Martha May Townsend, daughter of Augustus and Catherine Townsend, was born on a farm near Springfield, Green county, Missouri on February 15, 1872.
She was the youngest of a family of five, Augusta Townsend Bark, deceased, Sutherland, Iowa; Geo. E. Townsend, Warren, Wyoming; Charles A. Townsend, deceased, Decatur county, Kansas; William Townsend, deceased and buried in Nome, Alaska; Martha May Townsend, Sutherland, Iowa.
When she was two years old, her parents moved to a farm near Falls City, Nebraska, where she lived for about four years. Then the urge of the pioneer spirit and the desire for a home of their own, caused her parents to load their possessions into their covered wagon and start with an emigrant train for the Black Hills.
Rumors of Indian troubles in that country influenced them to change their course to that they drove to Laramie, Wyoming, and there decided to return to the midwest.
Disposing of some of their cattle, they turned their faces toward the east and drove to Decatur County, Kansas, where the father took a homestead and built a sod house for the family.
In a short time the mother died, and two years later in 1881, the father died.
The family was broken up. The grandfather came and took Martha and her youngest brother to northeastern Kansas where he placed them with a family near Mankato.
In 1892 Martha came from there to Sutherland to make her home with her sister Augusta, and has resided here ever since.
In 1915 her sister died. Martha took charge of the home and her sister's seven year old daughter, Kathryn, gave her the loving care of a mother, watched her grown to womanhood, and saw her settled in a home of her own.
During all these years she found time to take an active part in the social and civic affairs of Sutherland. She was a charter member of Monday Club, the first Woman's Club of Sutherland, was its president for a number of years and even when her final sickness came. She was a charter member of the Home Culture Club and assisted in its organization.
She was a member of Sutherland chapter No. 82 Order of Eastern Star, its worthy matron for a term, and a charter member of Victory Chapter No. 498 when it succeeded Sutherland chapter. She was a charter member of Martha Jordan Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, its regent for a number of years and at the time of her death. She succeeded her sister, Augusta Bark, as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Sutherland Public Library and was a member of the Board for fifteen years.
For years she belonged to the Sutherland chapter of Woman's Relief Corps. She was a member of the Red Cross and gave most active service during the World war. She was among the first at the work rooms and the last to leave, and then took work home to do in her spare moments.
She was the youngest of a family of five, Augusta Townsend Bark, deceased, Sutherland, Iowa; Geo. E. Townsend, Warren, Wyoming; Charles A. Townsend, deceased, Decatur county, Kansas; William Townsend, deceased and buried in Nome, Alaska; Martha May Townsend, Sutherland, Iowa.
When she was two years old, her parents moved to a farm near Falls City, Nebraska, where she lived for about four years. Then the urge of the pioneer spirit and the desire for a home of their own, caused her parents to load their possessions into their covered wagon and start with an emigrant train for the Black Hills.
Rumors of Indian troubles in that country influenced them to change their course to that they drove to Laramie, Wyoming, and there decided to return to the midwest.
Disposing of some of their cattle, they turned their faces toward the east and drove to Decatur County, Kansas, where the father took a homestead and built a sod house for the family.
In a short time the mother died, and two years later in 1881, the father died.
The family was broken up. The grandfather came and took Martha and her youngest brother to northeastern Kansas where he placed them with a family near Mankato.
In 1892 Martha came from there to Sutherland to make her home with her sister Augusta, and has resided here ever since.
In 1915 her sister died. Martha took charge of the home and her sister's seven year old daughter, Kathryn, gave her the loving care of a mother, watched her grown to womanhood, and saw her settled in a home of her own.
During all these years she found time to take an active part in the social and civic affairs of Sutherland. She was a charter member of Monday Club, the first Woman's Club of Sutherland, was its president for a number of years and even when her final sickness came. She was a charter member of the Home Culture Club and assisted in its organization.
She was a member of Sutherland chapter No. 82 Order of Eastern Star, its worthy matron for a term, and a charter member of Victory Chapter No. 498 when it succeeded Sutherland chapter. She was a charter member of Martha Jordan Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, its regent for a number of years and at the time of her death. She succeeded her sister, Augusta Bark, as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Sutherland Public Library and was a member of the Board for fifteen years.
For years she belonged to the Sutherland chapter of Woman's Relief Corps. She was a member of the Red Cross and gave most active service during the World war. She was among the first at the work rooms and the last to leave, and then took work home to do in her spare moments.
