River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1921-02-03
MRS. GERTRUDE FULLER

| WI I'D. Nfih II ~
Mrs. Gertrude B. Fuller died at the
home Of her son, Fsank A. Fuller, on
Third street, Saturday morning, jan
uary 20. Funeral services were held
at 2 o'clock Sunday afternoon at the
Methodist church, Rev. G. A. Bird Of
floating. Interment was made in the
in the family lot in Greenwood CENT
etery.
Gertrude B. Franklin was born in
st. Lawrence county, New York, on
October a, 1888. There she lived with
her parents until her marriages on
February %, 1855, to ]. III. Fuller.
She and her husband then came west
| to live in small settlement in Mime
sofa, near st. Anthony's Falls, now
| the city OF St. Paul. In those days
Indians were a source OF danger to
white settlers and Minnesota settlers
| knew the terror Of the war-hoop and
| the massacre One night the people
of this little community heard the
| pow-wows and the war dances and re-
ceived warning of an approaching at
tack. The settlers made all prepare
tions and were armed and ready, and
| though for some reason the attack
was not made, the incident reveals
the spirit of courage and fortitude OF
| this pioneer woman who did her share
in the hour of peril.
Later the family moved to Wiscon-
sin, where Mr.. Fuller took home
stead, cleared piece of land and built
a shanty for the family and shed for
the oxen and the cow. For several
weeks the only door to their home was
a blanket hung in the doorway. When
/ Mr.. Fuller went to Prescott for pro-
visions the trip required two days on
account of the poor roads and the
slowness of the oxen. These nights,
without her husband as protection.
were anxius times for the mother
| with only blanket between her little
ones and the possible dangers without.
But a greater test of fortitude was
yet to come, for, when the country
became involved in civil war and the
Union called for volunteers, Mr.. Full
Tier enlisted, and Mrs. Fuller, during
the three years of her husbands ab-
sence, assumed the sole responsibility
of her family of three little ones, the
stock and her garden.
After twenty-five years of life on
| this homestead the family moved to
River Falls in order that the children
might attend the Normal school.
| Meanwhile, in 1892, when Mrs. Fuller
! was between fifty ad sixty years of
age, she went with her husband to
North Dakota, where he had large
farming interests, and cooked for the
crews needed in farm work. And
so, for six years, she spent eight
months ont Of each year in this way
and seemed to enjoy it.
! Mr.. Fuller died in 1898. Mrs. Full
| ler's health began to fail, and having
become a semi-invalid, she went o
make her home with her son Frank
in River Falls, where she has been
contented and happy.
Mrs. Fuller was a good mother to
her own six children and a step-son:
joseph C. Fuller, Methodist nlinist-
or, who died in 1877 at the age Of
twenty-six; John Henry, who died in
1876, q THE age of ninteen while at
tending the Normal at River Falls;
F. A. Fuller, w. L. Fuller, and Mrs.
J. L. Chapman of River Falls; Grant
| G. Fuller, who died in 1900; and Char
lie, who died at the age of two years
and six months. in 1877.
] Mrs. Fuller was a consistent mem
/ Der of the Methodist Episcopal church
which she joined e&rly in life. Not
withdrawing her many sorrows she
was Of a cheerful and happy DISPOSE
ton, her mind and heart completely
occupied with ministering to the hap
piness and comfort Of her family. She
ever possessed the love and confidence
of her husband and children. her step
son assuring her repeatedly that she
had been a real mother to him, as he
would have never known that
he was a step-son had he not been
told. Her children, looking TO her for
guidance, were ever pointed to the
right way. She was good wife, a
good mother. Is there any higher