Obituary of Luretta Amelia Shattuck, Linn County, KSGenWeb Digital Library

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THE PLEASANTON OBSERVER-ENTERPRISE,
1 March 1923

Obituary of LURETTA AMELIA SHATTUCK

Luretta Amelia Shattuck (sister of William Henry Shattuck) was born in the state of New York August 26, 1832; died February 19, 1923, aged 90 years, 5 months and 24 days. She was united in marriage to Albert H. Smith on March 21, 1849, and to this union seven children were born, five of whom, with the husband, preceded her in death, the two surviving children being William Milton, of Denver, Colorado, and Horace Greeley of Boicourt, Kansas.

Mrs. Smith, with her husband and family, moved to Iowa from New York in 1856, and remained there until May of 1858, when the call of the west beckoned them still further on and they landed in Kansas, where she had since resided, thus being here in this frontier country when the wild beasts, Indians and wild game were in abundance. She was here during the perilous times of the border warfare and had many experiences common to the women residing here in those troublous times.

Mrs. Smith had made her home for many years with her son, Greeley, as he is known to his friends, and passed to her final reward at his home on the above mentioned date.

This paper joins with its readers in expressions of sympathy to those
bereaved.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith were one of a company of six families, neighbors in Iowa, who formed a colony to come to Kansas in 1858. Before reaching here they heard of the horrible Hamilton Massacre, and debated for some time about turning around and going back to peaceful Iowa, but finally concluded that movement would be considered as a weakness on their part and came on to the troublous state of Kansas. They settled on the Smith homestead in Valley township, which has always remained in the family and is now owned by her son, Greeley Smith. The husband and father died in 1866, leaving Mrs. Smith with this homestead and six children upon her hands. She demonstrated the
pioneer woman's pluck by pitching in and raising her family of children, in the face of all the trials and tribulations then in store for the settlers from the border ruffians.

Mrs. Smith is the last member of the original six heads of families, who came to Kansas in that expedition, to answer the final summons.

Transcribed and Contributed by Irma Shattuck Ward IrmaEWard@aol.com