Salem Cemetery Lot No. 48 is one of three at Salem purchased by children of Jacob and Harriet (Dick) Myers upon which to bury small children, then not used again. All are near the grandparental Myers lot creating a considerable area of mostly-vacant real estate in the south central portion of Salem. The other purchasers were Charles W. and Sarah (Myers) Houck and John and Susan (Myers) Hickle.
The grave of Lilly Bell (or Belle) Parsons, age 4, is marked by a knee-high weathered white marble stone that is topped by the figure of a lamb. The inscription upon it reads:
Dau. of
JAS. & C. PARSONS
DIED
June 29, 1886
Aged
4Ys, 4Ms, 6Ds
Lilly, born 23 February 1882 in Benton Township, was the sixth of 12 children of James (17 October 1845-2 April 1918) and Catherine (22 September 1851-30 January 1917). Her death seems to have gone unnoted in Lucas County newspapers, nor is it recorded in county death records.
Other than her grandparents, the only member of Lilly Bell's immediate family buried at Salem is her eldest sister, Tessie Ann (28 January 1873-9 March 1899), who married Calvin Ellis Hatfield and who is buried in Lot No. 50.
At some point after Lilly's death, the Parsons moved from their farm several miles south of Salem on the Lucas-Wayne county line to a farm near Chariton. When they died, they were buried in the Chariton Cemetery, where their joint tombstone is located:
Undated Clipping, Files of Frank D. Myers
Catherine Myers, daughter of Jacob and Harriet Myers, was born at New Florence, West Moran (Westmoreland) county, Pennsylvania, September 22d, 1851, and departed this life at her home near Chariton, Iowa, January 30th, 1917, aged 65 years, 4 months and 7 days. She, with her parents, moved to Lucas county, Iowa, at the age of 16 years, where she has since resided and where she was united in marriage to James Parsons, on March 6th, 1872. To this union twelve cildren were born, three of whom, Lilly Belle, Tessie Anne and William D., together with four grandsons, preceded her in death. The surviving children, Ms. Ida Keller, of Santa Rosa, Calif.; Mrs. Bertha Matthews, of Joliet, Montana; Charles R., of Edgar, Montana; J. Ivan, of Laurel, Montana; Mrs. Ellen Anderson, George, Roy, Albert and Floyd of Chariton, were all at her bedside. She leaves to mourn their loss her husband, nine children, sixeen grandchildren, two brothers and five sisters, besides many other relatives and hosts of friends.
Mrs. Parsons had been in poor health for the last six years, and had borne her suffering with great patience and was always cheerful. She was a kind, loving mother and a devoted companion and will be sadly missed in the home and community.
Funeral services will be held at the home this (Thursday) afternoon at 1 o'clock, conduced by Rev. Jos. W. Goodsell, of the First Methodist Episcopal church, after which the remains will be laid to rest in the Chariton cemetery.
Undated clipping, Lucas County Genealogical Society collection
Jas. Parsons, son of Robert and Anna Liza Parsons, was born at Fairfield, Iowa, October 17th, 1845, and departed this life at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Ellen Anderson, 725 Auburn avenue., Chariton, Iowa, April 3d, 1918, at the age of 73 years, 8 months and 16 days. He was the eighth child of a family of eleven children, three of whom are still living, two sisters, Sara Morriss of Burlington, Iowa, Anna Liza Sargent of Spencer, Iowa, and Geo. Parsons, of Russell. He was united in marriage to Catherine Myers, on March 6th, 1872, she passing to the Great Beyond on January 30th, 1917, only one year, two months and three days before him. To this union, twelve children were born, three of whom, Lilly Belle, Tessa Ann and William D., and four grandchildren preceded him in death. The surviving children, Mrs. Bertha Matthews of Joliet, Montana, C. R., of Edgar, Montana, J. Ivan, of Seattle, Washington, Mrs. Ida Keller, of Santa Rosa, California, Mrs. Ellen Anderson, George, Roy, Albert and Floyd, of Chariton, were all at his bedside except Ivan, who was unable to come. He leaves to mourn their loss, nine children, sixteen grandchildren, one great grandchild, one brother and two sisters, besides many other relatives and hosts of friends.
He had been in ill health for more than a year and was very patient and cheerful through all his suffering. He lived true to the word "father" to his large family, was a friend to all and will be sorely missed in the hearts of all who knew him.
Funeral services, conducted by Rev. E. P. Taggart, were held at the old home south of Chariton on Thursday afternoon at 2 o'clock, after which the remains were laid to rest in the Chariton cemetery.
Note: This obituary mistakenly gives James' date of death as 3 April 1918. Both his tombstone and Lucas County death records show the date as 2 April 1918. According to the death record entry, he died of stomach cancer.
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