The Oskaloosa herald., 1915-08-26
GOOD ANGEL OF POOR
Former 0skaloosan is MOurned BY
the People Of Denver.

AObANN vi a ANAA4ctl hNAbAG ""OLl
an who for many years was a residen
of OskaloOsa. Many local people, es
Ipecially among the older residents
will recall the yine-clad cottage tina
stood on the corner where the higl
school now stands, and will also re
member the good old lady who wa
so generous with her beautiful flow
ers. The Post says;
Once there was an old woman,
white haired, sweet faced old woman
who lived in a little house with he
blind son. She cultivated an old-fash
Toned flower garden and gave the flow
ers to sick children and poor mothers
and broken down old men. When aI".
of her friends died she strewed tht
coffin and the grave with hollyhockI
and bachelor buttons and morning
glories from the old fashioned garden
And the people who lived near hel
grew to love her.
Yesterday morning she died She
was known TO her many frieds at
Aunt Hannah. Her full name was Han
nah Duncan, and she was 81 years
old. She lived at 3016 Elizabeth street
with her blind son, Thomas, who is
~ Tomorrow they will bury her al
Crown Hill cemetery and strew hei
grave with the old fashioned flowers
she loved SO dearly.
Hannah Duncan was never inside
the doors of any church. Il have new.
err been in a church, and when l die
don't want the funeral service to be
held in church" she often told her
friends. So she will be buried from
Olinger's mortuary. "a
Hannah Duncan's philosophy of life
was practical She believed in the
of faith by. good works.
Years ago she was rich, so far as
worlds goods are concerned, but she
suffering of the poor and unfortunate.
All that she had she divided with 9th.
ers until, when she came to die, her
friends were compelled to take up a
collection among themselves to pay
for her burial.
Seventeen years ago Hannah Dun
can came to Denver from Oskaloosa,
Iowa, in hope of benefiting her health.
She was becoming blind and her child
rem urged her to come to Colorado in
the hope that the general improve
ment of her health would restore her
eyesight She buried two of her child.
rem, Maggie Duncan and Perry Dun.
can soon after she came here, and,
though her health was improved by
the Colorado climate, her eyesight
was never completely restored.
In 0skaloosa she was known and
loved by every man, woman and child
for the old-fashioned flowers in her
garden. The cultivation of this garden
was a life long hobby and she won
fame in the little town by stTewing
her flowers on the graves of all who
died. They loved her, too, for her char
tiles. She gave practically all her
earthly substance to the poor people
Of the town and was reduced almost
10 poverty when she came to Denver
n 1898.
But she had her flowers. And when
she came away from the Iowa town to
he big city she brought carload of
flowers with her In the
back yard of her home at 3016 Eliza
beth street she planted a new garden
md cultivated it every year until this
asst summer, when her health broke
Town and she was unable to leave her
bed for days at a time.
But the neighbOrs and friends who
anne to this city from Oskaloosa
there are many Oskaloosa people in
Denver, and they all knew Hannah
Duncan) and her aged son Thomas,
planted a garden this year, because
hey loved her, and remembered the
fears she had been kind to them by
bringing her flowers to the bedsides
If their sick and dying
Several weeks ago she arose from
Ter sick bed and walked out into the
ard TO see the flowers. She was not
otally blind; besides she could feel
hem. She fell and was injured to
juch an extent she was carried back
o her bed, and was never able to leave
t again. But every day some of the
leighbors would bring a boquet to her
'edside from the old fashioned garden
md she never forgot to smile through
he tears in her weak old eyes and
Kiss the hands that ministered to her.
Five years ago both she and her
on, Thomas, became totally blind. She
emained so for months, but had been
bile to see a little since then, al
hough her son never recovered. But
Ter son has always been kind to her
md has tried all his life, in spite OF
lis affliction, to make her happy.
Thomas Is an old broken man now,
md since his mothers death has re-
used to. talH. He stays in the room
where she died and refuses to be com.
orted, although many kind friends
lave tried to take him to their homes
)nce Thomas was worth 100000. He
made a fortune in Leadyille In the
lays of the mining boom there, but he
ost it through speculation in the Ne
ada Gold fields For the last three
ears he and his mother have been
PARTIALLY dependent on charity and
AVE received aid from the city board
4 charities. IN lg.-
I A few weeks ago the Oskaloosa peo-
lie in Denver organized trust fund
hey intended 10 deposit to the credit
4 Hannah Duncan and her son, TO pro
-ide for them as long as they should
i've. Mrs Duncan died, however, with
nut realizing any benefit from this
und. 80.
Mrs. j. A. Gould, formerly OF Oska-
oosa. now living at 1915 Lowell boule
ard in this city, has taken care of
hannah Duncan for the last three