---

 

 

 

Mrs. Maria Gorsline, eight-two years old, and a sister of Mrs. Helen Blossom and Mrs. Charles Battenberg of this city, and also of the late Judge Bobo, died at the St. Joseph hospital at Fort Wayne yesterday. Mrs. Gorsline formerly lived on a farm near Monmouth and was well known to the older residents of the city and county. The Fort Wayne News and Sentinel says of her life and death:

 

"Mrs. Maria B. Gorsline, who for the past four years has made her home at the St. Joseph hospital, died yesterday afternoon at 4:50 oclock of senility. She was past 82 years of age. Mrs. Gorsline had been in failing health for the past year, but her condition was not considered serious until a few days ago.

 

"Few people were better known in Fort Wayne than Mrs. Gorsline and very few were more actively engaged in charitable, corrective and church affairs. She was born in October 1837, at Athens, Ohio, but moved to Adams county, near Decatur, with her family when a young girl. Here she married Sylvester L. Gorsline, who preceded her in death a number of years ago. She graduated from the M.E. college of this city and during the war, while her husband was in the army, she taught school in Marion and Pleasant townships and in 1869 moved to this city, where she lived continuously until her death.

 

"Mrs. Gorsline founded the first house of refuge for wayward boys and girls, known as the Door of Hope, which was situated on Wilt street, near Jackson. It existed for about twenty-five years and Mrs. Gorsline was its first and only matron. She took a keen interest in the working girls and organized the first union of working girls in Fort Wayne, if not the state, and was appointed national organizer for the American Federation of Labor. She contributed generously to all church and charitable movements and gave her active support until about six years ago, when she was forced to retire.

 

"Two sons, Fred T., living at Pittston, Pa. and Homer S., living in Cleveland, survive. Home Gorsline arrived just an hour before his mother's death. He will be remembered as superintendent of police for nine years during the administrations of Mayors Scherer and Berghoff.

 

"The body was removed to the Peltier's chapel, where services will be held tomorrow morning at 8:30 o'clock and at the Cathedral at 9 o'clock. Interment in the Catholic cemetery."

 

Mrs. Helen Blossom, Charles Battenberg and Mrs. Noah Frye went to Fort Wayne this morning to attend the funeral.

 

---

From a piece of paper with handwriting:

Sons
Roy   Louisville Ky
Jacob   Hartford City
Homer in the Regular Army stationed at Nebraska
James at Coalgate Okla
Mrs Ralls  Okla
Mrs McBride  Ockmulgee Okla
Mrs Hensley  Muncie
Mrs Elizabeth Kidd  Chicago
and Grace at home

---

Handwritten correspondence in envelope:

From:
1317 W 90th Place
Los Angeles, California

To:
Helen M Blossom
#318 South 1st St
Decatur Indiana

LA  Aug 11th  26

---

Loose pre-printed page, probably from a church bulletin:

One side has a "Roll of Members".
The other side has a "Report of Session", including deaths and marriages:

Died
Judith Stewart, February 8, 1889, aged 75 years.
John J. Chubb, April 10, 1889, aged 53 years.
Joseph McGonagle, September 28, 1889, aged 80 years.
Margaret Phipps, October 9, 1886, aged 84 years.

Marriages
Grant Gwinner to Christena Wymer, February 25, 1889.
William H. Reed to Viola Smitley, April 4, 1889.

"Respectfully submitted, Clark J. Lutz, Clerk of Session."

---

Two photos:

J.R. Bobo

 

Unknown man

---

Also found in the bible were 3 vintage calling cards: