This post was contributed to the Crawford County Chapter of OGS by Kristina Stearley as part of the Florence Siefert Scrapbook in 2010.
The scrapbook is compiled from undated, unidentified newspaper clippings involving events in the lives of Crawford County citizens living in or having connections to New Washington, Tiro, Shelby, Sulphur Springs, Chatfield, Bucyrus, Ashland, Mansfield, and other areas. Only minimal spelling or punctuation corrections were made. Unreadable areas are shown by underlines, dots &/or question marks. This collection has been scanned, “optical character recognized” (OCR’d), proofed, then coded for HTML by volunteers of the Crawford County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society. Since the copies are not of the best quality errors may have been made. Please contact us if you find corrections needing to be made or can verify any missing dates which could be added.
Mary Lyons, nee Tooker, was born in Pennsylvania, November 19, 1820, and moved to Mansfield with her parents when two years old. At that time only one log cabin had been built in Mansfield. She was united in holy matrimony with James Ferguson, September 15, 1842. To this union one son was born. James Ferguson died August 9, 1843, leaving her alone. After living a widow for six years she was united in holy matrimony to John S. Lyons, August 9, 1849, moving to the farm in Crawford county, where she lived until her death. To this union were born five sons, and two daughters, John S. Lyons departed this life September 4, 1878, leaving her alone again. One son and two husbands have proceeded her to the spirit world. She leaves seven children, five sons and two daughters, one sister, six brothers, eight grand-children and six great grand-children to mourn the loss of a kind mother, grandma and sister.
She embraced religion of our blessed Savior about fifty-seven years ago and united with the Methodist church dieing in the faith of Him who had promised her a home of rest where sickness and death never comes. She has been a sufferer of paralysis for over four years being almost helpless but bearing all things with patience to the end. On March 23, 1900, at 12 o’clock she was relieved of all pain. She reached the age of 79 yrs., 4 mos. and 4 das. Although it is hard to part with mother we do not part sorrowing knowing we can meet her where part- ing will be no more.
Funeral service was held at Tabor church. She was one that helped to build the first church at that place when everything was a wilderness. She was a good and kind neighbor always willing to help in time of need. She was conscious until about 12 hours before her death. She was heard asking and pleading with the good Lord to come and take her home. She told her son John that she was going into the Kingdom of Heaven, that all was well with her, asking him to meet her there. The neighborhood has lost one of their old pioneers, only one more being left.
Fifty years ago last August she came to Cranberry township, settling on the farm where she died. Although mother Lyons lived to a good old age still she will be missed. After service at the church, conducted by Rev. O. Lyons, we conveyed her remains to the Union cemetery where it was laid to rest away from the cares and toils of this sinful world to wait the resurrection morn. Peace to her ashes.
