OBITUARY:

After a lingering illness dating from Christmas Day, and marked by a patience and fortitude seldom witnessed, Mrs. Margaret J. Thomas, passed away at the home of her daughter, Mrs. V.H. Clark last Friday. All of her children were with her except Mrs. Jennie Brownfield, who had been called to her home in Illinois a few days ago. Mrs. Thomas has been very feeble for a number of months but her final illness was of about six weeks duration, anemia being the cause of her death. For some years she has made her home with her daughters, Mrs. V.H. Clark and Mrs. George McCoy in this city and was well known and greatly loved by all who knew her. She bore her sufferings bravely and met the end with that sublime courage which marks the hero of the field of battle. Her christian character shown with more than usual luster during her sickness and those who came and went in the sick room during her illness will attest the truth of the words of John Wesley, that "our people die well".

Margaret Jane McCann was born in Boone County Indiana, April 29, 1831, and died February 7, 1908 at the age of 76 years, 9 months and 8 days. She was united in marriage to John Thomas, March 29, 1849, coming to Illinois in 1853 and to Nebraska in 1883 where they settled on a farm in Polk County. To this union were born ten children, four sons and six daughters, six of them survive her. They are John E. and Chas. Thomas, Hattie Funkhouser, Mary McCoy, Jennie Brownfield and Mattie Clark, all of whom were at her bed side during her last illness. Her husband preceded her to the Great Beyond in 1898. Mother Thomas affiliated with the M.E. church in very early life and continued a consistent and faithful member.

The funeral services were held from the M.E. church Monday morning at 10:30, Rev. L.M. Grigsby of University Place, preaching the funeral sermon. The text from Rev. xiv 13. "And I heard a voice from heaven saying, write, Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord; from henceforth they rest from their labors and their works do follow them. Rev. Grigsby'' sermon from the above text was radiant with hope and convincing in logic. He spoke wittingly of the life of the deceased and gave an admonition to follow and emulate her example. Mrs. Wm. Merrick sang a solo, by request of the children and the choir sang "Lead Kindly Light". At noon the funeral procession moved slowly to the cemetery, where the dust of this beloved woman was given back to earth. The pall bearers were J.A. Jackson, A.A. Gray, John Ludlow, J. Lucke, J.D. Corey and Wm. Campbell


1880 Census says her parents were born in Virginia