OBITUARY: Sarah Albertine (Bishop) McLaughlin, 1848-1921, Mitchell Co., Iowa

[Mitchell County Press - May 25, 1921]






                  Another Pioneer Woman Called to Rest
         Mrs. A. R. McLaughlin, Mother of County Superintendent
                         Died Last Thursday

Mrs. A. R. McLaughlin passed away last Thursday, May 19, at 10:45 p.m.
after a lingering illness.   She had been an invalid for the past six
years, since stricken with paralysis that length of time ago. 

Sarah Albertine Bishop-McLaughlin, was born at Spencertown, N.Y., Sept. 10, 
1848, the eldest of four children born to John H. and Elizabeth Bishop. 

In 1856, at the age of 12 [See Note 1], she came with her parents and a
brother and sister to Osage. The trip from McGregor to Osage was made
overland.  The family settled on a farm four miles east and one mile north
of the city, where they lived for several years, afterward moving to Osage. 

She attended the Cedar Valley seminary while the same was held in the court 
house. 

On Jan. 5, 1871, she was united in marriage to Archibald Robert McLaughlin,
by the Rev. Alva Bush.  One year after their marriage they moved to the
present home in the 4th ward, thus lving forty-nine years in this one home.
Last year their golden wedding anniversary was celebrated in this home. 

Three children were born to them; two little boys, who died in infancy, and 
one daughter, Blanche who is now superintendent of schools of the county.
Two brothers, J.E. Bishop, of Pomona, Calf. and E. L. Bishop of Seattle,
Wash., are left, with the husband and daughter to mourn the passing and
revere the memory of a noble woman. 

Mrs. McLaughlin was a woman retiring by nature, a lover of home and family. 
Hers was the typical pioneer experience of early Iowa settlers. Coming to
this county when Osage was barely started, she watched the making of a
wonderful history of development. For years all the intercourse she and her
neighbors had with the outside world was via the overland route to McGregor.
All the farm products sold were hauled away to that distant point by wagon,
and all the necessities of life, not homegrown, were brought in the same way. 

During her earlier years she was an attendant of the Baptist church. 

The funeral service was held at the home Sunday afternoon at 2:30, the Rev.
M. D. Mack an old friend of the family, officiating. 


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NOTES:
1. The actual obituary said "1856" and "12 years old,"  and had also said
that she was born in 1848.  Where the error is is not known.




     Submitted by Marilyn O'Connor 1/8/2006