Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Seckstone, Mary E. (Alderman) September 24, 1913 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Nan Wheaton wheaton1624@yahoo.com December 27, 2020, 6:43 am Daily Sentinel - Thursday, Oct. 2, 1913 WAS A PIONEER OF THIS COUNTY MRS. MARY SECKSTONE RESIDED HERE FOR SEVENTY-FOUR YEARS Death Occurred at Her Home in Sebewa Last Week --- Came to Ionia County 1839 SEBEWA, Sept. 20 -- We regret to announce the death of this well-known and very highly esteemed resident of this district. Mary E. Alderman was born in Otsego county, New York on March 6, 1833. She died in her own home at West Sebewa early Wednesday morning, Sept. 24, 1913, aged 80 years, 6 months and 24 days. She was the surviving daughter of a family of 12 children. At the age of 6 years she came with her parents to Berlin township. On May 3, 1857 she was united in marriage to Henry Seckstone of Odessa, where they resided eight years. Mr. Seckstone had bought 80 acres of land from George Sickles which lay along the old Clinton trail. He had cleared a small place of the land and built a log house. Her husband and wife worked together with untiring industry. He also worked for some of his neighbors which enabled him to purchase a team of oxen; then he labored hard to clear up his own farm. In 1863 he set out an orchard, and in 1865 he was able to build a new frame house. Having thus improved his land, he re-sold his farm to Mr. Sickles and bought 80 acres of land in Sebewa from Mrs. Amelia Brown; two years later he bought 40 acres of woodland across the road. Good buildings were erected on both pieces of land and in 1880 a large farm house was built on the 40 acres last procured. Later another 40 acres were added, making 160 in all. Their family consisted of three daughters and two sons, a daughter and a son dying in infancy. Mrs. Seckstone had the great grief of losing her husband Dec. 12, 1902; she too, has now crossed the river to join the loved ones gone on before. She leaves to mourn her loss, two daughters and a son, Mrs. Sarah Lapo of Lake Odessa, Mrs. Ida Fletcher and Wm. Burton Seckstone, both of Sebewa; also grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. Mrs. Seckstone was baptized (????) the ministrations of the Methodist church. For 40 years she had been more or less an invalid and during all those years she was a great sufferer, yet the unfailing patience and fortitude with which she bore those sufferings and the sweetness of character she always manifested won the love and admiration of all who knew her. Few had a wider circle of real friends, friends in whose memories she still lives in deep affectionate regard. And it ought to be recorded those long years of wearying weakness and pain were alleviated by the ever constant care the tender (????) love of her devoted daughter Mrs. Fletcher with whom she lived. A large gathering of relatives and friends assembled at the house on Friday morning for the funeral services which were conducted by Pastor (???) Stack of the Church of Christ. He based an appropriate and warmly appreciative discourse of the words, Asleep in Christ, I Cor. (???) The majority of those present accompanied the funeral cortege to the Lake Odessa cemetery, where the interment took place. _______________________ Daily Sentinel - Friday, Oct. 3, 1913 WEST SEBEWA- Sept. 30 - The funeral for Mrs. Mary Seckstone was held at the house Friday. Those relatives to attend from a distance were Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Andrews and daughter, Miss Rhoda Beardsley and Mr. and Mrs. Fred Andrews of Gresham and Mr. and Mrs. A. Smoke of Lake Odessa. Additional Comments: Age: 80 Services: Friday, 26 September 1913 Lake Odessa cemetery #1-119 Ctf: b. mar. 4, 1833 NY dau. of Z. Alderman & Jopher (Earl) File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ionia/obits/s/seckston39194nob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/mifiles/ File size: 4.2 Kb