Surnames: Converse, Allen, Marsh, Beeckler, Asp

----Source: Marshfield News-Herald (Marshfield, Wood Cty) 09/25/1941

CONVERSE, Lilas Avilda (Nov 25, 1856-Sept 25, 1941)

Mrs Lilas Avilda Converse, 84 years old, who was lovingly known to all her friends and neighbors as "Aunt Lilas", passed away at her home at 2 o'clock on Thursday morning, September 25.

She suffered an inuury to her hip about nine months ago an has been confined to her bed since. That condition, aggravated by old age complications, caused her death.

She had been lovingly cared for by her son and daughter, Clayton Converse and Mrs. Orra Beeckler, and everything possible was done for her comfort and happiness.

Mrs. Converse was a real Christian woman of high ideals. She was a member of the Church of God for the past 50 years.

Mrs. Lilas Avilda Converse was born in Herricksville, PA, to Mr. and Mrs. Jeremiah Allen on November 25, 1856. On November 25, she would have been 85 years old. When she was nine years old, she came to Wisconsin with her parents. The Civil war was just over and life was settling down to pioneer way of wrestling a living out of the wilderness.

She saw this country slip back in the aftermath of another war, and still lived to realize another war was in progress.

Her early life was spent at Mapleworks, and on March 25, 1883 she was married to Freeman Converse, at Mapleworks by her uncle, Nelson Marsh, who was justice of the peace.

They lived at Mapleworks for a time and then in the town of York on a farm.

On December 8, 1914, Mr. Converse died, and after his death, she sold her farm and purchased a small farm in the town of Fremont, where she resided with her son Clayton Converse and her daughter, Mrs. Orra Beeckler.

She is survived by her son and daughter, one grandson, Allen Beeckler, Breckenridge, MN, and a great-granddaughter, Sharon Kay Beeckler, also of Breckenridge, and several nieces and nephews.

The body was lying in state at the Gilbertson funeral home, Granton, until Sunday at 1:45 p.m., when a short service was held there, and at 2:00 p.m. a service at the Adventist Church, just outside of Granton, the Rev. Obed Asp of the Neillsville Methodist Church officiating. Burial was in Windfall Cemetery.