The Oskaloosa herald., 1913-02-27
BIRTHS, DEATHS, MARRIAGES

SlEhLlNG.-IHe luHeTdl vi NeV~
f. Sterling was held at 300 rNrs.
Feb. %, 913, from the T. B. Gossagtf
residence, zU9 Fifth avenue West:
Rev. S. ]. Malone officiating. Music
was furnished by Mrs. Ina Bowen
and Miss Matte Henry, accompanied
iby Miss Gretchen Mcdonald. Those
acting as pall-bearers were ID. M.
Bacon, John F. Lacey, Chef Quick,
George Devol, l.. r. Briggs and j. G.
Patterson. The attendance was quite
large and the floral tributes from
Isympathizing friends were many and
beautiful. Those in attendance from
out of town were Mr.. and Mrs. Harry
Nelson, Roy, Milton and Harry Nell
son, of Ottumwa. lnterment was
made in Forest cemetery.
George f. Sterling, the third child
of John and Nancy Sterling, was born
Jan. II, 1929, on farm five miles
west of Greenyille, Illinois, where he
grew to manhood, and at the age OF
81 he was united In marriage to Miss
Martha Bodkin, of the same place. In
1850 he with his young wife came
with his fathers family to Burlington,
Iowa, and there settled on farm IL
miles north of Burlington. After liv'
ling fire years at this place, he with
his family moved to KirkVllle. Mo-,
and lived there five years and had
prospered. One bright May morning
: in 1861, he reused his wife and three
small children, having sent portion
of their belongings to the station in
charge of his brother, and left their
home and all that it contained 10 re-
turn to the parents native state, Iowa.
1t was just a month after the begin
ming of the greatest fratricdal war of
modern history, when the lombard
ment of Fort Sumpter had reused to
it's highest pitch the feeling of antag-
onism that had been growing for sew
eral years between the people north
and south Of Mason and Dixon's line.
J he people of Kirkvile in common
with all Missouri were intensely ex-
cited and rancorous feeling toward
the north was rife. George Sterling
was known as an lowan and a sympa-
thizer with the federals, and former
friends became his bitter enemies. He
eventually landed at Oskaloosa, Iowa,
where he took up again the battle OF
life and established another home and
made new friends who have proven
faithful to the end. ..
Eleven years ago he laid to rest i'll
Forest cemetery the fair young wife.
who had endured with him the hard
ships of pioneer days. The children
of this union were: Mrs. Arminta
Nelson, who recently passed away at
her home in Ottumwa, Mrs. Il. b. Cos
sage, of this city, with whom he made
his home, Walter A. Sterling, of San
Francisco, Cal, and Orlando Sterling,
of Phoenix, Arizona.
The closing of 1912 and the opening
Iof the new year has marked a season
of sorrow for the Sterling family. Mrs.
Arminta Nelson was the first to an
Iswer the summons on December ~.
Scarcely mad the relatives recovered
from the shock of this loss before the
death of a nephew, Will Sterling, was
ANNOUNCED January IL, and now they
are called upon to lay away all that
is mortal of the father and uncle.
Thus from the mature grain to the
sheaf ripe aud golden, the reaper Of
death has gathered his toll.
Deceased left on the 5th of Febru.
larry for Iowa City TO undergo an opera
,,tlon for cataract of the eyes. The pre-.
lllminary operation was successfully
performed, and he was convalescing
preparatory for the second when he
contracted cold from which pneumo-
MIA developed. Every effort was made
to save him, but his advanced years
and weakened heart were more than
human skill could overcome, and he
passed away Saturday, February %,
1918, at the age Of "a years, month
and days.