Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1924-11-27
MRS. VIC. HARDING
DIES IN HOSPITAL
Widow of Late President
Succumbs After Long Ill
ness; Buried at Marion.

Marion. Ohio.-Florence King Hard
ing, widow Of Warren G.. Harding,
twenty-ninth Chief Executive of the
United States, died.
The end came at the White Oaks
sanitarium of DR.. Carl w. Sawyer,
where she had been fighting for life
for the last few weeks.
Mrs. Harding's death was due di-
rectly to a kidney ailment, from which
she had suffered for years, and which
nearly resulted fatally while she was
mistress of the White House. She died
peacefully, Doctor Sawyer said.
Doctor Sawyer's statement on the
causes of death gave chronic nephritis,
MIC carditis and hydro nethrosis. Cliff
ford b. King, Mrs. Harding's brother,
George B. Christian, Jr., who had been
secretary to Mr.. Harding; Mrs. Mary
Sawyer, widow of Brig. Gen. Charles
E. Sawyer, and DR.. Carl Sawyer were
present when the end came.
The funeral services were held at
Epworth Methodist Episcopal church.
Rev. Jesse Swank, pastor of the church
and who conducted the funeral serv-
ices for President Harding, was in
charge. He was assisted by Rev.
George M. Lands, pastor of Trinity
Baptist church, of which Mr.. Harding
was a member Mrs. Harding had been
a member of Epworth Methodist
church since girlhood.
Tn ~ IN MOI on
cemetery the body of Mrs Florence
King Harding was laid beside that of
her husband.
Only 15 months ago Mrs. Harding,
leaning on the arm of George B. Chris
tan. Jr., private secretary to President
Harding, followed the bier of her hus-
band to the little tomb and saw it
placed tenderly inside to await her
coming Rows of soldiers stood at at
tention as their commander in chief
had been consigned to. the temporary
resting place.
The life story of Florence King
Harding, like an epic of sturdy Amer
lean womanhood, was chronicle Of
continual struggle against great odds.
and of continual accomplishments
After she> became first lady of the
land, as always in the years preced-
ing, the helpless and the unfortunate
received the fullnest measure of her
devotion. Children Of every class had
her unfailing attention. Wounded
veterans OF the World. war owed her
many debt for hours gladdened by
her visits to their hospitals or by
flowers send by her personal order
from the White House.
Of those gathered around Mr.. Hard
ing when he entered the preconven-
ton campaign of 1920, there was none
who kept better informed on what was
done to further his candidacy than
Mrs. Harding.
After the nomination. Mrs. Harding
became, in spite of the growing threat
of physical collapse, an active figure
in the front porch campaign.
Mrs. Harding was born in Marion,
Ohio, in 1850, of sturdy stock of
pioneers, her father Amos King, be-
ing one of the towns first settlers.
1IShe married MIR. Harding in 1891,
when things did not look too bright
for him. He had just taken over the
ownership OF the Marion Star, and it
was loaded down with mortgages and
still had to make place for itself
In the community
She went to work in the business
office and soon was in charge of adj
yertising and circulation, buying the
print paper and other supplies. and
even standing by the presses and in
structing the carriers before they
started on their routes. She moth
cred the club established for the car
rier boys. one of whom, answering
to the name of Baldinger, entered the
army, rose to the rank of major, and
was later detailed at the White House
as military aid to the President. An
other was George Christian, who be-
came the Presidents private secre-
fairy.
She was a member of the Method
list Episcopal church, but was very
tolerant of others, and as the Presi-
dent was Baptist, it was the custom
of the Hardings to attend the Calvary
l.