The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-07-01
Mrs. Joseph G. Boyer.

Mrs. Mary Louisa Boyer, of Eden
township, Decatur county, was born
February 1S, 1912, at Prairie Du
Rocher, Randolph county, Illinois,
and died Monday morning, May 10,
1915, aged 1903 years, 2 months and
z days old. She was member of
the Catholic church since childhood
and lived and died in the faith, true
to the church of her choice. She liv-
ed long and useful life, loved, hon
ored and respected by all who knew
her. She was kind neighbOr and
friend to the needy, sick and aff1ict-
ed, always benevolent and charitable.
Many will remember her hospitable
home in Eden township where she
lived for "a years. No one ever
went from her door hungry. She
gave with a bountiful hand the sub
stance of her hard toll.
She was married to Joseph G. Boy
er, at st. Louis, Mo-, in the year
1847. Eight children were born to
this union: Leander of st. Cloud,
Florida; Mrs Belle Gunter of Leon,
Iowa; Mrs. Amanda Bird Of Denver,
Colorado; Mrs. Mary Myers of Den
yer, Colorado, who died April 18,
1911; Harrison Boyer of Lamont,
Iowa; Sylvester Boyer of Lamont,
Iowa; Joe Boyer of Eden township,
who died, June -, 1898; Mrs. Cur
RE Campbell of Eden township who
died April 1, 1901.
After her marriage in 1847 her
husband and self located at Savan-
ma, Carroll county, Illinois, where
they purchased 100 acres of land, re-
siding there four years. Leander
was born there in 1S4S. They sold
out at Savanna and moved to Daven-
port, Scott county, Iowa, where they
purchased another farm of 100 acres,
four children being born to them at
Davenport. In 1856 they sold out at
county, locating in Eden township
acres of land of John J. Stanley, pay
heavy timber. There was small
and mother Boyer moved into with
their eight small children. They
both worked hard, toiling early and
late to make for themselves home
out of wilderness. There were no
neighbors in those days in Eden
township, but the deer and the wild
turkeys were plentiful. Game of all
kinds were in abundance. There was
no railroad in Decatur county then,
and not dozen business and dwell
ing houses in all in Leon. In two
years time the heavy timber was
cleared from the land and one hum
dred and twenty acres put under
fence and large barn and new
house built, fine orchard and vine
yard taking the place of the forest.
They soon had their farm in high
state of cultivation. Bountiful crops
were raised. They had everything
in abundance. Father Boyer's farm
was considered the best stocked farm
in southern Iowa. They afterwards
sold 80 acres of the land. Three
children were born on this farm, Syl-
vester, Joe and Carrie. Many trials
and hardships she passed through
during the civil war. Her husband
answered his country's call in 1861
and served in Sherman's army until
the close of the war in 1865. Her
son Leander enlisted and went to the
war at the same time, at ! Z years Of
age. When the war was over and
they came marching home there
were joyous times in the old home
on the farm again for her and her
family. In 1898 the messenger of
death brought sorrow to her home,
taking her only brother, Edmond
Derouse to his home above, and in
the same month, June II, 1898, the
death angel again visited her home
and bore her son Joe to his heavenly
home, leaving her heartbroken. In
1901 the pale boatman with his muf-
fled oar, returned and bore her
daughter, Carrie Campbell across the
dark river to her home above, leav-
ing her again in sorrow. On April
II, 1904, the death angel returned,
taking her husband and companion
from earth to heaven. The home
circle was broken, her trials and af-
Elections we're great. She bore all
with christian fortitude and patience.
She missed her loved ones on the
farm and seemed desolate without
them. She resided six years in the
old home after her husbands death,
then decided to 60 south for while
leaving Eden township in November,
1903. She visited till SPRING in
southern Missouri, then went to Flor
ida. She purchased an orange plan
tation two miles from St. Cloud. She
resided there over two years when
death took another of the family,
God calling her daughter, Mrs. Mary
Myers to her home in heaven on
April II, 1911, at Denver, Colorado.
One by one her loved ones had cross
ed the dark river to their home in
heaven. She became a great suffer
err from rheumatism while residing