The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-06-22
FirstAuthentic Story of General
FunstOn's COurtship.
Mrs. Otto BIankart Tells How
Her Daughter Was Won.
BRIEF ACQUAINTANCE.
Kansas officer Is Likened to
LochinVar by Mother-in-laW.
Marriage Celebrated Just Be-
fore Transport Sailed.

The story of General Fred F'unston's
| brief courtship has been something Of
| a mystery so far as Kansas is con-
| cerned and the public will welcome the
| following interesting interview on that
! subject with Mrs. Otto Blankart, moth
! er Of Mrs. Funston, published in the
! San Francisco Examiner:
MANY different stories have been
| published from time to time as to how
| General Funston who was then colonel,
| first met Eda and how and where the
| courtship took place. None of them has
| been correct, though some Of them have
| had some of the facts. But all OF them
| have been more or less amusing. For
| instance, there was one story circulate ted
| all over the United States which set
| forth that when Mrs. Funston, as the
| bride. left here she went in disguise in
! mems attire and accompanied by a lady
friend similarly disguised, aboard the
I same transport with her husband. This
was entirely incorrect. No effort was
ever made to go on the transport. Mrs.
Funston, the contrary, went with
General Miller on the Newport, some
two weeks after General Funston had
gone. There were several other ladies,
all wives of officers and their friends,
who were aboard. so that Eda had
plenty of pleasant company.
General Funston first met Eda at
the home of c. o. Perry, in Belvedere.
1t has been stated that he met her at a
church social; but he did not Through
introduced to several officers and others
of the Twentieth Kansas soon after
their arrival. They were all members
of the Phi Beta society. There were two
meetings of this society, and each time
General Funston was invited, but was
prevented by important orders relative
to his office. Finally a social entertain
ment took place at Mr.. Perrys, to
which the colonel was invited, and there
he met Eda. This was on Sunday and
the following Tuesday he called at our
home here to meet her again, and after
that he came frequently.
The acquaintance lasted five weeks,
during the latter part OF the colonefs
STAY here Two days before the end of
the five weeks the colonel proposed to
Eda. He was going away and asked
her to go with him. 1t was pretty
sudden thing to all of us. Mr. Blankart
was away in New York, the boat was
about to go, and here were these young
people wanting my consent
81 knew that L was being placed in
pretty responsible position. But though
we had known Colonel Funston but
very short time, he never had any OPP
position from any of US. 1 always liked
his modest ways. He was the most I'M
assuming young man l ever saw. He
did not more than allude to his exper-
fences in Alaska, Cuba or elsewhere,
which the newspapers and magazines
have been printing by the page. He
never talked about himself. But l al
ways liked him. L felt that he was a
young man who, though unassuming,
of my daughter with him and l told him
So My consent made the young people
very happy.
1T was a question whether my hus-
band could reach home in time to at
tend the wedding. We knew the trans
port was scheduled to sail, but in most
cases hitherto there had been delays.
We hoped it would be so in this case,
SO I telegraphed to Mr.. Blankart an
nOuncing the engagement, and asking
him to hurry home to attend the we'd
10 tod hut NOT eyafh ar
in time. There was no delay in the
transports leaving, so just before the
steamer departed we called in our min
lister, the Rev. DR.. r. F. COyle, of the
First Presbyterian church here, and he
performed the ceremony in our house.
A few of our personal friends and of
Colonel Funston only were present. We
have, of course, never regretted the
giving of our consent, for we all feel
that General Funston is a brave, noble
man. AS Mr.. Blankart did not arrive
in time he has never seen General
Funston. The telegram 1 sent him an
nOuncing Eda'S engagement was great
surprise to him, for when he left few
weeks before, she had not even met her /!
future husband.
Though Colonel Funston was so quiet |
and unassuming, he was ardent as a (
sutton, reminding one Of that other
Lochinvar, so dauntless in love and /
so famous in war
My daughter when out upon the fir
ing line lately met General Otis. She !
also met Admiral Dewey, with whom
she was delighted. She wrote home
that he was an extraordinarily modest
man. Just like Fred she said. Mrs. ,
Funston while at the front also wit /
messed some of the engagements. At /
Calumpft she was taken up into the
tower of a church, where she saw the :
insurgent line quite plainly. She also /
saw a soldier brought in on a stretcher /
who had been wounded three times.
The latest telegraph dispatches say !
General Funston has been wounded in |
the hand, but we know none of the de- /
tails. We presume the wound is not /
serious or we would have heard, but we !
do not know. We are quite anxious |
about it We know that whenever /
there is any fighting he is always right (
out at front in the most dangerous I
place Eda says his men adore him, /!
and that every time he comes in the |
soldiers go out and cheer him.
General Funston is now 80 years old. |
He is in weight heavier than has been |
general stated. When he was here |
he weighed 100 pounds. Most of the |
papers have had him down to 100, or |
scarcely more than that. But I suppose |
that when he was in Cuba and was |
worn down by campaigning in that un- |
healthy country he weighed less than !
when he was in San Francisco on his |
way to the Philippines.
Mrs. Funston is years younger than |
the general, making her now "a years |
old Our family is not of German ex- !
traction. as the name would seem to in |
dictate, but of French. When the
HuguenOts were driven out of France |
at the time so many OF them came to !
the United States my husbands family,
who were Huguenots, sought exile in l
Germany, where the name underwent |
slight change, which change has fol- |
lowed us here.
''Of course we are anxious to hear as |
often as possible from General and Mrs
Funston. We are particularly anxious |
just when hear that he has |
been wounded. Still we are confident it |
is not bad wound, or Eda would cable |
US in regard to it, We are all hoping |
the time will soon come when the war