This is the tombstone in Cedar Township's Bethel Cemetery of Michael Fouts (or Foutz), brought west by his children in old age to be cared for, then kind of left behind on his own when they moved on after his death.
That death was not noted in the Chariton newspapers, but I did find an obituary (left) --- in the Feb. 3, 1881, edition of The Altoona Tribune of Altoona, Pennsylvania. Here's how it reads:
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Michael Foutz died on December 30, 1880, in Lucas county, Iowa, at the residence of his son-in-law, Robert Shaffer. He was aged 82 years, 11 months and 20 days. Deceased was born in Frederick county, Md., came to Huntingdon county (Pennsylvania) in 1820, in which and Blair county he resided up to 1852, when he moved to Illinois, in which state and Iowa he resided up to his death. He was a consistent member of the Lutheran Church during his residence in Pennsylvania and on his removal to the West united himself with the Methodist Church, in which he died "a true believer in Christ." He leaves a large circle of relatives and friends in this and Huntington county to mourn the departure of their aged and respected friend.
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Michael, born Jan. 10, 1798, married Elizabeth Kuhn (or Koon) in Huntingdon County and started a family. They came west to Fulton County, Illinois, with many of their children --- and Elizabeth died in Fulton County during 1871.
By that time, two of the Fouts daughters, Elizabeth (married to Robert Shaffer) and Anna Catherine (married to George N. Shore) had settled in Lucas County and Michael came west to be cared for in his old age. He was living with the Shaffers in Cedar Township, not far from Bethel, when he died during 1880.
The Shaffers moved on to Shelby County, Iowa, not long after Michael died; and the Shores headed for Orange County, California, leaving Michael all by himself here in Lucas County.
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