Obituary for ELIZA ELLEN KEARNS, widow of VALENTINE KEARNS

The Genealogical Society of Linn County, Iowa sent a copy of the obituary for one of Jacob Benjamin Erion’s younger sisters, Eliza Ellen Erion Kearns.  

From the May 4 and 5, 1937 Cedar Rapids Gazette.

MRS. VALENTINE KEARNS, PIONEER OF IOWA, DEAD

“Mrs. Eliza Ellen Kearns, 84, widow of Valentine Kearns, died at 8:15 a.m. Tuesday in the family home at 344 Ninth street following a long illness. As Eliza Ellen Erion, she was born Aug. 7, 1852, to Philip and Matilda Latham Erion in Ohio, and she came in 1864 to Iowa where she began teaching school at the age of 17. She joined the Presbyterian church in her youth and was active in its work as long as her heath permitted. Two of her grandchildren have served as missionaries in foreign fields, one in Persia and the other in Africa, and four of her great-grandchildren were born abroad.

Married Sept. 9, 1874, Mr. and Mrs. Kearns began housekeeping on a farm in the Linn Grove community north of Mount Vernon, moving to the present Kearns home in 1909. Mr. Kearns died in 1931. Eight children survive: The Rev. Carl E. Kearns of Omaha, Joe Kearns of Ranier, Washington, Mrs. Grace Huck of Bowman, N. D., Clyde, William, Ralph, Mabel and Mrs. Ruth Keenan of Marion. She is also survived by twenty-one grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Funeral arrangements will be made later pending the arrival of relatives.”

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FUNERAL FRIDAY

“Funeral services for Mrs. Eliza Ellen Kearns, widow of Valentine Kearns and pioneer Linn county resident, will be held Friday at 2:30 in the Yocom chapel with the Rev. W. E. Fisher officiating. Burial will be in Oak Shade. The names of two brothers, Wheeler Erion of Springville and John Erion of Mitchell, S. D., who survive Mrs. Kearns, were unintentionally omitted by the family in the report of Mrs. Kearns' death in Tuesday's Gazette.”

Obituary for PHILIP ERION, husband of MATHILDA LATHAM ERION

 The information below was sent to me in April 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.

Obituary for Philip Erion published 15 Mar 1899 in the New Era Springville News courtesy of the Genealogical Society of Linn County, Iowa.

Philip Erion

Philip Erion, born Feb. 18, 1814, in Rockingham Co., Virginia, and died at his home in Linn Township, Linn Co., Iowa March 7, 1899, aged 85 years and 17 days. At the age of 6 years his parents removed from Virginia to Green Co., Penn., where they lived 16 years. The deceased there entered upon the duties of life for himself -- married and settled in Tuscarawas Co., Ohio, where he remained 12 years again removing to Knox Co., residing 16 years. In the fall of 1864 he came west and located in Linn Twp., where he has resided continuously until his death. He was married to Matilda Latham Nov. 30, 1837, which union existed for 61 years. They were converted and united with the M. E. church in 1843 where their membership has been ever since -- a period of 56 years. There were born to them 9 children -- 5 sons and 4 daughters, all of whom survive the father except one, Joseph, who died at Grand Island, Neb., in 1890. Of the remaining eight, Mrs. D. L. Vernon, living at Fredericktown, Ohio; Mrs. N. L. Johnson at Rich Hill, Missouri; J. B. Erion, at Pineville, Louisiana; P. A. Erion, at Shepardsville, Michigan, were not present on this occasion. Mrs. M. E. Francis, Mrs. E. E. Kearns, S. W. and J. M. Erion are residents of Linn Twp. and have been with the deceased during his last and most intense suffering.