Posted on: Wood Co. Wi Obits Forum Board URL: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Wi/WoodObits?read=252 Surname: BROWN, HARKNESS, PIERCE, TENNANT, WARD ------------------------- Mrs William H BROWN Obit taken from the Centralia Enterprise & Tribune, Wood County Wisconsin, Saturday Sep 19, 1896, Page 1 Death of Mrs William H BROWN Mary, the beloved wife of William H BROWN, died at the home of her daughter, Mrs H J STOCKING, in St Paul, Minnesota on last Wednesday afternoon, the 16th of Sep, after an illness of about ten days. Mrs BROWN, in company with her husband, departed for St Paul on Monday the 7th, for the purpose of attending the GAR annual encampment and to pay a long deferred visit to her daughter's family. She had not been in St Paul long before she was taken ill. A physician was called and prescribed treatment. She rallied for a few days but during the latter part of the week she fell into a stupor from which she did not again fully recover. A consultation of pysicians was then held and it was agreed that a slow process of congestion of the brain was taking place, which could not fail to cause her gradual decline or to induce paralysis. It was also agreed that this process of congestion had probably been going on for several weeks, and while the trip to St Paul may have hastened the end the ultimate result would have been the same. Death came slowly and painlessly, Mrs Brown retaining consciousness to the last, especially during her wakeful moments. The maiden name of the deceased was Mary HARKNESS. She was born at Three Rivers, between Montreal and Quebec, in Lower Canada, October 22, 1835. She was therefore sixty years, ten months and twenty-four days old at the time of her death. She came to Wisconsin in 1850, and in 1854 was married at Plover to O. P. WARD, who died in 1873. She first became a resident of Wood County in 1856 and has continuously resided here ever since. On the 27th day of February, 1879, she was joined in holy wedlock to W H BROWN. Mrs BROWN was a member of a family of ten children, four of whom now survive, two brothers and two sisters; Thomas HARKNESS, of Atchinson, KS; John HARKNESS, of McMinnville, TN; Elizabeth, wife of George PIERCE, of Plainfield WI; and Isabelle, wife of E.A. TENNANT, of Grand Rapids. Mrs BROWN was the mother of two children, George WARD, an old and trusted engineer on the GB & WRR, and Mrs H J STOCKING, of St Paul, whose husband is also a railroad man of long experience. All the members of the family were at her bedside during the last two days of her illness and when the final summons came. In the death of Mrs BROWN this community has lost one of its noblest women, her husband a true helpmate, her children a kind and affectionate mother and the Congregational church society a faithful member of more than a quarter of a century's standing. The funeral services will be held from the Congregational church tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon, at two o'clock. Joan M BENNER, Golden Rule Genealogy Member, Association of Professional Genealogists Rootsweb Sponsor Link: Golden Rule Genealogy URL: <http://www.rootsweb.com/~wiwood/resource/r-joanb.htm>