Fremont, Nebr.; Mrs. Floyd B. Robbins [Antha] of Bedford; Mrs. Ann Davis and Miss Myrtle Widner of Omaha, Nebr.; and Alice, who died in infancy.

Mrs. Widner died May 19, 1916 and in January 1922 he was married to Mrs. Syrena [Jane Edwards] Canon, who survives.

Surviving with the wife and six children are one sister, Mrs. Claude B. Frantz [Ruth] of St. Joseph, Missouri; five grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

The Widner family resided in Jackson Township for many years before moving to Bedford.  He was a member of the I. O. O. F. and Royal Neighbors for many years and at the time of his death was a member of the Modern Woodmen of America.

 Attend Widner Funeral

Among those from out of town who attended the last rites for L. [ytle] C. Widner in Bedford Tuesday afternoon were George H. Widner of Wichita Falls, Texas; Mrs. Ann Davis, Miss Myrtle Widner, George Smalley, Mrs. Harold Stephens of Omaha; Mr. and Mrs. J. [oseph] T. Brackett [Audra] and daughter Betty of Fremont, Mrs. Glynn B. Widner [Verna Lacy]; T. Sgt. Leon Canon of Camp Claiborne, La.; Cpl. Carl Anderson of New Orleans, La.; Mr. and Mrs. Jay Sutherland of Colorado Springs, Colo.; Mr. and Mrs. Fred Ayers and daughter of Shenandoah; Mrs. Leon Canon, Dr. and Mrs. Roy V. Canon of Maryville.

[William V. Parks]

Bedford Times-Press

Thursday    July 6, 1944     p. 4

W. V. Parks Dies; Was Former Resident

W. [illiam] V. Parks, a former resident of the Bedford and Conway communities for many years, died at his home in Maywood, Illinois, Saturday, July 1, after having been in failing health for several years.

Funeral services were held in Maywood and the body was brought to Bedford, arriving today.  The funeral services will be held at the Wetmore Funeral Home at 2 o'clock Friday afternoon, conducted by Rev. O. H. Hallgrimson.  Burial will be in the Lexington cemetery.

Mrs. Parks, and her daughter and husband, Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Redman accompanied the body here.

[Harold Fern Beard]

Bedford Free Press

Thursday    July 14, 1914    [p. 5]

Obituary - Harold Fern Beard.

The funeral services of Harold F. Beard were held at the home on Pennsylvania Street, Thursday afternoon at 3 o'clock, conducted by his pastor, Rev. John A. Currie, of the Presbyterian Church.  A quartette composed of Misses Dorothy Miller and Ellen Crosson and Messrs. Guy Thompson and Kenneth Stephens rendered several beautiful selections.  Special solos were rendered by Miss Crosson and Mr. Thompson.  Interment was in the Fairview cemetery.  A large concourse of friends attended the funeral and followed the remains to their last resting place, attesting their deep sympathy for the grief stricken parents and their love and esteem for the deceased, stricken just at the threshold of manhood.

Harold Fern Beard was born Oct. 21, 1894, and spent his entire life in this vicinity.  In 1909 he united with the Presbyterian Church here, where his membership has since been retained.

He attended the Bedford high school, graduating with the class of 1913, in which he ranked high in scholarship, and he also took a prominent part in all the various school activities, being popular both with the teachers and his fellow students.

In September 1913, he entered the state university at Iowa City, taking up the two years' work preparatory to the engineering course.

During the last months of the school year he suffered some pain from, what physicians consulted pronounced, symptoms of appendicitis.  After coming home at the close of the year at the university, it was decided that he should go to Rochester, Minn., for treatment.

He entered St. Mary's hospital and was operated on July 1, and died July 6, aged 19 years, 8 months and 16 days.  His parents, Mr. and Mrs. F. [reeman] P. Beard [Mary McCormick], were with him at the time of his death.

