Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Hamilton - Morgan connection. Miss Mary Rankin, Walter's sister.

In my attempt to "figure out" our Hamilton - Morgan family connections I've read through a great many Decatur, Indiana county obituaries. 

Some of them call out to being shared. (Continued from here.)


Rites Set for Ex-Resident
Miss Mary Rankin [died 10-26-1973] To Be Buried Here

Graveside rites for Miss Mary Rankin, 89, who died at 12:15 p.m. Thursday in the Methodist Memorial Home at Warren after a brief illness, will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Kingston Cemetery. The Rev. Herbert Townsend Jr., pastor of the Kingston United Presbyterian Church will conduct the services. The body has been cremated.

Since July, 1850 Miss Rankin had been a guest at the home at Warren.

A descendant of pioneer families of Decatur County, Miss Rankin made her last visit here at the time of the annual Donnell-Hamilton-McCoy reunion on Aug. 5.
For over a half century, Miss Rankin was preminently identified with church, health ahd club activities in this community.

Born on May 16, 1884 on the family farm at McCoy’s Station east of Greensburg, Miss Rankin was the daughter of John T. and Sarah Hamilton Rankin. In disposing of the bulk of her acreage in Dec. 1950, Miss Rankin terminated a farm relationship with the John Menkhaus family covering 45 years.
Her father died on Dec. 28 1914. At the time of death on Nov. 2 1942 her mother, Mrs. Sarah Hamilton Rankin, then 97, was the oldest resident of Decatur County.

Miss Rankin was a granddaughter of the Rev. John T. Rankin who was a prominent figure in the anti-slavery movement before the Civil War. The former residence of the Rev. Rankin a Ripley, Ohio, has been preserved as a historic home.

After attending the McCoy Grade School and Greensburg High School, Miss Rankin completed her high school education at Western College for Women, Oxford, Ohio.

Subsequently, she enrolled at Oberlin College t Oberlin, Ohio from which she was awarded an A.B. degree in 1906 and a M.A. degree later. She was listed as the oldest graduate of Oberlin College.
The oldest member of the Kingston United Presbyterian Church, Miss Rankin was active in church assignments throughout her life. She served as president of the Whitewater Presbyterial Society and engaged in women’s activities of the Kingston Church.

From 1928 to 1939, Miss Rankin was the executive secretary of the Decatur County Tuberculosis Association. During this period the county association gained citations from the state association: for several successive years. She was a former secretary of the T. B. Secretaries’ Association of Indiana and held membership on the board of directors of the Indiana Tuberculosis Association. Her experience in the health field was recognized as an assignment as


Rites Set (continued from page one)
A case worker in Boone County.

One of the organizers of the Greensburg Department Club, Miss Rankin was a former president. She also served as president of the Progress Club in the Kingston Community, the Greensburg Business and professional Women’s Club and the Greensburg Music Club. She was a mbmer of the Giv-Un-Take Garden Club for an extended period.

As a world traveler, she has visited Australia, new Zealand, Alaska, The Holy Land, Italy, Germany and Central America. In addition she had traveled in every state in the United States, relating her experiences in travel to numerous groups.

During and after World War II, she was director for Decatur County of women’s work in the civil defense program.

Surviving Miss Rankin are a number of cousins.

from - Greensburg Daily News, Decatur, Indiana Library, Obituaries. Thank you very much! http://www.greensburglibrary.org/library-services/local-history-and-genealogy/obituaries-2

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