MARY ELIZABETH SHERIFF SHIELDS
MARY ELIZABETH SHERIFF, DAUGHTER OF WILLIAM AND JANE SHERIFF WAS BORN IN LAWRENCE COUNTY, PA., MARCH 12, 1832, AND DEPARTED THIS LIFE AT THE HOME OF HER DAUGHTER, MRS. I.N. PAYTON, LIVING NORTH OF MOUNT AYR ON DECEMBER 9, 1920, AGED 88 YEARS, EIGHT MONTHS AND 27 DAYS.
ON FEBRUARY 22, 1857 SHE WAS UNITED IN MARRIAGE TO JAMES SHIELDS. TO THIS UNION WERE BORN EIGHT CHILDREN, TWO SONS AND SIX DAUGHTERS, ALL OF WHOM SURVIVE HER. MRS. SADIE MILLSAP, HAZEN, ARKANSAS; MRS. FLORA PAYTON, MOUNT AYR; MRS. MARY BOND, COLLBRAN, CO.; MRS. LIZZIE STANLEY, LAMONI; JOHN S. SHIELDS, LEWISTON, MT.; WILLIAM F. SHIELDS, DENTON, MT.; MRS. HARRIET CAMP, LEON; MISS ROSE SHIELDS, LEWISTON, MT.; FOUR OF THEM WERE WITH HER WHEN THE END CAME.
IN 1861 SHE WITH HER HUSBAND AND THREE SMALL CHILDREN MOVED TO ILLINOIS WHERE THEY LIVED UNTIL 1869, WHEN THEY MOVED TO DECATUR, IOWA, WHERE SHE SPENT THE REMAINDER OF HER LIFE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A FEW MONTHS. HER HUSBAND, JAMES S. SHIELDS, DIED AUGUST 7, 1891.
IN EARLY LIFE SHE UNITED WITH THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, BUT WHEN COMING TO IOWA SHE DID NOT FIND THAT CHURCH REPRESENTED IN HER COMMUNITY AND SHE UNITED WITH THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH AT FUNKTOWN, THEN LATER WITH THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH AT LEON. SHE LOVED HER CHURCH AND ITS TEACHINGS, AND BORE ALL HER SUFFERINGS WITH CHRISTIAN FORTITUDE.
GRANDMA SHIELDS, AS SHE WAS CALLED BY THOSE KNOWING HER, WAS ONE OF THOSE BEAUTIFUL CHRISTIAN CHARACTERS, SPREADING SUNSHINE WITH HER CHEERY SMILE AND KIND SYMPATHETIC WORDS.
SHE WAS EVER PATIENT WITH THOSE AROUND HER AND LOVED BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS FONDLY. SHE WAS ALWAYS TRYING TO MAKE LIFE’S BURDENS LIGHTER FOR THOSE SHE LOVED AND WAS VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THE LOVING CARE GIVEN DURING HER FOUR WEEKS OF SUFFERING, BY HER FOUR DAUGHTERS. SHE WILL NOT ONLY BE MISSED BY HER CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN BUT HER FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS WILL MOURN THE LOSS OF A KIND AND CHEERFUL FRIEND AND ALL WILL PROFIT BY THE EXAMPLE OF HER BEAUTIFUL LIFE.
FUNERAL SERVICES WERE HELD SATURDAY FROM ELK CHAPEL NEAR KELLERTON, AND INTERMENT WAS MADE IN WOODLAND CEMETERY. THE SERVICE WAS CONDUCTED BY THE REV. O. F. MYERS OF TINGLEY.