[BEARD, HAROLD FERN]
Bedford Free Press (Bedford, Iowa), Tuesday, July 7, 1914
Harold Beard dies at Mayo Hospital
Son of Mr. and Mrs. F. P. Beard Succumbs From Operation
Body Will Arrive Here Wednesday Noon—No Funeral Arrangements Yet Made—Operated on Wednesday
E. McCormick received a telegram at 9:30 last evening from his daughter, Mrs. F. P. Beard, conveying the sad intelligence that their son Harold died at 2 p. m. in the hospital at Rochester, Minn. Thursday, June 25 [July 6]. Mrs. Beard and Harold started to Rochester for an examination by the Mayo brothers of symptoms from which Harold has suffered for several months. On the following Tuesday Mr. Beard received a message that an operation had been decided on and he left on the night train for Rochester.
The operation was performed July 1 and a letter from the Mayo's dated July 2, indicated that the operation had been successful and that there was reason to think the patient would recover, which reassured the friends here. The feeling of relief was dispelled Monday morning when Mr. McCormick received a message from Mrs. Beard, dated Sunday July 5, which read, "Harold has a fighting chance. Not much hope." This sad news, which indicated that complication had arisen led the relatives and friends here to fear the worst, so they were somewhat prepared for the later message announcing his death. The message received Monday evening also stated that they would arrive here Wednesday noon, coming on the Great Western to St. Joseph.
Funeral arrangements cannot be announced at this time and probably none will be made until after the arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Beard.

[BEARD, HAROLD FERN]
Bedford Times-Republican, Thursday, July 9, 1914
Beard Funeral Today. Rites Are Witnessed by Large Number of Friends.
Funeral services over the remains of Harold F.[ern] Beard, who died Monday at the Mayo hospital in Rochester, Minn., were held at the residence on Pennsylvania street at 2:30 o'clock this afternoon, conducted by Rev. John A. Currie, pastor of the First Presbyterian church. Interment was in Fairview cemetery.
Death resulted from peritonitis. Mrs. F. P. Beard and son Harold went to Rochester Thursday, June 25, and an operation was performed July 1. First reports were favorable but a later message prepared relatives and friends for the death message that followed.
Harold was the only child of Mr. and Mrs. Freeman P. Beard. He was 19 years of age. He was graduated from the Bedford high school in May 1913 and during the last school year attended the state university. He had been home from school only a short time when he departed for Rochester. Both Mr. and Mrs. Beard were there at the time of the operation and death.

[Catherine Park]

Bedford Free Press

Thursday    August 18, 1914    [p. 4]

Obituary - Mrs. John Park.

Mrs. John Park [Catherine] was born in Glasgow, Scotland, October 31, 1830, and died in Petersburg, [Menard County] Ill., August 1, 1914.

She came to Petersburg at the age of 23 years and was married to John Park.  To this union were born 7 children, one daughter dying about ten years ago.

Her husband died July 2, 1904.  The children living are Thomas and John of Bedford, Hugh, Mrs. Margaret Childers, Mrs. Catherine Montgomery, and Mrs. Barbara McNabb, all of Petersburg.  All were present at the funeral.  She also leaves besides the children, one brother of Lincoln, Neb., and forty grandchildren, besides other relatives and friends, to mourn her departure.

She was a member of the Presbyterian church of Petersburg.  She made her home with her daughter, Mrs. Lou Childers, and spent one year with her son, Thomas Park at Bedford.  She died at the home of her daughter.

The funeral was held at the home of her daughter, August 3, at 2:30 o'clock.

[Edna Perkins Cobb]

Bedford Free Press

Thursday    June 8, 1915    p. 4

Obituary - Mrs. T. E. Cobb.

Edna A., daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. [harles] A. Perkins [Mary Augusta Davis], was born November 24^th, 1870.  On November 27^th, 1894, she was married to T. [homas] E. [lmer] Cobb.  She died at the old home where she was born, June 4^th, 1915.  She was the mother of two children, Francis E., aged six years, and Edna Irene, aged two weeks.  The sorrowing husband, these two children, with one brother, C. [halon] F. Perkins, and one sister, Mrs. Hattie Bishop, are left to mourn her decease.  Some years ago her parents preceded her to the other shore.  Her kind ways won for her a host of friends who will greatly miss her in the social affairs of life.

