Mary Elizabeth (Butler) Bond
21 October 1927

   Mary E. Butler was born in Putnam county, Indiana, March 24, 1849, departing this life at the home of her daughter, Mrs. A. W. Soderberg, at 2911 W. Douglas, Wichita, Kansas, on October 17, 1927, aged 78 years, 7 months and 24 days.
   On February 25, 1868, she was united in marriage to David S. Bond. Nine children were born to this union, Albert Bond and Osa Bean of Crowley, Colo., Clara Smoot and Celia Dyke of Eagle City, Okla., Maude Caple of Cordell, Okla., Rena Goodman and Annie Soderberg of Wichita, Kansas. Two have preceded her to that better land, Cora Dowell died September 22, 1903; Thomas Bond died December 10, 1918.
   In the year of 1878, she moved with her husband from Indiana to Kansas, homesteading a farm three miles south of Alta Vista. The family moved to Thomas, Okla., where the family lived until her husband passed away on November 5, 1917. Since then she has made her home with her children.
   Grandma Bond, as we all know her, while battling all the hardships of an early pioneer was always ready and willing to go to the bedside of any suffering ones who might call on her for help.
   She united with the Church of Christ in early womanhood and lived a faithful Christian life, never complaining of her suffering, but bore it all willingly, patiently waiting to be called to her heavenly home. She leaves besides her 7 children, 25 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren, 1 sister, Mrs. Maria Garner of Topeka, besides a host of other relatives and numberless friends to mourn her death. The floral offerings were beautiful.
   Funeral services were held in Alta Vista, Thursday at 2:30, from the Church of Christ where a very impressive sermon was rendered by the Rev. Frank Bailey of Topeka.
   The body was laid to rest in the Pleasant Mound Cemetery to await the sound of the trumpet on the Resurrection morn.