Lydia Lambert

 

OBITUARY

 

27 May 1920

Tabor Beacon

Tabor, Iowa

 

Mrs. Lydia Blanchard Lambert was born Oct 5, 1835 on the Kaw Reservation in Kansas, where her father and mother were Baptist medical missionaries to the Indians.

 

She departed this life at 5:30 Monday morning May 17, 1920 at the home of her daughter Mrs. Pickham who has cared for her during the past four years, the last two of which "Grandma" as she was familiarly called, has been quite helpless.

 

With her parents she removed to Iowa when 14 years old, before the state of Iowa was divided into counties. Her father's practice extended from Sonora, Mo. to ten miles north of Council Bluffs, which at that time was only an Indian trading post, carrying his medicines in the saddle bags.

 

She with four sisters went through all the early pioneer days, speaking the Indian language and enduring the hardships connected with life among the Indians.

 

Her home was one of the first laps of the underground railway and at one time when searched, twenty-six Negroes were concealed in bales of cotton in the garret, but escaped detection.

 

She was converted at an early age and has retained a life-long membership in the Baptist church at Percival, Iowa, being always ready and active in the services of her Master.

 

While in Cody, Wyoming she has been a worker and supporter of the Methodist church, and was beloved by all the membership. Whenever possible she attended all the means of worship, the Ladies Aid and Women's Christian Temperance Union.

 

She was married to McKinney Lambert in 1852 and went immediately to her farm home in Percival, Iowa where she and her husband lived fifty-three years and since his death fourteen years ago she has been with her children. To this union was born eight children, one of whom died in infancy. One son E. K. Lambert who made his home with his mother in Cody for a year passed away in Olympia, Washington in 1914. Her son Charles whose family still reside in Cody; passed away in July 1919.

 

The surviving children, two daughters and three sons, reside in different states; Mrs. Margaret Townsend, Chicago, Illinois; D. B. Lambert, Olympia, Washington; Mrs. Mary Pickham Cody, Wyoming; T.P. Lambert, Lincoln, Nebraska.

 

A sister resides at Nebraska City, Nebraska; and with other relatives will ever hold the deceased in loving remembrance.

 

Note...Has niece Mrs. Joe Bales of Solon, Iowa.