Courtney - Martha Jarvis
MARTHA VIRGINIA JARVIS COURTNEY
Source: Waveland Independent, January 5, 1939
Funeral services for Mrs. Abram L. COURTNEY were held at the home at 10 on Saturday morning. Rev. RL Hartling in charge. The pall bearers were nephews. Mrs. Gordon Thompson of Crawfordsville and Mrs. Carl Gregg of Lafayette, grand daugthters sang. The body was taken to Evansville for burial. Martha Virginia, youngest daughter of John and Margaret SMITH JARVIS was born in Parke County, Indiana April 20, 1861 on the farm on which Mr. and Mrs. Frank Spencer live. The family moved to Waveland in 1866. Virginia entered the public schools at the age of 5. FN Johnson being her first teacher. Her school days were happy as she was fond of her schoolwork and as she grew older, very studious. Her school days commenced in the little school at the end of West Main Street from there to grade school in the Old Academy and ended in the old high school building. JV Coombs and RV Hunter were the professors (recalling the time when all teachers in town schools were so entitled. Then, in spite of college degrees, they fell down to superintendents and now are only principals. In a copy of the Independent in 1887 we find that the teachers of that date were WM Craig; CA Kleiser; Clara Miller and Nannie Hannah and of course, Mr. Craig was Profession Craig). She was an attendant at SS of the Christian church and during a revival conducted by Rev. Abram Plunket united with the Christian Church in 1882. She was a faithful member and church worker, a charter member of the Missionary Society and a member of the Aid Society for 40 years. She was united in marriage to Abram L. Courtney Aug 10, 1884 Rev Plunket pronouncing the marriage vows. To this union were born two sons, Loris Jarvis Courtney, deceased and Lyle Vernon Courtney of Evansville and an infant daughter, Mary Claire, who is sleeping on the Kansas Prairie. Almost her entire life was spent in and near Waveland except a few years in KS and she has lived in her present home for more than 45 years. She has been in failing health for quite a long time but always active and up and about her work when she could be. She was stricken suddenly on Tuesday with her heart and suffered intensely, lingering until she fell asleep at 3 a.m. Thursday Dec 29, 1938. The surviving are the sorrowing husband, AL Courtney, the son, Lyle Vernon of Evansville a sister, Margaret Jarvis and a brother, Will Jarvis of Waveland 8 grandchildren: Mrs. Lucile Gregg; Mrs. Marcia Thompson; Ronald and Margaret Courtney, children of Loris; Joyce, Jeanne, Joanne, Juanita, children of Lyle; one great grandchildren, Susan Kay Thompson and two daughter-in-laws. -- kbz