Clairon News, Princeton, Indiana, Thursday, February 4, 1932

Mrs. Mary Ella McCormick

Relatives here received messages this morning announcing the death of Mrs. Mary Ella McCormick, at 11 o’clock last night. For some time she had been ill at the St. Anthony hospital, in Louisville, and it was there that she died. The body will arrive in Princeton at 2:30 o’clock Friday morning and will be taken to the Pfohl Funeral home.

The funeral service will be held at the Pfohl Funeral home Friday afternoon at 2 o’clock, with the Rev. Dr. L. C. Jeffery in charge, assisted by the Rev. J. P. Nesbit. Interment will be in the Warnock cemetery.

Surviving are a son, Willard, of Louisville, three grandchildren, Miss Mary Esther McCormick, daughter of the late Charles E McCormick, now residing in Princeton with her mother, Mrs. Eunice McCormick; Willard, Jr. and Charles Thomas sons of Mr. and Mrs. Willard McCormick.

Mrs. McCormick, whose maiden name was Mary Ella Garrison, was the daughter of Samuel Garrison and Mary Ann Shanner Garrison. She was born eighty-one years ago in the snake Run neighborhood east of Ft. Branch, but lived most of her early life in Center township. She was united in marriage to the late James McCormick, for many years a widely known Princeton newspaper editor and publisher. Mr. McCormick founded the Princeton Evening News, the city’s first daily paper. He died in Louisville, July 10, 1930. To this union were born two sons, Charles E and Willard. Charles E, who passed away in 1929, was associated with his father in the publishing business and later held positions on both the local dailies. At the time of his death he was on the staff of the Louisville Herald-Post, Willard is the mechanical foreman of the Louisville Herald-Post.

Mrs. McCormick lived early all her life in Princeton and Gibson county, leaving Princeton a few years ago with her husband to be near their sons in Louisville. She was on to the best known women of this county and city, due to her activity in charity work and public affairs of special interest to women. She served for years on the Gibson county board of guardians, and for several years was the matron of the county orphans home, at Patoka.

During the earlier years of the McCormick newspaper enterprises Mrs. McCormick aided in the business management and was a valuable member of the staff. Her late husband used to give her credit of being the best business head in the family. She had fine executive ability and was a tireless worker. She took great pride in her family and was a loyal and loving wife and mother.

Mrs. McCormick became a member of the Methodist church in early years and gave much time to church activities.

Mrs. McCormick was a granddaughter of a soldier of the American Revolution and took great pride in this distinction. She was a charter member of the John Gibson chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, which is the Princeton chapter.

We doubt if there has been another woman in her generation who was more widely known in this city and county and who was held in higher esteem.

Note: A photocopy made from the microfilm of the original newspaper obituary was provided by Laura McCormick Cargill, great granddaughter of Ella McCormick. The version above was transcribed from that copy with corrections for typesetting and spelling errors.