Martha May Townsend, daughter of Augustus and Catherine Townsend, was born on a farm near Springfield, Green county, Missouri on February 15, 1872.
She was the youngest of a family of five, Augusta Townsend Bark, deceased, Sutherland, Iowa; Geo. E. Townsend, Warren, Wyoming; Charles A. Townsend, deceased, Decatur county, Kansas; William Townsend, deceased and buried in Nome, Alaska; Martha May Townsend, Sutherland, Iowa.
When she was two years old, her parents moved to a farm near Falls City, Nebraska, where she lived for about four years. Then the urge of the pioneer spirit and the desire for a home of their own, caused her parents to load their possessions into their covered wagon and start with an emigrant train for the Black Hills.
Rumors of Indian troubles in that country influenced them to change their course to that they drove to Laramie, Wyoming, and there decided to return to the midwest.
Disposing of some of their cattle, they turned their faces toward the east and drove to Decatur County, Kansas, where the father took a homestead and built a sod house for the family.
In a short time the mother died, and two years later in 1881, the father died.
The family was broken up. The grandfather came and took Martha and her youngest brother to northeastern Kansas where he placed them with a family near Mankato.
In 1892 Martha came from there to Sutherland to make her home with her sister Augusta, and has resided here ever since.
In 1915 her sister died. Martha took charge of the home and her sister's seven year old daughter, Kathryn, gave her the loving care of a mother, watched her grown to womanhood, and saw her settled in a home of her own.
During all these years she found time to take an active part in the social and civic affairs of Sutherland. She was a charter member of Monday Club, the first Woman's Club of Sutherland, was its president for a number of years and even when her final sickness came. She was a charter member of the Home Culture Club and assisted in its organization.
She was a member of Sutherland chapter No. 82 Order of Eastern Star, its worthy matron for a term, and a charter member of Victory Chapter No. 498 when it succeeded Sutherland chapter. She was a charter member of Martha Jordan Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, its regent for a number of years and at the time of her death. She succeeded her sister, Augusta Bark, as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Sutherland Public Library and was a member of the Board for fifteen years.
For years she belonged to the Sutherland chapter of Woman's Relief Corps. She was a member of the Red Cross and gave most active service during the World war. She was among the first at the work rooms and the last to leave, and then took work home to do in her spare moments.
She was the youngest of a family of five, Augusta Townsend Bark, deceased, Sutherland, Iowa; Geo. E. Townsend, Warren, Wyoming; Charles A. Townsend, deceased, Decatur county, Kansas; William Townsend, deceased and buried in Nome, Alaska; Martha May Townsend, Sutherland, Iowa.
When she was two years old, her parents moved to a farm near Falls City, Nebraska, where she lived for about four years. Then the urge of the pioneer spirit and the desire for a home of their own, caused her parents to load their possessions into their covered wagon and start with an emigrant train for the Black Hills.
Rumors of Indian troubles in that country influenced them to change their course to that they drove to Laramie, Wyoming, and there decided to return to the midwest.
Disposing of some of their cattle, they turned their faces toward the east and drove to Decatur County, Kansas, where the father took a homestead and built a sod house for the family.
In a short time the mother died, and two years later in 1881, the father died.
The family was broken up. The grandfather came and took Martha and her youngest brother to northeastern Kansas where he placed them with a family near Mankato.
In 1892 Martha came from there to Sutherland to make her home with her sister Augusta, and has resided here ever since.
In 1915 her sister died. Martha took charge of the home and her sister's seven year old daughter, Kathryn, gave her the loving care of a mother, watched her grown to womanhood, and saw her settled in a home of her own.
During all these years she found time to take an active part in the social and civic affairs of Sutherland. She was a charter member of Monday Club, the first Woman's Club of Sutherland, was its president for a number of years and even when her final sickness came. She was a charter member of the Home Culture Club and assisted in its organization.
She was a member of Sutherland chapter No. 82 Order of Eastern Star, its worthy matron for a term, and a charter member of Victory Chapter No. 498 when it succeeded Sutherland chapter. She was a charter member of Martha Jordan Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, its regent for a number of years and at the time of her death. She succeeded her sister, Augusta Bark, as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Sutherland Public Library and was a member of the Board for fifteen years.
For years she belonged to the Sutherland chapter of Woman's Relief Corps. She was a member of the Red Cross and gave most active service during the World war. She was among the first at the work rooms and the last to leave, and then took work home to do in her spare moments.
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