I've been thinking a lot about my grandmother, Irene Carrington Daugherty. This week my bridge group had lunch at the historic Lowell Inn in Stillwater, Minn. Gram used to spend summers at our house in New Richmond, WI and uncle David would work at a canning factory and Gram made the very special salads at the Inn. She was pretty proud of that as there is a lot of pride in anything that is served there.
I must have been at an art camp near Hayward, WI at the time of Gram's death. I remember coming home and Joe telling me about the upcoming funeral. My dear brother Marlin had called. Within hours he, myself and 14 year old Betsy (Joe's & my lovely daughter) drove to Delmont in the Southeastern part of the state. I remember that we stayed at Uncle Al and Aunt Beulah's home. I remember seeing cousin Peggy in the Goehring's upstairs bedroom. Barb, Peggy and I had the most wonderful conversation together. A very special memory.
I believe we got to the church just in time for the funeral, in Wessington, SD. Gram had a female minister officiating. I enjoyed her description of a woman in the prairie during an economically difficult time. I learned a lot about this grandmother who I hadn't tried very hard to love. I felt very close to Gram that day. The Rev. Dona Behmer gave many of us a sense of healing that day.
Here's a synopsis of her obituary..."Irene Daugherty was born Irene Carrington on October 19th, 1897 to Lucius and Rosetta (Wilson) Carrington north of Wessington, SD.
On May 3, 1920, Irene married Fred Daugherty Jr. (note: His father wasn't Fred, but he had an uncle Fred)at Miller. They farmed in the Wessington-Bonilla area until 1950, when they moved to Colorado Springs, Colo. Irene worked at the School for the Deaf and Blind until her retirement. After her retirement she moved to Delmont where she lived for five years. She then moved to Huron and lived there until the past several years when she became a resident of the Armour Nursing Home.
She was a member of the Presbyterian Church and was a Senior Volunteer.
She is survived by two sons and daughters-in-law, Kenneth and Betty Daugherty of West Point, Neb., and David and Maria Daugherty of Allentown, Pa.; three daughters and sons-in-law, Helen and Dale Hostvet of Luck, Wis.; Dolores and Ben Johnson of Rochester, N.Y.; Beulah and Alton Goehring of Delmont; 22 grandchildren and 32 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. Note: As of this posting, Dale Hostvet, Dolores and Ben Johnson, and Beulah Goehring are deceased.
She was preceded in death by her husband July 27, 1955, a son, George Daugherty, a brother, Hugh Carrington, and five sisters, Mildred Daugherty, Mae Gould, Laura Daugherty, Gladys Phillips and Elda Meyer.
Irene died Thursday morning at the Wagner Community Hospital at the age of 95."
The music included Rev. Mark Sargent as soloist and JoAnne Sargent as Pianist. I only mention this as Mark is a third cousin of mine. His mother, Helen Dague Sargent, was the daughter of Adelaide Brachvogel, Rosella Wilson's daughter. The casket bearers were lst cousins (of mine) Doug and Curt Goehring, Kim & Fred Daugherty, Doug's son Cory, and Kirk Daugherty, son of Ivan and Joan Daugherty, Mom's cousin.
Gram was buried in the Wessington Cemetery. Uncle David spent time with me there and related a great deal of family history. I will never forget being out in the prairie, with the wind blowing, and listening to David's voice, with his ever- present western twang.
Mom and Dad had just arrived in Valdez, Alaska to help my sister Mary and her husband Bob with their new infant so were unable to attend. I remember the event as being really thoughtful, yet a celebration of Gram's life. She had been in a nursing home for awhile, not remembering much...though she knew "her people". I haven't seen Peggy since, nor Uncle David and Aunt Maria. I just wrote to the Johnson girls to see if they had some insight concerning our grandma. She was a dear woman who was often misunderstood by her close family. I have read some of Irene's letters to Mom and there was a strong loving feeling very evident in them. Mom speaks, with love, of what her parents did for her in order to continue her education. I really need to spend some time thinking about Irene (no middle initial) Carrington Daugherty.
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