Smyrna times., 1925-01-21
DEATH RECORD OF THE WEEK
Mrs. Amanda Ashcraft, Widow of DR..
William Ashcraft, Passes Away at
the Advanced Age of o. Years

L
] Mrs. Amanda NJ. Ashcraft, Smyr-
mas oldest woman, who had reacher
the advanced age of 95 years, die
last Wednesday after a lingering i'll
ness of general debility. Her death
removes another of Smyrna's old cit
liens who had lived a life of devotion
to her children and who in her dav
cultivated the best things in life, in
terested not only in her home but in
the community. She was a daughter
of the late Lowder T. Layton of Kent
County and was born and raised near
Dover. She was married twice. Her
first husband was William j. Wharton
of Dover. Two children survive this
union, both successful young men
Mr.. William w. Wharton of Philadel-
phia, and DR.. Charles NJ. Wharton,
director of athletics at the University
OF Pennsylvania, who has his home in
Dover. Following the death of Mr..
Wharton, the deceased married DR..
William Ashcraft who for thirty
years was a practicing physician of
Odessa, moving to Smyrna in 1878
where he practiced his profession and
had drug store connections with the
late DIR. j. w. Clifton under the firm
name Of Ashcraft & Clifton. DR.. Ash
craft died June 7, 1902. Mrs. Ash
craft continued to occupy the old
homestead on South Main Street near
South street until her health became
impaired. Then a severe fall crippled
her since which time she had been
boarding, part of the time at the
Colonial Hotel, part at the Delaware
House and recently at Mrs. Yates
Boarding House, corner of Mt. Vernon
and Market Street, where she died.
Funeral services took place from her
late residence on Main street, Friday
afternoon and interment was made in
the family lot in Odd Fellows Gene
terry.
Mrs. Helen Townsend Bush, of Odessa
Mrs. Helen Townsend Bush, a ma
tive Odessa girl, wife of Prof. Charles
W. Bush, principal of Friends School,
Wilmington, died at Z o'clock Satur-
day night at her home, 9O3 Delaware
avenue, Wilmington, following an i'll
ness of five months of complications.
She was 38 years old. Deceased was
the daughter of Cornelia S. and the
late George L. Townsend. She was
born in Odessa, where the greater
part of her life was spent. For a
few years she had lived in Whining
ton. During the late war she as
sisted her husband in Y. NJ. C. A.
work. in the southeastern department
at Chattanooga, Macon, and Rich
mond. She was an accomplished mu-
sician. Funeral services were held
from her home yesterday afternoon at
1.5O o'clock, with Rev. Richard w.
Trapnell, rector of st. Andrews
CHURCH officiating. Interment was in
the Old Drawers cemetery at Odes-
sa. There survive, besides her hus-
band and mother, two sisters, Miss
COrnelia Townsend, New York City
and Mrs. E. Glenn Cook of Whining
ton, and four brothers, S. D. Town
send, vice-president of the Whining
ton Trust Co.; George L. Townsend,
Jr., prominent Wilmington attorney,
residing at Newark; William S. Town
send, assistant secretary at the Will
mington Trust Co., and Henry S.
Townsend, assistant secretary of the
Security Trust Co. The late L. Scott
Townsend was brother
b. n. DanfOrth, Prominent Druggist
Nathan B. Danforth, well-known
Wilmington druggist,died at his home
1903 BroOme street, Wilmington, last
night at the age of 72 years. He had
been confined to his bed two weeks |
with pneumonia. He will be buried
in the Wilmington and Brandywine |
cemetery Friday afternoon. Mr.. Dam
forth had been a retail and wholesale |
druggist in Wilmington for as years.
He married Miss Elizabeth Jones, |
daughter of Washington Jones, of |
Wilmington. Miss Edith S. Danforth, |
his daughter; A. H. Danforth, of Low |
er California, his brother, and Mrs. J.
B. Cope, of Germantown, Pa, his sis
ter, survive him.
Charles Collins, a Native Smyrnian
Charles Collins, aged II, bachelor
who for a number of years made his
home with his brOther,the late George
d. Collins, and after his death with
his niece Mrs. Joseph H. Primrose,
died at the Delaware Hospital, Sun
day after a lingering illness. He was
a son of the late Benjamin and Sarah
Davis Collins and spent nearly his
whole life in this vicinity. His re-
mains were brought to Smyrna where
funeral services took place this after
noon and interment was made in the
family lot in GlenwoOd Cemetery. He
is survived by one brother Frank Col
Inns Of Toledo, Ohio.