WILKENSON, Lydia Purscell - Putnam

Lydia Purscell, daughter of William and Zerelda Purscell, was born in Putnam County, Indiana on Sept 29, 1854.  She was married to Elijah H. Wilkinson in June 1882 and to this union were born two daughters, Eddythe and Dema. They moved to Gray County, Kansas in 1893 and to a farm near Turon in 1895 where they lived for a number of years, moving from here to Nickerson where the husband died about 15 years ago.  Mrs. Wilkinson had spent the last two years mostly in Colorado and California and had been with her daughter, Mrs. Lester Miller of Dinuba, California for several months previous to her death which occurred at Los Angeles, California on Dec 17, 1922 of pleuro-pneumonia.  She had been a member of the Church of Christ since the age of 16.  Her body was brought back to Turon for burial arriving here at 4 p.m. on Thursday Dec 21st and being taken at once to the Church of Christ at Neola where the funeral service was conducted by the pastor, Tom Coats and she was laid to rest in the Neola cemetery beside the grave of her husband. She is survived by two daughters, Miss Eddythe Opal Wilkinson of Los Angeles, California and Mrs. Lester Miller of Dinuba, California; one grandson, Richard Miller; a step son James S. Wilkinson of Monte Vista, Colorado; two sisters, Mrs. FJ Arnold and Mrs. Sallie Arnold both of Fillmore, Indiana and a large circle of friends. Of the immediate family, only her daughter, Miss Eddythe and step son James Wilkinson were able to be present at her funeral.  – kbz