Mary Wood (1825 - 1904)

Born 14 Apr 1825 in Cornwallis, Kings County, Nova Scotia, Canada

Wife of Wells Eaton — married 26 Mar 1845 in Kings County, Nova Scotia, Canada

Descendants

Died 14 May 1904 at age 79 in Postville, Allamakee County, Iowa

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Biography

From the Postville Review, Friday, May 20, 1904:

Mary Wood was born April 14, 1825, in Kings Co, Nova Scotia. She was married to Wells Eaton, March 26, 1845, and immediately came to the United States, making their first home in Green Co., Wis. Here a humble pioneer home was made in the unimproved, Indian-habited country. In August of the year 1858 she and her husband and four children came to Iowa and again established a new home in Allamakee Co., near Bethel church. In the new Iowa home, that was made with many difficulties and privations, she reared her family of eleven children with remarkable energy and industry. In the year 1866 the family ties were broken by the death of the eldest son, Albert, aged 19 years, and again the Angel of Death claimed her 14 months' old babe, Alfred, in the year 1867. The crushing blow of her life came when, on May 6, 1881, the devoted husband and father passed away.

Fifteen years ago she moved from the farm home to Postville, where she has continued to live, in her quiet way, until 9:45 a.m. on Saturday, May 14, 1904, when at the age of 79 years and 1 month, after a week of intense suffering, she answered the Mater's call to enjoy the rich promise of her crucified Savior. In 1853 she gave her heart to God and at the first opportunity she gave her name for charter membership with the United Brethren church, at its organization, near the old home farm, and her death marks the passing of the last of seven charter members of the Bethel U.B. church; and on March 10, 1895, she united with the Postville M.E. church; living a true, loving and devoted Christian life. When in her last illness she was told she could not recover, she said, "I am willing - God's will be done."

The funeral was held from the M.E. church on Monday afternoon, May 16, at two o'clock, the Rev. W.W. Robinson officiating, and the large assemblage of sympathizing friends from town and country who gathered to pay a last tribute to her memory, showed to a marked degree the universal feeling that a noble woman in the fullness of years had gone to her reward. Interment in the family lot at Minert cemetery, northeast of Postville.

Sources

"United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8LW-C9W : accessed 3 May 2016), Wells Eaton, 1860.