Who We Were, Are & Will Be Our Family: Armour

09 July 2021

Death of Sadie Armor Reported Back in Butler County, KS (1920)

From El Dorado Republican (El Dorado, Kansas), December 17, 1920, Friday, Page 2 --

SADIE ARMOUR
Miss Sadie Armour, age 18, formerly a resident of Rosalia, but who has been living with her mother, Mrs. William Armour, at Wichita, for the past several months, died last night after a short illness caused by diphtheria. The girl's father lives in El Dorado. The body was taken to Rosalia this morning where services will be held tomorrow and burial made in the Blankinship Cemetery.

Sadie Armor was my 1st cousin 2x removed on my mother's maternal side. You might notice I use the spelling "Armor" instead of "Armour." I am trying to follow the convention that the family used at the time according to written records, not the form that sources like newspapers used. It is not easy. It was during Sadie's generation the family made the switch.

24 May 2021

Amanuensis Monday: Dueling Obits -- Democrat vs. Republican

From The Butler County Democrat (El Dorado, Kansas) Friday, May 24, 1901, Page 8 --

Died: At his home in Rosalia township, Tuesday morning, May 21, of dropsy and heart trouble, J. N. Surplus, aged .62 years, 2 months and 7 days. He was born March 14, 1839 in Morrow county, Ohio and in early life removed to Illinois. He came to Kansas in 1870 and homesteaded the farm upon which he died. Many are the hardships himself and wife endured in pioneer days. The writer has often beard him tell of having to wade through snow drifts to El Dorado 16 miles and carry home a 50 pound sack of flour and this is but one of many of the harships(sic) he lived through. His wife and four children survive him, his son J, Alex Surplus and daughters Mrs. Wm. Armour and Misses Mary and Lulu Surplus. He was a member of the U. B. church, kind neighbor and good citizen. The funeral occurred Thursday at 2 p. m. from Walnut Valley Chapel, conducted by Rev. W. J. Shull and he was laid to rest in Blankenship cemetery.

From the El Dorado Republican (El Dorado, Kansas), Friday, May 24, 1901, Page 3 --

J. M. Surplus died at 2:30 o'clock Tuesday a m at his home near Rosalia. He has been ill for some time with a complication of heart disease and lung trouble. Mr. Surplus was an old resident of Butler county having come here in 1870 from Illinois. He was born March 14, 1839, in Morrow county, Ohio. His wife and four children, one boy, Alex, and three girls, Mrs. Wm. Armour, Mary and Lulu Surplus, survive him. The funeral services will be held Thursday afternoon at Blankenship chapel by Rev. Schull, of Pontiac. Mr. Surplus was a communicant of the Methodist church and was a man of irreproachable character. He was an affectionate friend to his family in the highest sense of the word, a fact which makes his removal more keenly felt by them.

John Nelson Surpluss (1839-1901) was my 2xg-grandfather on my mother's maternal side.