Elna – Allice – Ella – Mary Ellen Anderson
This is the child of Jöns and Ola whose name changed periodically. She was named Elna when she was born on September 13, 1868 at Osterslof #42 in Osterslov Parish, Kristianstad County, Skäne, Sweden. Her father had left Sweden earlier in the year so they did not see each other until 1871 when she came with her mother and two brothers to join him in Illinois. From here the family moved to Iowa County, Iowa.
Her name seemed to evolve from census to census here in the United States.
When the 1880 census was taken she was Allice (with two l’s) and going to
school. The family was living in York Township, Iowa County, Iowa. Five
years later when the Iowa 1885 census was taken she was Ella and the family
lived in Hilton Township. Both were in the Marengo area.
In 1895 Elna (Allice, Ella) married Frank Walton. The 1900 Federal census
has her listed as Mary. Apparently her name had made its final change to
Mary Ellen. She and Frank C. Walton were living in York Township, Iowa
County, Iowa where Frank was working as a farm laborer.
During the next ten-year period Mary gave birth to four children who all
died in infancy. In 1910 she and Frank were living in Honey Creek Township,
Iowa County on a rented farm. Apparently Frank then decided to give up
farming because by 1920 they were living in Marengo where Frank was doing
general labor. He died there in 1927.
Two years later, late in November 1929, Mary Ellen was walking to her job at
the River-to-River Hotel when she was struck by an automobile. She sustained
a deep gash on the forehead, a broken right leg and internal injuries. She
lapsed into a coma and died the following day.
The December 5, 1929 issue of the Marengo Pioneer-Republican
newspaper carried the following article followed by her obituary:
Auto Accident Is Fatal To Woman
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Mrs. Mary Walton Died In About 24 Hours After Being Struck
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Mrs. Mary Walton was fatally injured when knocked down, about 5:30 p.m. last
Thursday, by an automobile driven by Kalmer Kinzenbaugh. Riding with him
were Helen Walker and Marguerite Hartz.
The accident occurred at the postoffice corner. Mrs. Walton was crossing the
street south from the Doose hotel, evidently on her way to work at the
River-to-River hotel, when she was struck.
Realizing what had happened, Mr. Kinzenbaugh rushed for aid. He found Otto
Panknen and in a few minutes Winfield Frederickson appeared. They found the
stricken woman on the street about opposite the back door of the postoffice.
They placed Mrs. Walton in the car and hurried her to the Mineral Springs
hospital, where she was examined by Dr. W. D. Hall. She received a deep gash
in the center of the upper forehead, but the skull was not fractured. Both
bones of the right leg below the knee were broken. She also sustained
serious internal injuries.
She was able to speak incoherently only when first taken to the hospital and
about 10 p.m. lapsed into unconsciousness. She died about 6:45 p.m. Friday,
without regaining consciousness.
Obituary
Mrs. Mary Ellen Walton, daughter of David and Ollie Vest Anderson, was born
in Sweden, Sept. 13, 1868. Her parents brought her to this country when she
was a baby. They settled on a farm about six miles southeast of Marengo,
where she grew to womanhood.
She was united in marriage with Frank Walton on Oct. 23, 1895. He died on
April 21, 1927. To this union four children were born but none of them
survived infancy.
Mrs. Walton was one of seven children. Those who survive her are: one
sister, Mrs. John Lacher, who resides near Ladora; and two brothers, William
O. Anderson of Hooper, Neb., and Edward E. Anderson of Omaha, Neb.
She has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church of Marengo since
Feb. 2, 1890. She was a member of the Woman's Home Missionary society of
this church and also of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, and of the
Eastern Star.
She was very loyal to her church and rarely missed a service if it was
possible for her to be present. She will be greatly missed by her friends,
neighbors and in the church circles.
Funeral services were held in the Methodist church on Sunday afternoon at
2:30 o'clock in charge of the Rev. P. M. Conant. The body was laid to rest
in the family lot in the I. O. O. F cemetery.
|
Mary
Walton |
Frank
Walton |
|
are
buried in the empty space to the right of Mary and Frank's |
Photos taken at the I.O.O.F Cemetery, Marengo, Iowa, June 26, 1993