MARY ELLEN OWEN FORBES

MARY ELLEN OWEN, DAUGHTER OF OWEN AND ANN OWEN, WAS BORN AUGUST 31, 1858, ON A FARM NEAR LONE TREE. SEVERAL YEARS LATER SHE MOVED WITH HER PARENTS AND TWO BROTHERS TO WEST LIBERTY. WHEN SHE WAS 16 YEARS OF AGE SHE UNITED WITH THE METHODIST CHURCH. ON FEBRUARY 15, 1882, SHE WAS MARRIED TO JOHN FORBES OF COLUMBUS JUNCTION. THEY MOVED TO CLEARFIELD, WHERE THEY RESIDED ON A FARM. TO THIS UNION WERE BORN SIX CHILDREN, OSLEY EARL, THE ELDEST , DYING IN INFANCY. THOSE SURVIVING ARE CYNES, EDNA AND ALBERT OF WOONSOCKET, S.D., MRS. LESLIE WILLIAMS OF MINNEAPOLIS, MN., AND MRS. GEO. MILLS OF RAPID CITY, S.D.  THERE ARE 11 GRANDCHILDREN AND ONE GREAT-GRANDCHILD. ON JANUARY 4, 1899, HER HUSBAND PASSED AWAY AT CLEARFIELD. IN 1911 THE FAMILY MOVED TO A FARM NEAR WOONSOCKET, S.D., WHERE SHE LIVED UNTIL 1919, WHEN SHE MOVED TO TOWN. SHE HAD BEEN IN APPARENT GOOD HEALTH UNTIL ABOUT A WEEK BEFORE HER DEATH. SHE PASSED AWAY AT SPRAGUE CLINIC IN HURON AT 6 O’CLOCK A.M. DECEMBER 31, AT THE AGE OF 85 YEARS AND FOUR MONTHS. MRS. FORBES WAS A DEVOTED AND LOVING CHRISTIAN MOTHER AND A GRACIOUS FRIEND AND NEIGHBOR. SHE WAS HAPPY AND CONTENTED IN HER HOME AND UNTIL A FEW DAYS BEFORE HER DEATH, ENJOYED DOING HER DAILY HOUSEHOLD TASKS. ALTHOUGH HER ADVANCED YEARS KEPT HER AT HOME SHE WAS WELL READ AND WAS INTERESTED IN THE AFFAIRS OF THE COMMUNITY AND NATION. SERVICES WERE HELD IN HER HOME AT WOONSOCKET AT 2:30 P.M. SUNDAY, JANUARY 2, AND AT THREE O’CLOCK IN THE METHODIST CHURCH. A SERVICE WAS HELD AT THE CREW FUNERAL HOME IN CLEARFIELD ON TUESDAY WITH THE REV. C.M. ROWE IN CHARGE. INTERMENT WAS IN THE CLEARFIELD CEMETERY.