Patriotic Pioneer

Lillie D Peck - Reporter, Organizer - Trailblazer. 

Lillie was the daughter of Cpl Samuel Edgar Peck & Mary Ellen Widel and she married Edward Wilkinson, the son of Henry Wilkinson & Mary Page.

Odebolt Chronicle, Thurs, 20 May 1937

Services For Mrs Wilkinson Held Tuesday

Mrs Edward Wilkinson, 73, social and local news reporter of the Odebolt Chronicle for 23 years, passed away shortly before 6 pm Sunday, May 16, at her home on Maple Street after a lingering illness of several months. She was a pioneer resident of this community. 

Funeral services were conducted at the home at 2 pm Tuesday and a the Methodist Epicopal Church at 2:30, with the Rev Lloyd H Scheerer officiating. Members of the Women's Relief Corps, of which she had been a member and officer for many years, attended in a body. Mrs H W Covey and Minnie Kessler san "The Old Rugged Cross" and "A Little While," and Mrs Covey sang "My Task." They were accompanied by Mrs C A Ambler of Storm Lake. Pallbearers were A M Sanders, F A Frevert, A W Lewis, A B Traeder, T W Down and Will Buehler. Burial was made in the Odebolt Cemetery. Many floral offerings attested to the high esteem in which she was held by her relatives and many friends. As a mark of respect to one who had been in close touch with the social and business affairs of the community for nearly a quarter of a century, all business places were closed during the hour of the services. 

Lillie D Peck was born near Monmouth, Jackson County, Dec 12, 1863. She was the oldest daughter and second child of Mr and Mrs S E Peck, pioneer residents of this township. Her father came to Iowa from New York and her mother, Mary Ellen Widel, from Pennsylvania in their youth. In the fall of 1874 the family moved to Sac County and located on what was known for years as the Peck homestead, one and three-quarter miles northeast of Odebolt. They lived at first in a log cabin, and for many years had only the crudest living accommodations. On May 23, 1883, she was married to Edward Wilkinson, and the young couple spent the first few years of their married life on a farm near Hawarden. They moved later to a farm in this community and came to Odebolt in 1897, making their home here since that time. Mr and Mrs Wilkinson celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary four years ago. Although no children were born to them, Mrs Wilkinson leaves an adopted daughter, the daughter of old friends at Hawarden, who has been a real daughter to them. 

Mrs Wilkinson was raised in the Baptist Church. When she came to western Iowa with her family there were no churches, but later, when living in the Bethel neighborhood east of town, she joined the Methodist Episcopal Church there. She transferred her membership to the Odebolt M E Church several years later. Since her affiliation with the church, she has always been an active and faithful worker and a regular attendant at services. She was a teacher in the Sunday school for many years, and was a member of the Methodist circle and Lincoln Avenue circlet. At the time of her death, she was president of the Foreign Missionary Society, and had held other offices in that organization for at least 35 years. She helped organize and was the first president of the Isis Club and for seven years had been president of the Women's Relief Corps. Most of the patriotic programs in this community were carried out according to her plans as an active member of that organization. 

Mrs Wilkinson began her work with the Chronicle in February 1914, and had just completed 23 years of service when her illness forced her to retire. She resigned in April of this year, after being confined to her home for more than two months, when she found that it would be impossible for her to resume her duties at the office. 

Survivors are her husband and companion of 54 years, her daughter, Vivian (Mrs John F Buehler), and one sister, Mrs Frank Ady of Flandreau, S D. Two brothers and three sisters preceded her in death. Among the relatives and friends from a distance who attended the funeral were Mr and Mrs Frank Ady, Dorothy Ady, Mr and Mrs Gilford Gjere, and Mr and Mrs Curtis Nass, all of Flandreau, S D, Mr and Mrs Glen Peck and Mr and Mrs C A Ambler of Storm Lake, Mr and Mrs Ward Duffy of Spencer, and Mr and Mrs George Johnson of Sac City.

 
Odebolt Chronicle, Thurs, 5 Jan 1939
Rites held for E Wilkinson - Resident of Odebolt for Many Years Taken by Death
Edward Wilkinson, who had been in frail health for many years, passed away at 7 am, Friday, Dec 30, at the age of 77 years, four months and three days. Funeral services were conducted at the mattes Funeral Home at 2 pm, Monday with the Rev O W Brand officiating. Mrs Marion Hix and Minnie Kessler sang "Ivory Palaces" and "Abide With Me," accompanied by Miss Kessler. Pall bearers were Will Buehler, J L Bruce, A M Sanders, Ira Martin, Harvey Keller and John Kessler. Among the friends and relatives from a distance who attended were Mr and Mrs Ward Duffy and son, Pat of Spencer; Mr and Mrs Jack Wilson, Mr and Mrs Al Baker and daughter, Virginia, of Arnolds Park, and Mr and Mrs George Johnson of Sac City. Edward Wilkinson, son of Henry and Mary page Wilkinson, was born August 27, 1861, in Cook county, Illinois. His mother died when he was quite young. At the age of nine he came with his father and brothers to Boone, the next spring moving to Ontario, Story county where he was reared. His father was section foreman there. In June 1881, he came to Odebolt to work on farms. May 23, 1883, he was married to Lillie D Peck. That fall they moved to Sioux county, living there seven years. They returned to Odebolt the fall of 1890, engaging in farming until the spring of 1897 when they moved to town. They have lived here since that time. Mr Wilkinson joined the Methodist Church at Bethel and later transferred to the Odebolt Methodist Church. He has not attended in late years because he was unable to hear. He was preceded in death by his wife, his parents and one brother; and he leaves a daughter, Vivian (Mrs John F Buehler) of Odebolt; one brother, William of Long Beach, Calif, and two half sisters and one half brother of Ontario and Boone. The story of Mr Wilkinson's life was written by his wife (who was the efficient reporter for the locate paper for 23 years) a few weeks before she passed away, May 16, 1937.

Tribute to Lillie 

Lillie's Retirement