Mrs. Louisa Winn of Peoria, a resident of Wyoming for more than sixty years, died at the St. Francis hospital, Peoria, on June 26, 1931. Her body was brought to Wyoming and funeral services were conducted in Wyoming at 2:30 o'clock Sunday afternoon, and burial was in Wyoming cemetery. Rev. C. E. Withrow, pastor of the Methodist church, was in charge of the services. Mrs. Winn had been ill for many months prior to her death.
Mrs. M. G. Humphrey and Mrs. Dean Winn, accompanied by Mrs. R. J. Teeter, sang comfortingly at the service. Casket bearers were Ernest, Earl and Fred Eckley, Fred Mark and Elmer Winn, all relatives of the deceased.
The following obituary was read at the service:
After an illness of many months, death came to Mrs. Louisa Winn at St. Francis hospital, Peoria, June 26, 1931. Although Mrs. Winn had lived in Peoria for the past five years, there are many who will remember her, for she was a resident of this community for more than sixty years.
Louisa Cedelia Shore was born on February 7, 1844, at LaFayette, Ill., daughter of John and Mary Ann Brandenberg Shore. Her parents were pioneers in this state, the father having come from England and the mother from Maryland. Mrs. Winn received her education in the school of LaFayette. Later she went to Wethersfield, where she followed the occupation of dressmaking. This was about the time of the Civil war. One of her enterprises was that of making quilts, which she sold to help raise funds for the war. One of these quilts is now in the possession of her family.
On December 23, 1869, she was united in marriage to Marshall Winn, who passed away March 17, 1904. She is survived by her son Edgar, her grandson, Dean Winn; three granddaughters, Dorothy, Alice Louise and Deana Marie Winn, and by two nephews, Jesse and Bert Shore.
After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Winn lived for a time in the house in which the Curtis tailor shop is now located. It was there that they were often visited by Indians to whom Mrs. Winn never became accustomed. The young couple built the house now occupied by the Herman Thieben family on North Seventh street and it was in this house that Mrs. Winn lived for the more than sixty years of her residence in Wyoming.
Mrs. Winn's two outstanding qualities were daily devotion and patriotism. Besides rearing her son, she gave a home to her nephew, Jesse Shore, and her niece Cora, and to her grandson Dean. She was a good neighbor, every ready to assist her friends in whatever task was at hand. In those days neighborliness meant more than it does now, for they often took the places of doctors and nurses. She was an active member of the Baptist church as long as it held services, and was a valued member.
Not only was she active in patriotic work during the Civil war, but again during the Spanish-American war she assisted the various organizations in raising money for the relief of the soldiers. This time she made holders of twine, which were sold, and the funds turned over to the Red Cross. Mrs. Winn lived through three wars and it would be difficult to find a more patrioticly minded person than she was. She has a nephew who is now in the quartermaster department of the United States army in Texas.
In the later years of her life her special delight was her three granddaughters. Many are the quiet talks she gave them out of the fullness of her own rich experiences in life which if they heed should make them good and respected women. To her son, grandson, granddaughters and friends she thus leaves a wonderful heritage of a life well lived.