Obituary for MATILDA LATHAM ERION, wife of PHILIP ERION

The information below was sent to me in April of 2009 from the Genealogical Society of Linn County, Iowa, located at 813 First Avenue S. E., P.O. Box 175, Cedar Rapids, IA 52406-0175.  A researcher for The Genealogical Society of Linn County, Iowa was able to locate quite a few things, the most important being the following:

Obituary for Matilda Latham Erion published in the New Era Springville News of 28 Jun 1899:

MRS. MATILDA ERION

MATILDA LATHAM WAS BORN IN COSHOCTON COUNTY, OHIO, SEPT. 13, 1820 AND DIED AT HER HOME IN LINN COUNTY, IOWA, JUNE 19, 1899, AGED 78 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AND 6 DAYS.

SHE WAS MARRIED TO THE LATE PHILIP ERION NOV. 30, 1837, WHICH UNION WAS BROKEN BY HIS DECEASE THREE MONTHS AGO. SHE WAS THE MOTHER OF NINE CHILDREN, EIGHT OF WHOM SURVIVE TO REALIZE THE LOSS OF A MOST LOVING, AFFECTIONATE AND SACRIFICING MOTHER. AT THE AGE OF 7 YEARS, SHE WAS LEFT AN ORPHAN AND BEING THUS THROWN UPON HER OWN RESOURCES, SHE EARLY LEARNED THE HABITS OF INDUSTRY AND FRUGALITY.

AS A WIFE AND HELPMATE DURING HER YEARS OF HEALTH AND VIGOR, SHE KNEW NO TASK TOO HARD TO PERFORM, AND WITH AN ALMOST UNBOUNDED AMBITION AND PHYSICAL ABILITY TO CARRY IT INTO EFFECT, SHE SELDOM KNEW SUCH A THING AS FAILURE. AS A NURSE IN THE SICK ROOM, SHE HAD FEW EQUALS AND NO SUPERIORS, AND SHE TOOK DELIGHT IN MINISTERING TO THE WANTS OF THOSE IN DISTRESS.

SHE WAS CONVERTED AND UNITED WITH THE M.E. CHURCH IN 1843 WHERE HER MEMBERSHIP HAS BEEN FOR OVER HALF A CENTURY BUT FOR THE PAST SEVEN YEARS SHE HAS BEEN UNABLE TO ATTEND CHURCH SERVICES BECAUSE OF FAILING HEALTH.

DURING THE MORE RECENT YEARS SHE HAS BEEN A CONSTANT BUT PATIENT SUFFERER BEING MANY TIMES APPARENTLY NEAR DEATH'S DOOR ONLY TO RALLY AGAIN AND AS SHE SAID "TO SUFFER A LITTLE LONGER." BUT THE PEACEFUL END FINALLY CAME. THUS ENDS A GOOD, TRUE AND USEFUL LIFE, SUCCESSFUL IN ITSELF, A BLESSING TO OTHERS, AND AN EXAMPLE WORTHY OF FOLLOWING."

So Matilda was orphaned at the age of seven which explains the lack of information for her birth family. Unless other information can be uncovered, this is a genealogical brick wall. “Latham” is a common name in Ohio.

Note: I have also posted this obituary on www.findagrave.com.