The hard-luck Halls and their obituaries

Find a Grave photos by Doris Christensen

Elizabeth Jane "Jennie" Hall was only 16 when she died in Chariton three days after Christmas, on Dec. 28, 1867, most likely of tuberculosis. She has the dubious distinction of being the subject of the first obituary of any length that appears in surviving issues of Chariton newspapers. The Patriot had been published since 1857, but early editions have vanished. The Democrat was in its early months when Jennie's death occurred.

There were various reasons for brevity in all newspapers of that era --- most deaths, when noted at all, merited only a sentence or two unless the deceased was a person of considerable consequence. One was the fact all type had to be hand-set, letter by letter and space by space, a time-consuming process. Among the others --- editor John V. Faith preferred to fill his local columns with inch after inch of editorializing rather than news.

Jennie's obituary, which arrived in The Democrat office --- then housed in rented office space in the courthouse --- in the form of a letter signed "E.M.C.," perhaps the family's pastor, was not published until Feb. 1, 1868, as follows:

OBITUARY

Chariton, Iowa, Jan. 29, 1868

Editor, Chariton Democrat --- Our friends are all aware, doubtless, of the death of the late Miss Jennie Hall, of this place, which occurred December 28th, 1867. It is but proper to say, that she was a young lady of bright intellect; of good education, and refinement. We must all join in saying that Chariton has lost one of its brightest flowers.

The grim monster, death, has been among us, and taken one of the fairest from our midst. Among her circle of friends and associates she was a shining star, by her innocent and happy merriment. Among the sick, she was an angel of mercy. She was kind and gentle, and there was none but what hoped that she might long be spared to render happy and joyful the home she adorned, and the circle to which she was so deeply attached. She has gone, but her many virtues will live, and follow after her.

She was too sensitive a flower for the rude winters of time. She bore her sickness and long suffering with the fortitude of a christian and died happy and triumphant in the Lord. What a comfort and consolation for a loving mother, to know that her darling daughter is wearing a crown of glory, in her eternal home, where dwelleth the upright in heart. And when the clouds shall have rolled and passed away, and the mist cleared from our eyes, shall we not behold her beautiful as she was on earth, with a golden wreath on her pure brow. And may the guardian angel that watched over, protected and kept her pure on earth, comfort and console her father, mother, brothers and sisters until their Father shall call them hence to meet their loved one. Well may we say:

"Dearest sister, thou hast left us,

Here thy loss we deeply feel;

But 'tis  God that has bereft us,

He can all our sorrows heal.

"Peaceful be thy silent slumbers,

Peaceful in the grave so low;

Thou no more shalt join our numbers,

Thou no more our songs shall know."

The obituary lacks biographical information, but Jennie was young and so there was little of that to begin with. She born April 2, 1851, on a farm near Chariton, the first child of William J. and Mary Catherine (Walthall) Hall born in Iowa after the couple and their older children had moved here from Indiana during 1850.

Nor does the obituary tell us that her death occurred during a period of great sadness for the family. A younger sister, Ida May, had died on Aug. 1, 1867, at the age of 7; an older brother, William F., was seriously ill and would died on Aug. 27, 1868, at the age of 22.

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When Jennie died, her father was considered to be an influential man. He had been elected county sheriff in 1853 and served as town marshal for a number of years thereafter, engaging in a variety of businesses as well. When the 1860 census was taken, he owned real estate valued at $6,000 and personal property, at $1,000, not huge amounts but reflecting relative affluence for the time.

But at some point, things began to go badly wrong --- and it's tempting to wonder if grief might have had something to do with his alcoholism and related difficulties. He survived his children by many years, until age 72, but by that time was was broke and estranged from his wife and their children.

His death was reported in The Chariton Herald of July 4, 1895, as follows:

W. J. Hall, commonly known as Jack, died Sunday morning at 5:15 o'clock after a lingering illness, interment taking place the same afternoon at 2 o'clock from the Kelly house, under the direction of Seth Lewis, overseer of the poor, assisted by Rev. A. Jacobs. Deceased was an early settler in Lucas county, and in 1853 was elected sheriff of the county, later serving in other public capacities. He was raised and married in Indiana. He was a queer character in the community and probably abused himself more than anyone else. He was the father of four or five bright children who have for some years lived apart from their father, in the far west. Rev. Jacobs will preach his funeral sermon at the Baptist church next Sunday evening.

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Mary Catharine Hall was living in Denver, Colorado, when William died as were several of her surviving children --- Margaret, Byron and Joshua. Another son, James, continued to live near Chariton. She died in Denver at the age of 86 on March 11, 1913, and her remains were returned to Chariton for burial.