Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-05-02
MRS. ELLEN HUBERT, OF e..
DORA, KEEPS UP STUDIES IN
LITERARY SOCIETY.
PIONEER HOME REFUGE
FOR RUNAWAY SLAVES
Rom arkabls Woman Knew Many Pso.
pie of Prominence in Early Days
Friend Of Homeless and Hungry
Wants to 30 Buried Beside CoIorsd
Girl Whom She esfrisndsd.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Eldora, May 2.-Possibly not IN
Iowa and certainly not, in Hardin coun-
ty lives there woman who has had
to do with more prominent peopie
than Mrs. Ellen Hubert, of Eldora,
now in her seth year.
Mrs. Hubert was born in Portage
Ohio, in December, 1876. Hcr
maiden name was Reed and she was
united in marriage to Mortimer HUI
bert in Ohio in 1S49. They came to Ell
dora in 1853 when there We're not more
A little later Mr.. Hubert engaged in
the hardware business, but carried
quite general stock of goods. Mr.. HUI
bert was one of the very earliest abol-
itionists and believed that man
should act as he talked. On this theory
the Hubert home became known as
one where the friendless. either white
or black, could find refuge from hunger
or cold. Having no children OF their
own, Mr.. and Mrs Hubert took into
their hearts and home more than one
child, and gave them home until
such time as they could be cared for
otherwise. In conversation with your
correspondent yesterday, Mrs. Hubert
said their home was a refuge during
the war for the preservation of the un-
ion for the negro who had escaped
from the bondage of slavery into TINS
northern country. In 1862 one George
Gordon was arrested in Cleveland, w
charged with having aided in the es-
cape Of a negro and was placed in jan
for the alleged crime. Mr.. Hubert
read the account of the arrest ana tor
warded u letter addressed to "One VINO
is imprisoned in the Cleveland Jail for
Righteousness sake" The letter reach-
ed Gordon in his cell and Mrs. HUI
bert prizes highly the answer to her
husbands letter, written by Gordon
while awaiting trial. Subsequent to this
a number of negroes who had been
brought north by disloyal parties
found refuge in the Hubert home. One
colored girl who came to them after
having been turned out Of doors by
southern sympattiizers when suffering
with lung fever, was given the kind
Hest care and consideration and when
death claimed her, was buried in the
Hubert lot in the Eldora cemetery.
Mrs. Hubert said that when the angel
of death comes to her she desires that
her body be placed alongside of her
husband and this little black girl, for
in the world beyond the stars the color
line is not drawn. "a
Active Club Woman.
While pioneers in the town of Eldora
Mr.. and Mrs. Hubert were also the
advance guards in the work Of the
Disciple church. Their residence was
for years the home OF the ministers OF
that denomination. and Mr.. and Mrs
Hubert entertained the men who later
became famous pulpit orators. Among
thees might be mentioned the Revs. d.
r. DUNCAN, j. H. Vawter. c. B. NC
Cornell, all of whom were later rec
ognized as among the leaders of the
work in the Church of Christ. MIR.
Hubert died some eighteen years ago
Another remarkable thing in connec
ton with the life Of Mrs. Hubert Is
that during the past winter she has
kept up her studies in the Twentieth
Century Club. While almost blind this
grand old lady is mentally strong and
Mrs. NJ. H. Strother. whom Mrs. HUI
bert raised from a mere child, reads
the lessons to her, together with the
good books with which the house Is
stored.