Rebecca Manteeny (right)

Rebecca's Obituary

The following obituary from an unknown newspaper, no date give, was found in a prayer book.  It is reproduced word for word:

Mrs. Fred R. Wade, 81, died at 4:45 pm Monday at her home in Cedar township, Black Hawk county, (Iowa) two and one-half miles northwest of La Porte City, of a complication of diseases incident to advanced age.  She had been ill a month.
    Rebecca Marteeny was born September 24, 1852, in Somerset county, Pennsylvania, the third of seven children of Chauncy and Eliza Marteeny.  She was married November 3, 1872 to John A. Bearl of Somerset, Pa.  Mr. Bearl died June 26, 1885, at Greene, Iowa.  Two sons by this marriage also preceded Mrs. Wade in death:  James, July 6, 1880, and Harry D., March 16, 1927.
    Mrs. Wade was married December 28, 1887, to Fred A. Wade, at Waterloo.  Mr. Wade for many years was sexton of Fairview cemetery.
    Mrs. Wade came to Iowa in 1881, settling on a farm near Hudson.  She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church at La Porte City for a number of years.
    Surviving besides her husband are a son, W. A. Wade, 326 Reed Street; two daughters, Ida, at Home, and Mrs. J. N. Bassarear, 1415 Bertch Ave.;  11 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, and a brother, David A. Marteeny, Somerset, PA.
    Funeral services will be at 2 pm Wednesday at the Kistner chapel, Rev. E. E. Clemenats, pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Dysart, IA., and formerly pastor at La Porte City, officiating.  Burial will be in Elmwood Cemetery.  (Waterloo, IA)"

John's Obituary

The following is from the obituaries of an unknown newspaper, no date given.  It was found inside a prayer book.  It is reproduced here, word for word:

"Death of Mr. Bearl

   The friends of Mr. John Bearl, formerly a citizen of Milford township, this county (Somerset County), but for four or five years a resident of Waterloo, Iowa, will be sorry to learn of his accidental death which took place on Friday, June 26th.  Mr. Bearl was employed on the railroad and while fulfilling his duty met with the accident that resulted in his death.  The following particulars we glean from a letter of Mrs. Bearl to her father Mr. Chauncy Marteeny, of Somerset township:

 "On Thursday, June 25th, John got orders to go from Greene to Rockford to do some work, and in getting on a freight train which was moving, he struck his foot against a post and was thrown between the cars and had his left leg cut off just below the knee.  He was carried to a hotel where the doctors were called to see him and after a consultation decided to amputate his limp above the knee, which took place at one o'clock that night, from which effect he died Friday at 3 o'clock pm.  I went to him as soon as I heard of it and was with him when he died.  I brought his body home (to Waterloo) Friday night and we buried him Saturday at 2 o'clock."

John A Bearl was probably a brakeman on the Rockford Island Railroad.