The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1914-08-13
MRS. WILSON is DEAD
wife of President Woodrow Wilson
Died last Thursday Evening" At
ter Illness of Many Weeks. i

Mrs. Woodrow Wilson, wife of the
president of the United States, died
at the White House last Thursday al
5 p. m. of complication Of diseases.
When the president recovered
from the first shock Of his wife'a
death he sent several kilograms to
Immediate relatives and sent word to
Secretary Tumulty to express his ap-
probation of the many condolences
which poured in. IN :ts &
A pail of gloom settled over the
White House. All shades were
drawn and everyone talked in, whis-
pers. Mrs. Wilson was particularly
beloved by all servants and employees
about the White House. None of
them made any effort to hide their
deep grief. .t
The president was completely pros
trated when his wife died and broke
down entirely. When Secretary.
Tumulty entered the executive Offices
to tell the waiting newspaper men
his cheeks were bathed in tears. @
Repeated consultations of medical
advisers did not succeed in discover
ing methods of saving the disting-
uished patient. Oxygen and other
artificial stimulants had been used
for two days.
Mrs. Wilson had not been out of
the White House for three weeks,
her last outdoor visit having been to
the White House gardens, in which
she took deep interest. Her death
came as great shock to the many
friends she has made since she came
to Washington.
Mrs Wilson was Miss Ellen Louise
Axson, daughter of Presbyterian
clergyman and was born at Savan-
nah, Georgia. She was a student at
the New York Art League when she
met Mr. Wilson, who was then TAX
ing postgraduate course at Johns
Hopkins University The president
and Mrs. Wilson were married June
"a, 1885. Mrs. Wilson was a sister
of Prof Stockton Axson, head of the
department of English literature at
Princeton university, and of the
wife of Dean Edward Elliott of Prin-
ceton.
On day last March Mrs. Wilson
slipped on a rug at the White House,
injuring her spine. An operation
was necessary. After weeks of con
she finally arose from her
bed but the burden of winters ac-
tivity' at the White House, together
with charity work in the slums of the
city, brought on nervous prostration.
she was we'll enough to attend Ikss
wedding of her second daughter, now
Mrs. William McAdoo, but her re-
cuperative powers were not lasting.
Stomach trouble added to her
ailment and Bright's disease
developed. Three weeks ago she
seemed to rally and was well enough
to walk, supported by a nurse, in
the White House grounds. She
watched with satisfaction as gard
ners laid out the last of the Italian
gardens which she had planned for
the south front of the executive man
sion. A marble statue OF a boy play
ing flute. was placed, at her direc-
tion, in the garden, near the execu-
tive Offices. With her taste for the
artistic, developed in many years of.
landscape painting, she had prac-
tically rearranged the gardening of
the White House in symmetry Of
hedges and flowers.
Simple funeral services were held
at the White House on Monday and
the body of Mrs. Wilson was taken
on special train to Rome, Georgia,
where she was laid to rest by the
side of her parents. President Will
son started on the retarn trip to
Washington TuesdayFevening at 6
O'cl0ck y