Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-11-07
w. H. CALDWELL EULOGIZES THE LATE MRS.
RH WARDEN IN REMINISCENT LETTER
Death of Beloved Ottumwan Recalls to Mind of Uncle
Billy" Some Of the Things of Early Days That
Made "Aunt Jenny" Beloved by Acquaintance .
Richard and Virginia Warden.

Ill u
Richard and Virginia Warden.
r. ia the usual custom, when one
starts out to write an obituary to use
the hackneyed phrase, II was shocked
to hear Of the death Of and y mas
teen worn. threadtare by reason OF its
use when in the ordinary course o.
events the writer has been anticipating
such demise. From my earhesl
recollection Of newspaper work TO the
nresent hour | have wondered why
that phrase is used excepting IN ease
az sudden entirely unexpected caianl
;tv When one passes away ans
escapes from lingering illness, or eH
tren1e old age. the survivor certainly
"a not shocked when lie or she mas
lonp exnected such transition. Tnal
tre survivor mourns the separating o.
, lives is purely human, but to say tha1
/, the survivor is shocked. 1t seems e
me is putting it in the light OF cues
tionine the readiness CT the deceased
for such ouittiug of the affairs Ut this
terrestrial life 10 take up the unknown
hereafter, In this vein Of thought :,
s,n pleaeed to read the unsensatlonal
style OF diction III which me Courier
CT the 21st inst, spoke OF the death =.
one who was for many years q 1rlenu
CT mine. In the very year OF ner mar.
rage | was indentured to her nuspanu
IS an apprentice at the printing traue
in the Courier office, and went 20 I'VE
with them in their modest nome Oh
Main street, north. side, between dreen
and Jefferson streets 1t was q one
story brick building that was punt
flush with the sidewalk. A partltlon
divided building and on the east sac
lived a family named Cuppy. lhls
was the home OF Richard II. Werden
and his bride. With them lived neI
ia, -er also lived there. Mrs. Virginia
ter a young child) Luella Adams,
ard for a very short time the grand
father also lived there. Mrs. virginia
G, Warden was blonde, as also was
her sister Luella. We very early
commenced land kept it up all our
lives) to call Mrs. Warden Aunt Jen-
N.Y. She was happy bride, always
viyacious and in a good humor. IN
deed. 7 cannot now recall cross
word that she ever INDUCED, except
ing once when she slippered her young
son George for some infraction OF ner
household discipline. and then sat
down on the floor and cried with sucn
emotion as to infect all the rest OF us
and there was q chorus OF boO-noos'
not one Of us in fact, excepting her'
knowing just what we were crying loE'
/ know that it was not for sympathy
toward baby George, but after expert
ence taught me that it was simply IN
fictitious, and it broke me up to see ner
shed tears and moan and sob so pitt
fully because she had given away to
spirit of punishment of her baby boy.
That was the only time in my four
years living with them that can re-
call a vexed spirit in her.
The early years of their marriage
was spent In pretty much the same
style and mannerisms of the commun.
ity in which they lived, the doors OF
thei rhospitable home being always
open. Aunt Jenny was southern porn
woman and always bore herself IN
style and manners in that we'll known
characteristic. She despised close
listed and selfish mannerisms. she
enjoyed the country dance and tany'
rulls up to the time that she expert
erced q change Of heart and became
religious when the church had no
more Jealous adherent and worker.
What she did she did with her whole
ST strength. No matter what my beile1
is. she. like many others know. gave
of Ter life too much to the church, Dut
she enjoyed the sacrifice 80 ~
There was held in the Presbyter.
ian church en- East Fourth street, a
small, unpretentious frame building,
one evening a social, at which was
served cake and lemonade for so much
per slice and tumbler full. After this
service there was one generous
| cake left which the ladies pro-
nosed to donate to Rev. Jno
McElrov. Mrs. Warden came
and asked me to make the presenta
tion speech hunted up her husband
and together we got off in quiet cor
ner and | wrote down the dictatlon OF
both into quite nice speech. Wnen
we moved toward the crowd we were
speechless on discovering that mrs
| Warden had gotten Lawyer Hutchinson
i to present the cake, which Mr.. NC
! Elrcy and wife at once cut into slices
| and was treating the people, but DICE
(, and I had tarried too long IN our TOT
ensic eff It. and neither OF us so'
even a crunah, and the women gave us
tire merry ha ba. ~
on one occasion of my returning
home from the army on fnrlough. Mrs
Warden gave a dinner for me. al
! which. beside herself and children
George, Nettie {now Mrs. viii
liams), and L think Anna tnow Mrs
Varblel. and a few guests whom l Dr.
not now recall and myself had joy
ful time. "
Mr.. Warden was then in the army
an officer in the Thirt y-siSth Iowa, @
which was member. He entrustet
q letter to his wife in my care, II
which was some money. That was ,ht
"trip Of which I spoke in one OF m.
letters to the Courier. in which / car
srjed back to Ottumwa over $4,000 o
nv comrades money in belt, this Let
tier being sewed therein. l shudde'
wet when I think of the responsibility!
and the sleepless nights and days o
! no v0cnnf