The Glenwood Opinion Tribune
29 December 1938

FUNERAL SERVICES HELD IN TABOR FOR MRS. H. A. DELAVAN

Many Paid Tribute to Long Time Mills County Resdient, Who was Born in Log Cabin in 1853. Interment Made at Pleasant Hill

Funeral services were held in the Reeves Funeral home in Tabor, Monday, December 19th, for Mrs. H. A. Delavan, highly respected and long time resident of Mills county, who died at her home in Tabor on December 17th.

Rev. Wm. Lee of Henderson, was in charge of the services with music being furnished by Mrs. Lyle Weatherhead and Ben Hall, with Miss Alice Gilbert as pianist. Musical numbers were "No Night There" and "Whispering Hope." Pallbearers were Sam Estes, Elmer Estes, Ray Estes, Nelson Delavan, Paul Seeger and Edwin Seeger. Assisting in the care of the flowers were Leota Estes, Grace Evans, Thelia Timson and Josephine Reeves.

The body was taken to the Pleasant Hill cemetery, where interment was made.

Margaret Mildred Estes, third daughter of Richard and Elizabeth Harrison Estes, was born May 10, 1853 in Rawles township, Mills county, Iowa, and departed this life December 17, 1938, at the age of 85 years, seven months and seven days.

She was born in a log cabin on the Estes homestead where the Joe Bateman home now stands. Here she grew to womanhood with six sisters, two brothers and two half-brothers. Receiving her education of a few months at Shady Grove and Center schools besides helping with such work as the pioneers had to endure that was considered far more important than education.

On September 1, 1870 she was married to Hiram A. Delavan, and to this union five children were born. Their first born, a tiny infant daughter, passed away in infancy. Then Edward C. at the age of 22, Lulu at the age of 18, and then her loving husband preceded her in death in 1923. The first year of their married life was pleasantly spent with his brother and her sister, Mr. and Mrs. H. N. Delavan. The second year they built them a two room house where the Delavan home now stands in Rawles township. Here they resided except for four months which they spent in Kansas on land they owned there, and a few months at a time away visiting until 1894. They built the present improvements, sharing their joys and sorrows, laboring together until 1908 when they moved to north Tabor that the young daughter might have the benefit of the schools.

In February, 1871, she was converted and baptized by Rev. Studly of the Christian church in Rawles township, where she remained a faithful member until the church was torn down in 1934 and used to build an addition on the Christian church at Glenwood, where a plaque was placed bearing her name, with other living members of the Pleasant Hill church who gave it as a memorial.

Surviving her are one son, Richard Delavan and wife, May Delavan of Glenwood; one daughter, Erville Delavan LeMire and husband, C. P. LeMire of Kansas City, Missouri; two grandsons, Paul and Dallas Delavan, one granddaughter, Margaret Erville LeMire of Kansas City, Missouri. Also Mrs. Lucile Delavan, wife of Dallas D. and a great-grandson, Kenneth Harley Delavan; four sisters and one brother, besides a number of nieces and nephews and a host of friends.

Spending her entire life within four miles of her birthplace, she saw many changes and developments in the community from which she will be greatly missed.

Out-of-town relatives and friends in attendance at the services were: Mr. and Mrs. A. L. Smith, Shenandoah; Earl Dashner, Rebecca Howard, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Estes, Mr. and Mrs. Edd Hodges, Mrs. Marie Hodges, Paul Seeger of Malvern; Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Hansen, Mrs. G. C. Seeger, Mrs. Gladys Ulm, Mrs. Theresa Gress of Council Bluffs; Mrs. Geneva Swenson, Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Delavan of Omaha, Nebraska; Geo. Harrison and Charles Harrison of Harlan; Myrtle Delavan, Leslie Pippitt, Dr. and Mrs. Geo. R. Estes, Mrs. Ollie Wolfe, Mr. and Mrs. Guy Wolfe, Mrs. W. J. Fitzpatrick, Wade Delavan, Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Linville, Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Mayberry, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Seeger, Miss Betty Estes, Mr. and Mrs. Ivory Linville, all of Glenwood, and Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Williams and daughter, Arlene, of Lincoln, Nebraska.