Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Downing, Maud March 24, 1932
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Marilyn Ransom mlnransom@chartermi.net June 14, 2010, 2:33 pm

The Lake Odessa Wave, Thursday, March 24, 1932
Mrs. Maud Downing, wife of Ezekiel Downing, of Sebewa, passed away Thursday 
about the noon hour.  She was found by her husband when he came from the home 
of his son Homer.  Mrs. Downing had prepared the dinner and evidently had sat 
down to await her husband as she was found to be dead in her chair upon his 
return.  Mrs. Downing has been in poor health for a year or two but has been 
much better for the last two months and hopes of her recovery had been 
entertained.

She was 65 years of age and leaves two sons and three daughters, Vernon of 
Grand Rapids, Homer of Sebewa, Mrs. Evelyn Bitterman of Grand Ledge, and two 
twins, Ila and Ione of Lansing.  Mrs. Downing was a sister of Byron Estep of 
this place and also an aunt of the children of Russell Goodemoot.

Arrangements for the funeral have not as yet been made.

Subsequent Publication – Thursday, March 31, 1932

At the last meeting of the members of the “Old Time Party” that Mrs. Maud 
Estep Downing attended she expressed a desire that these friends should attend 
her funeral in a body.  This request was granted when on Sunday afternoon at 
the Sebewa Baptist church the last rites were given the deceased and her 
friends acted as honorary pallbearers.

Rev. H. T. Adamson gave an Easter sermon which was most appropriate on this 
occasion. George and Russell Goodemoot sang accompanied by Miss Helen 
Goodsell.  The pall bearers were her two sons Homer and Vernon, a son-in-law 
George Bitterman, and three nephews, Donald, Allen and Vaughn Goodemoot.  
Burial was in the cemetery just back of the church.

Maude Estep Downing was born in Sebewa township November 18, 1866, on the farm 
they now own.  With the exception of about fifteen years her whole life has 
been spent there.  On November 10, 1887 she was married to Ezekiel Downing.  
To them six children were born; Evelyn who lives near Sunfield, Vernon of 
Grand Rapids, Ione and Ilah of Lansing, and Homer who lives on the home farm, 
one daughter died in infancy.

As a girl she attended the Baptist church and later was converted.  Although 
handicapped from being an active member, she still kept her faith.  A bookmark 
in her Bible showed recent reading.  “It isn’t the prayers that are shouted on 
high that are the first to reach God’s ear, but the silent ones that come from 
the heart.  That makes his presence near.”

Her cheerfulness was unbounded, even during her recent ill health she always 
had a smile and a cheery word.  She appreciated everything.  “It didn’t take 
the mountain top to make God’s blessing clear for she could read the language 
in the small things far and near.”

She was a good wife and mother.  She never tired of doing things for the ones 
she loved.  No one can ever take her place.  She had hosts of friends who 
showed their love for her in many ways.  Some things are too deep for mortal 
mid for. There are brighter skies than these I know, lands where no shadows 
lie.


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