East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1912-08-05
WELL KNOWN WOMAN
HAS PASSED AWAY
Wife of Col John NJ. Bentley Sue
cumbs to Illness-Was Pioneer of
Umatilla County.

Mrs. Mary f, Bentley, wife of Col.
John NJ, Bentley well known and
well liked Umatl'la county pioneer
citizen died at 1890 yesterday after
noon at the family home on the north
side of the river. Death was the re-
suit of acute illness which had lasted
for eight days. However, Mrs. Bent
ley had been in poor health for sever
al months though not confined to her
bed. on Saturday morning, July 81,
she was taken suddenly i'll with an
attack resembling cholera morbus
which finally resulted in her death.
The deceased was born i'm Ray
county, Missouri, December s, 1851,
She came to Oregon in 1868, remain
ing short time and afterwards GO
ing to California. On January End,
1869 she was united in marriage to
John NJ. Bentley in Stanislaus county,
California. In 1871 the little family
moved to this county, and in the win
ter of 1923 settled in Pendleton,
which has since been their home.
There were ten children born to
this union, of whom four only are left.
Shortly after she became a wife, she
was converted and became member
of the Baptist church, and after com
ing to this city assisted in organizing
the First Baptist church of Pendle-
ton. She continued her church rela-
tionship during the remainder of her
life and in her passing away the To-
cal church loses its last charter mem
ber. Her entire life was one consistent
with her profession, being devoted to
Christian work. charity and benevo-
lence. Her home life. while at times
filled with hard work, let it al
ways found her cheerful. kind and
loving, ready and willing at all times
to give ungrudgingly of her time and
labor for husband, family, or friends
She had been in poor health for
several months, but not confined to
her bed. On Saturday morning, July
%, she was taken suddenly i'll with an
attack resembling cholera morbus, and
grew rapidly worse until 1t became
apparent to all that her life's work
had been completed.
She leaves to mourn her departure,
a loving husband, John NJ. Bentley
three daughters. Mrs. Hattie Fergu-
son and Miss Mabel Bentley of Pen
dleton, and Mrs. Carrie Alexander OF
Pasco: one son. John E. Bentley; one
brother Rev d. w. Yoakum of Ba-
ker City. three half brothers, Henry
c. Means. of Umatilla, Thomas c.
Means, of Pendleton, and James r.
Means, of Hermiston, and one half
sister, Mrs. Alice Tweedy of Occur
d Alene, Idaho.
Funeral Held Today.
The funeral of Mrs Bentley occur
red this afternoon, the church SER
vice being held at the Baptist church
at 2:3O following which the body
was laid to rest in Olney cemetery.
Owing to the absence of the Baptist
minister from the city the church SER
vice was conducted by the Rev. Ma
than Evans, pastor of the NJ. f.
church. The order of Eastern Star
and the l. o. T. NJ. also assisted at the
services. The pail bearers were T. j.
Tweedy, DIR. ]. A. Best. A. F. May,
William Nicholson, A. w. Nye and
Thomas Hopper. The funeral service
was we'll attended. hundreds of friends
and relatives of the dead woman and
of her husband turning out to show
the regard in which the deceased was
held.