The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1909-12-30
PASSING OF A PIONEER
Mrs. Enos Davis, Who Taught the
First School in Decatur County,
Has Gone to Her Reward.

Isaac and Parneil Marium Anthony,
was born December 8, 1923, in Pax
ton, Worcester county, Massachu-
sets, and died December %, 1909,
at the home of Mrs. Mary. Craigo,
in Leon, Iowa, at the age of Sc years.
and 20 days.
Her parents were of Scotch and
English descent, their ancestry dat
ing to John Anthony, who came from
England to Rhode Island in 1716.
She in early years lived at Worcester,
Massachusetts, and attended school
there afterwards removing toRoches-
ter, New York, where she entered a
preparatory school known as q Col
legiate Institute, and afterwards at
tended Union College, where she
graduated with highest honors. She
then returned to Worcester, Mass,
where she conducted the first ladies'
seminary In the United States. Her
father then moved to Ontario, In
diana, where she taught several
terms of school, and here she was
married on April 26. 1843, to Enos
Davis, the ceremony being performed
by Rev. Vim. Jones, Presbyterian
minister. Not being satisfied with
their home they started west, travel
ing overland, to seek their fortune in
the then far west. They settled in
Decatur county in Garden Grove
township, where they resided for
sixty years. This was in 1848, when
only a few families lived in that Sec
tion, and they were all Mormons.
Mrs. Davis was the pioneer school
teacher of Decatur county, teaching
the first public school for distance
of several counties east, west, north
and south. They borrowed four
lights of glass from Mormon lady
who was taking them to Salt Lake
City. They made a puncheon floor,
built stick and mud chimney, and
primitive western home.
In 1853 the first school district
was formed at Garden Grove. the
school at that time being, taught in
a private house and some of the
scholars came distance of four
miles to attend. Mrs. Davis drew
the first money $94, from the school
fund of Dcatur county, it being her
salary for teaching the Garden Grove
school. What a wonderful change
A<lSs If1hSA RIdCS6 6IACS SuS CtfuS W
this county. Mr.. and Mrs. Davis
facture cheese in Decatur county,
this being in 1854, and they were
assisted by Mr.. and Mrs. Jacob Hoff-
man, parents of attorney c. w. Hoff-
man, of Leon.
/ Four children were born to their
union, Parneil Marium, Homer
Amassa, George E., and G. A. Davis,
Parneil Marium and Homer hav-
ing passed away, also her aged
companion, leaving only two sons,
George E., and c. A. Davis, together
with eleven grandchildren, Mrs. w.
J. Writ and Mrs. VIM. Martin, Of
Parsons. Kas., Mary, Edith and Helen
Davis, of Garden Grove, Breta Mar
ium and Fay Davis, of Kansas City,
Mildred and Enos Davis, of Osceola,
and Mrs. Abbis Stepfiag and Alice
Davis. of Varina, Iowa, to mourn her
departure.
Mr.. and Mrs. Davis celebrated
their golden wedding on Thursday,
April &c, 1894, and on numerous
other occasions when old friends and
acquaintances came to show their
love and respect for this aged couple.
Mother Davis belonged therefore
to the history of Decatur county. Her
memory is interviewer with the best
affections of many hearts. Coming
to this county in pioneer times, her
home was a hotel to all who came to
the new country to seek fame and
fortune. She was always thoughtful
of the comforts of her guests and
especially to the young men and
women who happened to be guests
at her home. Her whole heart went
out to them, such was the great
motherhood of this good woman. She
Encouraged them, comforted them
! cared for them in sickness. No moth.
Ter could have looked more lovingly
after her own than this great hearted
and noble woman did after those
| who came to her as strangers. They
never forgot her and never ceased tc
love her. They loved her rs a moth
er, and revered. her as a saint. II
her last illness her mind freuuentl,
returned to those old home scenes
land the young boys and girls who
came to her as boys and girls, anG
who have gone out and conquered
more than fame and fortune IN this
world, the love and respect of theil
lfellowmen. And their hearts turned
toward her. Many of them came tc
}see her, others sent word to her with
flowers and prayers for her recovery
Newspapers praise the deeds of mer
and rear rhetorical monuments tt
them after their death, but this WON.
an, who lived life without ostenta.
ton, with no desire or ambition but
| to do good, to love and serve those
who came In contact with her, tc
make earth a heaven and heaven q
realized hope, is more worthy OF
them all. She lived in humanity, and
she did what she did in the noble
name of love-love for her own, love
for her friends and love for all man
kind. She belonged to that sturdy
race of pioneer women who have
|mothered the west, of which we are
|all proud, and whose achievements
have been the wonder of the world.
Newspapers. and historians are too