Mary Jane Hall was born near Petersburg, N. Y., July 15, 1832, and passed from this life at the home of her daughter, Mrs. H. H. Thorngate, March 18, 1931, at the age of 98 years, 8 months, and 3 days.
She was the daughter of Prentice and Sally Hall. When Mary was about seven years old she moved with her parents into Pennsylvania, where she lived until her young womanhood, when she returned to her birthplace to obtain employment in a shirt factory located there.
While at Petersburg she met and married Luman Mattison in the year 1857. They lived on a farm near that place until the spring of 1864, when they moved to Peoria County, Ill. They lived on a farm here until the death of the husband and father in 1877. This left her with four children, the oldest a boy of nineteen. In the fall of 1879, she with her family, started by way of a prairie schooner for Nebraska in search of cheaper land. They first settled near Hastings where their home was for three years, but because of the Seventh Day Baptist settlement at North Loup they moved here in the fall of 1882, where the son, Byron Mattison took a claim. They lived here until the spring of 1894. By that time the three girls were married and the home was broken. Mrs. Mattison has lived with her children since.
The youngest daughter, Mrs. Clara Sayre, with whom she made her home most of the time, died in New Auburn, Wis., in 1901. Since then she lived, until about nine years ago, with her son Byron and her daughter Mrs. Mary Loofboro, both of whom lived in New Auburn, Wis. In the fall of 1921 she returned to North Loup to spend her remaining years with her daughter, Mrs. H. H. Thorngate, at whose home she died. The last few days she was cared for by her granddaughters, as her daughter was in the hospital, seriously ill.
She is survived by a son, Byron Mattison of Chippewa Falls, Wis.; and two daughters: Mrs. Mary Loofboro of New Auburn, Wis.; and Mrs. Eva Thorngate of North Loup, Neb.; also thirteen grandchildren and nineteen great-grandchildren. Grandma Mattison, as she was familiarly called, has been a widow for more than fifty years being left alone when some of her children were still small. As long as she was able her greatest pleasure was in service to others, which made it doubly hard for her when she had to accept help from others rather than give.
She had been an invalid for nearly twelve years.
She was a woman of deep religious convictions. She was baptized and joined the Seventh Day Baptist Church when a young woman and has always been especially loyal to her church and denomination. During all her years of suffering her faith in God never faltered and she looked forward to the time when she might go to be with him. 'The Lord gave and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.'
Farewell services were conducted from the H. H. Thorngate home by Pastor Hurley S. Warren. The text chosen by the family was, 'Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.' - Psalm 116: 15.
Songs that Mrs. Mattison loved to hear over the radio were used by the singers. Ralph and Margaret Sayre sang 'The Land Where We'll Never Grow Old.' Sylvia Brannon and Arthur Stillman sang 'There's No Disappointment in Heaven.' A quartet composed of David and Minnie Davis, Esther Babcock, and Arthur Stillman sang 'I Know That My Redeemer Liveth.' Mrs. Esther Babcock played a prelude and also acted as accompanist. Interment was made in the North Loup Cemetery. H. S. W.
