Mrs. Bessie Olver Matthews:
Though she was thought to be well on the road to recovery from a three week's illness, a sudden turn in the condition of Mrs. Bessie Matthews resulted in her death at the family home on Cherry Street, about 3 o'clock on Christmas morning.
Deceased was born sixty-four years ago, on April 6, 1860, in Bere Alston, England, her maiden name having been Bessie Hoskin. She came to this country at a comparatively early age.
In England, in 1877, she was united in marriage with Harry Olver, and eleven years of wedded life were enjoyed. Four daughters and one son survive from this marriage, Mrs. William Phillips, Mrs. Joseph Thomas, Mrs. Wilfred Dompierre, Mrs. Edith Hampton and Harry Olver, all of Negaunee. Another son, George Olver was a victim of an accident in the Hartford mine nineteen years ago. In 1887, not long after the couple had taken up residence in Negaunee, Mr. Olver died.
In 1897, Mrs. Olver was married to John Matthews by which marriage two sons and a daughter are added to the list of surviving relatives. Wilbert Matthews, Hamilton, Ill; Frank Matthews, Negaunee; and Mrs. Percy Datson, of Negaunee. Mr. Matthews died March 19, 1911, since which time Mrs. Matthews had continued to reside in Negaunee, in the enjoyment of good health until a few weeks ago. In addition to those previously mentioned, two brothers are bereaved by the death of Mrs. Matthews, James Jenkins, Negaunee; and William H. Jenkins, Butterfield, Minn. Thirty eight grandchildren and six great grandchildren also survive.
Funeral services will be held at St. John's Episcopal church at 2:00 o'clock Sunday afternoon, the rector, Rev. Thomas Foster officiating. Prior to departure from the home for the church, the ritualistic ceremony of the Daughters of St. George will be performed, the deceased having been a member of this organization for many years. The remains will be borne to their final resting place by six grandsons.

She was born in Berealston, Devonshire, England. her father, Thomas Hoskin, died when she was 10 mos. old and immediately her mother, Livinia Sleep dropped the Hoskin name and began going by the surname Jenkin, which had been her previous marriage name. So, half the time Bessie went by Jenkin, too.

Bessie Olver's husband left for the U.S. and when he sent for her and the kids the next year, she arrived about 4 months pregnant. Although her husband could not have been the father of the baby, he took her in as though she were his. He realized that without him, life was terribly hard for his family, and feeding the children might have required her to do things she wouldn't have done otherwise.

Before long, both he and the little girl, named Bessie Idabel, both got sick. Idabel with scarlet fever, Harry Olver with arsenic poisoning from working in the mines. He told Bessie to look after the baby, that he was okay, but they both died. Sadly, the child is never mentioned in any family information, obituaries, etc. due to shame.

After the death of Henry Olver, she married John Matthews and had 3 more children.