Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-01-18
death CONES 70
MRS. NARY R[[C[
LAST SURVIVOR OF BAND OF
STURDY PIONEERS DIES At
NEW PROVIDENCE.
SETTLED IN SOUTHERN
HARDIN COUNTY IN 81
Family Comprises Seven Children,
Thi-ty-Five Grandchildren, and
Twenty mine Great Grandchildren
Was Widow Of William Rsscs,
Founder Of Recce Settlement.
SETTLED IN SOUTHERN
HARDIN COUNTY IN Isl

! The death of Mrs. Mary ann Reece.
at her home just north of the Mar
shall county line in Providence town
! snip, Hardin county, removes one of
the real pioneers of southern Hardin
and a woman widely known thruout
Hardin and Marshall counties. Mrs.
Eeece was in her seth year, and her
death removes the last surviving men,
Der of the band OF sturdy pioneers
which came to southern Hardin count.
sixty years ago and formed what is
still known as the Reece settlement. in
the Honey Creek neighborhood.
Attic the last of the original band
Of pioneers, the name Reece does not
die with one of the founders of this
celebrated family. Surviving Aunt
Mary Ann" as she was generally
; known by friends as well as kinsmel,
are seven children thirty-fiv grand
children. and twenty nine great grand
children.
The memory Of Mrs. Reece will be
| cherished by the entire community in
which she lived and died because of
| her innate nobility Of character. her
gentle. lovable and sympathetic dispo-
/ sition. and the unostenatious manner
IN which she sought TO help others
whenever need or opportunity arose.
| She was type of the best woma MOOD.
Native Of North Carolina.
Mrs Reece was born Mary Ann Dob
| oins. a daughter OF William and Sarah
| Do5b!ns. in Yadkin county. North
(! Carolina, June Is, 1916. The Recess,
| who. with the Dobbinses. settled the
/ North Carolina county in an early day,
! lived neighbors. and William Reece and
/ Mary Ann Dobbins had known one an
/ other since childhood They married
| Sept. ). 1889. and from this union
F, sprung the big family Of over seventy
fsoils. =
| Pioneers Seek Northern Country.
/ With their families growing in num-
! Der. the North Carolina soil impover-
1 ished with years OF tillage. affording
/ only a bare living: with slavery dis
turbing the people; with 'moonshine"
] whisky promising TO become menace
to the boys as they grew into manhood
all these things combined to stir the
| hearts of these good old Quakers to
/ action The call of the wild was in
their blood; the virgin soil of the far
and unsettled northland appealed to
/ them. 1t was decided to undertake the
Il perilous journey Of ZOO miles overland
! in order to seek out new home. iowa
/ was decided upon as the field for labor,
and company of fortyfour. largely
relatives of the Recess and Dobbinses,
started for the north.
In their covered wagons these pio-
neers left North Carolina April p. 1851,
crossing the Blue Ridge mountains.
passing thru the valleys, fording swol-
len streams. and wading the nuIner-
Gus warnps-undergoing inrumerable
hardships. yet not once showing sign
Of discoura cement.
On July 1.sthey reached the southern
part of Iowa-where tres town of Sa :
iern. in Henry COUNTY, now stands. Here
the Friends had already established
ia settlement. and here the pilgrims
rested for a week. They then went to
Richland. in Keokuk county. where
). they remained for six weeks. Taking
! Up their journey again they came on
north. passing thru where Marshall
town now stands. when all that wei
coined then in the way of a human
m bitstioIl was lonely cabin that
stood On the bluffs overlooking the iowa
eta. the tcwnsite for what was to be
the first county seat OF Marshall
county.
Suffered Many Privsticns.
This long journey. however. was not
without it's privations. and severe ones
too. William and Mary Reece had in
their family, at that time, six Of the
eleven children born to them. The
first winter in the new Hardin count
home was most severe one. The
cabin was. quite naturally, poorly built
and thru the crevices between the logs
sifted great quantities Of snow. Many
a time i. became necessary for the
children TO remain in bed ali day 81
ORDER to keep warm.
1t was not long, however. before liy-
I ing conditions improved, and the pion-
GERS were very happy. Strong in thei.
] religious belief these North Caroli,iian.
{ were not long in getting established IL
I a house of worship. In 1852 meetinf
I house was built, altho services hat
3 been held in tine different cabins before
that time. The first religious gather
ing held in Hardin county was at thu
I cabin Of William Dobbins, Mrs. Reece'!
: father, which stood short distance
northeast of where the present Hone!
4 Creek meeting house is now situated
The first government land to be en-
tered in Providence township wa
y homesteaded by Mr.. and Mrs. Reec
: in 1852.
Mrs. Reece's seven living children
are Mrs. Martha Armstrong. Elkanal
Il Reece William S. Reece., and James L
Reece, all Of Hardin county: Mrs
Il Sarah Baldwin, Of Whittier, Cal: Rev
Rev. Eli Reece, Of Pomona, n. c. TIL
- four children who are dead are Mrs
Keziah Lundy. Mary Reece, DAME
4 Reece, and Mrs. Ruth Lewis.
Mrs. Recess body was laid at res
in the Honey Creek cemetery. nea
the old home. where Mr.. Reece is bur
led. Mr.. Reece died Sept. %. 1898. a
the age Of 81.