"Amelia Springer, the subject of this sketch, was born in Marshall county, Illinois, March 8, 1842. Her early years were spent in and around Wenona and later in life she taught school in Wenona, Sparland, and Sandy. This occupation she followed for twelve years.
She was married in Wenona, Ill., June 27, 1877, to John M. Iliff, but only four years of wedded life awaited her, for on Feb. 11, 1881, her husband died, leaving her a widow with one child, Eddie, who was born August 17, 1878, to fight the battle for life alone. For a few years she made her home in Wenona, but the death angel came for her boy, snatching him away from her side December 16, 1885, aged but seven years.
Bereft of husband and child she entered the home of her brother Melvin Springer in Oskaloosa, Iowa, to care for his motherless children. With this family she moved to Galesburg, Ill., then to Denver, Col., and at the time of her death was living at Pomona, Ca.
Four years ago she had a stroke of paralysis, from which she never fully recovered. The second stroke came the 30th and the angels came the 31st of January, 1916, and bore away this saint of God to her everlasting rest, aged 73 years, 10 months and 23 days.
She leaves two sisters and two brothers: Mrs. Delia Kemp and Mrs. Helen Axline both of Wenona, Ill., Melvin Springer, [William Melville] of Pomona, Ca., and the Rev. Creighton Springer, a retired minister of the Central Illinois Conference, residing at North Yakima, Wash.
Many nieces and nephews will mourn her loss and "Grandma," as she was familiarly called, will be sadly missed by those who experienced the loving smile and tender care of this truly noble woman.
Mrs. Iliff was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church; uniting with it early in life. During her long membership she filled many important offices and few have discharged their duties as faithfully and as conscientiously as did she.
Faithful in "least" she was also faithful in "much" –left alone, without the support of husband or child, she leaned hard on God and served him with her whole heart. Surely we can say of her, she was one of those who, having come up out of great tribulations, had washed her robes and home them white in the blood of the Lamb.
The funeral service was held at the home of Mrs. Alice Iliff, Monday, Feb. 7, at 2 o'clock p.m., the Rev. Arthur J. Jolly, Ph.D., pastor of the Methodist church of Washburn, conducting. The floral tributes were many and beautiful. A quartet sang the songs she loved and the last rites were given in the Fort cemetery where she will sleep till the Trumpet Call shall awaken her to the Resurrection of the Just."
The Washburn Leader, Feb. 10, 1916.