Many years ago she gave herself to the Lord, and has ever since lived a consistent Christian life.  This fact is worth more at this time, than all else, as it enables the bereaved ones to "Sorrow not as those who have no hope."  Funeral services were held at the family home in Ross Township, Sunday afternoon, conducted by Elder D. J. Poynter, of Albion, Nebraska.  The high esteem, in which the deceased was held, was manifested by the largest concourse of people ever assembled, in this part of the country, on such an occasion.  Interment was in the Bedford cemetery, where the Odd Fellow and Rebekah organizations attended in a body, and another gathering of friends almost, if not equal, to that at the home, assembled to see the body placed in its last resting place.

[Anna Keith Poore Leathart]

Bedford Free Press

Thursday   May 2, 1917    [p. 1]

Former Jackson Twp. Woman Dies

Sheriff Keith received word a few days ago of the death of his sister, Mrs. Anna Leathart, at Redland, Alberta, Canada, Easter Sunday April 8, 1917.  She came to Iowa in 1879 and resided on a farm in Ross Township where she will be remembered by many friends and her death came after an illness of only a few hours.

Mrs. Leathart leaves a husband and one son by a former marriage, Lafe Poore, of Coules, Washington.  She was a sister of J. [oseph] H. and W. [illiam] C. Keith, of Bedford, Sile [Silas], of Blockton, L. [evi] N. of Fairmount, Okla., Charles M. of Des Moines, Bert of Phoenix, Arizona, and Mrs. Maggie Day of Hart, Mich.  Interment was made in the family cemetery at Latah, [Spokane County] Washington.  Mr. Poore having died in [August 3] 1905.

[Anna Keith Poore Leathart]

Times-Republican

Thursday    May 3, 1917    [p. 1]

Dies In Canada After Brief Illness

Mrs. Leathart Lived Here In Early Times---Sister of Sheriff.

Sheriff Joe Keith received word Sunday of the sudden death of his sister, Mrs. Annie Leathart, which occurred at Redland, Alta, Canada, on Easter Sunday.  The deceased had been in perfect health twenty hours before the final summons was answered, an affection of the heart being responsible for her death.

Mrs. Leathart will be remembered by older residents of Taylor County, having come here with her parents in 1879 and settled in Ross Township.  She was first married to E. B. Poore in Worth County, Missouri, and left this community some twenty-five years ago with her husband.  Mr. Poore died 12 years ago, and in 1915 she was married to Mr. Leathart in Washington.

The deceased had made frequent trips to Taylor County, visiting her brothers, J. [oseph] H. [omer], William C., and Silas Keith, the latter residing at Blockton.  L. [evi] N. Keith, another full brother, resides in Oklahoma.  Two half brothers, Hilary of Phoenix, Arizona, and Charles of Des Moines are also left to mourn her loss, including an only child, a boy who is in the clothing business in Washington.

The funeral was held at Latah, Washington.

[Leathart, Anna Keith Poore]

Blockton News

Thursday    May 10, 1917   [p. 1]

Mrs. Anna [Keith Poore] Leathart, sister of Sile [Silas] Keith of southwest of town and Sheriff J. [oseph] H. [omer] Keith of Bedford and a former resident of Jackson Township passed away at her home at Redland, Alberta, Canada, Easter Sunday, and interment took, place in the family cemetery at Latah, Washington.

[LEATHART, ANNA KEITH POORE]
Blockton News (Blockton, Iowa), Thursday, May 10, 1917
Mrs. Anna Leathart, sister of Sile Keith of southwest of town and Sheriff J. H. Keith of Bedford and a former resident of Jackson township, passed away at her home at Redland, Alberta, Canada, Easter Sunday and interment took place in the family cemetery at Letah, Washington.