Obit for ATWOOD, Mrs. Leroy (b.1854), Murray Co., MN ========================================================================= USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. If you have found this file through a source other than the MNArchives Table Of Contents you can find other Minnesota related Archives at: http://www.usgwarchives.net/mn/mnfiles.htm Please note the county and type of file at the top of this page to find the submitter information or other files for this county. FileFormat by Terri--MNArchives Made available to The USGenWeb Archives by: Judy Clarke [sjclarke@rconnect.com] Submitted: November 2004 ========================================================================= Community Mourns the Death of Mrs. Atwood - "She made home happy! Thru many long years The mother toiled and never stopped to rest. Until they crossed her hands upon her breast. And closed her eyes, no longer dim with tears. The service record that she left behind Was grander than the soldier s, to my mind!" Known by every one, beloved by all, the death of Mrs. LeRoy "Grandma" Atwood, which occurred at her home in Fulda early Friday morning, July 16th, is mourned by the entire community. Always active, always interested in her friends, her passing leaves a void which can never be filled. Born on a farm near Aurora, Illinois, on February 22, 1854 Mrs. Atwood was left an orphan while yet a small girl, and spent her childhood in Illinois, altho she spent several years in Ehmira, New York state. In 1873 she was united in marriage to LeRoy Atwood, the young couple making their home near Aurora until 1887 when they moved onto a farm northwest of Fulda. The house which was their first Minnesota home was known to the people of this locality as "Pope s Castle." It was built by an Englishman and resembling an old time castle and became one of the landmarks of the community. Grandma Atwood delighted in recalling the olden days in the county, and particularly the loyalty of the early settlers, one to the other. Mr. and Mrs. Atwood's first year on their Minnesota farm were marked by prairie fires in the summer and blizzards in the winter. The prairie fires were so bad in the early days that fire breaks were a crime essential, and much time was spent in fighting prairie flames. In winter the blizzards were terribly severe, and Grandma could tell countless tales of hardships endured by the early pioneers. Coming to this country when it was largely virgin prairie, the neighbors showed great interest in a check-row corn planter which this Illinois couple brought with them to their home. At that time, none of the farmers near the Atwood place planted corn, but after a very successful crop was raised by the new comers, all soon were planting it. Following 12 years of successful farming, the Atwoods moved to Fulda. After the busy life on the farm, Grandma was not content to enjoy her leisure, but took several paying guests into her home that she might have something to keep her busy. Her splendid cooking and cordial hospitality made her home much sought after, and during the years since coming to Fulda in 1899, her home has been the home to countless Fulda boys and girls, who pay highest tribute to Grandma for the fine home she made for them and the keen interest she took in their welfare. Nor did she confine her goodness to her "boys" as she was want to call them. Her interests were identical with the interests of the community. Illness, misfortune, disaster, found her at the home of her friends, every ready to do more than her share to lighten the load. When the war came and took her fourteen "boys" in one week, she plunged into work with all her heart and was one of Fulda s best workers. Busy as she was, she took time to write weekly to her boys, and her correspondence at this time was prodigious. Mrs. Atwood was one of the charter members of the Woman s Relief Corps, organized in the early days, but disbanded in 1890. When the Unit was re- organized several years ago, she was one of its most active members. A fine Christian woman, Mrs. Atwood was one of the oldest members of the Presbyterian church and one of its most staunch supporters. She was also a member of the Yoeman of American, the Royal Neighbors, and the Rebekahs. Grandma Atwood is survived by one son, Clyde, of Dundee, and one daughter, Mrs. Wm. Leebens, of Fulda, and ten grandchildren, besides a host of her "boys" and "girls". The grandchildren are Ora and Virginia Leebens of Fulda, Loraine, LeRoy and Russell Atwood of Dundee and Ruth, Mildred, Anna, Lottie and Frankie Atwood of Minneapolis. Testimony of the high esteem in which this worthy lady was held by the community was amply evidenced by the beautiful floral offerings and the large number of friends who attended the funeral services at the home and church Monday afternoon. Services at the grave were conducted by the local lodges of Royal Neighbors and Rebekahs."