Lindley - Miriam Towell
Source: Waveland Independent Waveland, Montgomery County, Indiana Dec 23, 1943
Mrs. Miram LINDLEY born Aug 11, 1848 [died] on a farm near Sylvania in Parke Co, daughter of George and Mary Lindley Towell, married Sept 19, 1872 to Charles W. Lindley by old Quaker ceremony. Illness of four days with flue 9 a.m. on Wednesday. Funeral services at 2 on Friday afternoon at the Friends Church in Bloomingdale, Rev. Lee Partington in charge. Burial in Friends Cemetery. - kbz
Source: Waveland Independent Waveland, Montgomery County, Indiana Dec 30, 1943
Funeral services for Mrs. Miram Powell (sic - should be Towell) Lindley were held Friday at two o'clock at the Bloomingdale Friends; Church and burial in the Friends Cemetery there. Mrs. Lindley was born in Parke Co and lived to the ripe age of 95 most of which was spent in the county of her birth. At the time of her death she was making her home with her daughter, Mrs. Lucile Rusk of this place. She was married in 1872 to Charles W. Lindley who preceded her in death in 1941. There survives her going, two daughters, Mrs. Marianna Griest of Chicago and Mrs. Lucille Rusk of Waveland; and three sons, Dr. George Lindley of Alexandria; Dr. John Lindley of Elwood and Richard of San Bernardino Calif and two brothers, Charles Powel (sic) of Emprial Neb and Wilson Powel (sic) of Roachdale. - kbz
Source: Scrapbook at Rockville Library
On August 11 1838, a little daughter was born in the farm home of George and Mary Towell in the Rush Creek community. They named her Miriam. Of that family of children, four sons and four daughters grew to manhood and womanhood. Miriam is the last of the four daughters to pass away. Two of her brothers survive, Wilson Towell of Parke county and Charles Towell of Nebraska. The years of Miriam's girlhood were busy and happy ones, filled with home duties and school and meeting activities, for she was a birthright member of the Friends church. She was ever an apt pupil in school. When she finished the course of study in the old well known Rush Creek school she attended Bloomingdale academy and later she studied in Earlham college. When the Freedmen's associaton was organized just before the close of the Civil war, Friends were much interested in the project of giving the southern negroes, so recently freed from slavery, the rudiments of an education and a few young people went from this Quarterly meeting to teach in the negro school located at Columbus, Miss. Among these were Miriam Towell and thus her teaching began. Returning home, she taught in our township public schools with success. She became acquainted with Charles W. Lindley, another teacher, and on September 19, 1872, they were united in marriage. For three years, they continued teaching, then they established a home in Liberty township where they resided until about 40 years ago when they moved to Bloomingdale to give their children a opportunity to attend the academy. Both mother and father soon became actively identified with this Bible school and church. Miriam Lindley was always deeply interested in missions both home and foreign. She was a loyal member of the Missionary society as long as she resided in this area. She was much used on various committees in the church and was an elder for many years. When Estabrook chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution was organized in Rockville, she became a member and filled places on their programs as long as health permitted. She was also active in the W.R.C. in this county and state. She often accompanied her husband to the annual convention of the G.A.R. and for several years she served as chaplain on the Indiana G.A.R. Miriam Lindley possessed unusual mental faculties which she retained in a remarkable degree to the close of her life. Her ability to memorize and recite long selections, even after she was three score and ten, was wonderful. Her remarkably clear voice made her an excellent public reader. Yet with all these outside interests her home and her children were the real center of her life. No sacrifice was too great for her to make for her children's good. Of the nine children that came into the home of Charles and Miriam Lindley, five survive--three sons, Birchard of California, Dr. George R. Lindley and Dr. John H. Lindley of this state and two daughters, Marianna Lindley Griest of Chicago and Lucille Lindley Rusk of Waveland who so tenderly cared for her parents during their later years and in whose home the mother fell asleep to things on earth on the morning of December 22 1943, age 95 years and 4 months. There are 9 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. Charles W. Lindley passed away May 14 1943. They had walked the pathway of life together for more than 68 years. Truly Miriam T. Lindley was a "worthy woman." "Her price was far above rubies." The heart of her husband trusted in her. She did him good all the days of her life. "She gave food to her household", material bread, mental stimulus and spiritual inspiration. "She opened her mouth with wisdom; the law of kindness was ever on her tongue," "Her children rise up and call her blessed. Let her works praise her." - kbz
Source: Indianapolis News 23 December 1943 p 23
Bloomingdale, Ind Dec 23 – Mrs. Miriam Towell Lindley, age 95, widow of Charles W. Lindley, former president of the Indiana GAR, died Wednesday. Mrs. Lindley was chaplin of the Indiana DAR several years. Funeral services will be held Friday afternoon at the Friends Church in Bloomingdale, of which she was a member, th pastor the Rev. Lee Partington, officiating. Since her husband’s death two years ago Mrs. Lindley had lived with her daughter, Mrs. Lucille Rusk in Waveland. Three sons and another daughter survive.
Source: Indianapolis Star, 26 Dec 1943 p 10
Mrs. Miriam Towell Lindley, 95 years old, a former school teacher of Montgomery and Parke County schools, died Wednesday at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Lucille Rusk of Waveland. Mrs. Lindley was the widow of Charles W. Lindley one of the last remaining members of the famous Persimmon Brigade of the Civil War. She was a member of the Bloomingdale Friends Church 40 years and was a charter member of the Rockville Chapter, DAR. Survivors include two daughters, three sons, two brothers, 9 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. Services were held Friday in the Bloomingdale Friends Church and burial was in the cemetery there.