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Mary Jane Layton Kemp

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Mary Jane Layton Kemp

Birth	:	18 Jan 1840 Jacksonville, Morgan County, Illinois, USA
Death	:	24 Jun 1942 Laurens, Pocahontas County, Iowa, USA
Burial	:	Laurens Cemetery, Laurens, Pocahontas County, USA
Coordinate	:	42.8438988, -94.8330994
Description	:	Findagrave Member 47069743, suggestion: Daughter of William M Layton and Elizabeth Goodpasture Layton; Mary married Phillip Kemp on 11 Sep 1856 in Winchester, Scott Co., IL; Phillip and Mary had 12 children. messages, 11 May 2013, Holly Newhouse (#48062526): thank you for adding memorials for my great great gma and gpa mary jane layton kemp and phillip kemp on here, it is deeply appreciated but, the newspaper who printed the article on grandma kemp was wrong, it was her father not grandfather who split rails with abe lincoln and she and abe were close friends until his death. they wrote... Read More	Findagrave Member 47069743, suggestion: Daughter of William M Layton and Elizabeth Goodpasture Layton; Mary married Phillip Kemp on 11 Sep 1856 in Winchester, Scott Co., IL; Phillip and Mary had 12 children. messages, 11 May 2013, Holly Newhouse (#48062526): thank you for adding memorials for my great great gma and gpa mary jane layton kemp and phillip kemp on here, it is deeply appreciated but, the newspaper who printed the article on grandma kemp was wrong, it was her father not grandfather who split rails with abe lincoln and she and abe were close friends until his death. they wrote letters to each other. 1940: The Laurens Sun, Laurens, Iowa, Thursday, 11 Jan 1940, Page 1: Grandma Kemp Will Observe Her 100th Birthday ------- Next Thursday, January 18, Grandma Kemp will be 100 years old. The community has felt that some sort of a celebration should mark the event. While she is still very strong and hearty for one of her age, she shrinks from undue publicity or excitement that might tax her strength. She makes her home with her daughter, Mrs. L. O. Putnam who is past four score years herself. But because of the wide spread interest in the event, they have decided to hold open house from 2 until 4 next Thursday afternoon at the Putnam home to which everybody is invited. It is hoped the many friends will confine their calls to those hours. Mrs. Kemp has planned her usual birthday family dinner at noon when all the members of the family who can possibly be present will be home. This has been her custom for a number of years. Grandma Kemp is loved and highly respected in the community not alone for her age but because of her long residence here, the fact that she is one of the few Civil War veteran's widows living, and the remembrance of her many kind neighborly acts. 1942: The Laurens Sun, Laurens, Iowa, Thursday, 2 Jul 1942, Page 2: Funeral Services Held Friday for Grandma Kemp ------------- Funeral services for Mrs. Mary Jane Kemp, 102, who passed away at her home June 24, were held in the Methodist church Friday, June 26, at 2:30 p.m. The Rev. H. O. Ward, pastor of the church was in charge. Members of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars served as pall bearers. They were: Forrest Sargent, C. J. Mather, P.M. Lausen, W. S. Chase, C. E. L. See and Art Johnson. A quartet composed of Mrs. Amson Hertz, Dorothy Allee, Clarence Morgan and E. E. Dubbert sang musical numbers accompanied by Mrs. Wesley Lawlor, Mrs. Hertz also sang "Goin' Home." Burial was made in the Laurens cemetery beside her husband who proceeded her in death by many years. McKee Funeral Home was in charge of making arrangements, and short memorial services were held at the Funeral home before going to the church. The following obituary, in the main, was compiled from the family history of One Hundred and One Years with Grandma Kemp, which was written in 1941. It was read by the Rev. H. O. Ward at the services Friday. Little Jane Layton found that January 18, 1840 was a cold, bleak day to make her entrance into the home of William and Lizzy Layton, near Jacksonville, Illinois. In that same year her father, who was a blacksmith, moulded and baked bricks with which to build the home where Jane spent her childhood days. The house still stands some twelve miles north of Jacksonville, in Morgan county, Illinois. Jane's parents had been slaveholders before moving to Illinois, but as that was Yankee territory they gave them up. Jane had five brothers and four sisters. Two brothers died in infancy. She loved her parents and obeyed them, often recalling that she remembered but one switching received during her childhood. On Sundays, the proper thing in those days was Church attendance, which the family did three times each Sabbath--morning, afternoon and evening. Those were the days of the early circuit riding preachers. Jane was baptised by the noted Methodist circuit riding preacher, Peter Cartwright. Jane started to school at the age of eight years, walking three miles to a little log cabin which served as a school room. Instead of having grades, they had readers. During the first two Readers the pupils were called half-scholars. The groups forming the next five readers were known as scholars. The school master's pay was based on the number of scholars he had. Jane's daily life was a very vigorous routine. To begin the day she arose and built the fires each morning. There were no mechanical devices in those days so everything was done by manual labor. The cooking for the household was done over an open fireplace. Coffee was a luxury and parched wheat was used as a substitute. On wash day the water was carried to a hollowed out stump which served as a tub. The clothes were soaked in soapy water and then laid over the side of the stump and pounded with a paddle to remove the dirt. Jane's childhood was short for at the age of sixteen years she met and married Phillip Kemp, on September 11, 1855. To this union eleven children were born, five of whom are still living. In 1862 Phillip Kemp went to war and served his country until the close of the Civil strife. Following his return from the army the family moved westward and arrived in Iowa in 1884. They settled on a farm near Laurens, where they farmed from 100 to 300 acres of land until 1919 when the family moved to the town of Laurens to make their home. On July 11, 1924, Mr. Kemp passed away. Following are just a few of the many interesting incidents happening during Grandma Kemp's 102 Years, Five Months and six days of life. She knew Abraham Lincoln and had shaken hands with him; Lincoln having split rails for her father. Steven Douglas was a friend of the family, and she remembered well the Lincoln-Douglas debates. She had lived through the Mexican, Civil, Mormon, Boer, Spanish-American and World Wars and into the beginnings of the present conflict. Grandma Kemp quietly, without a struggle, slipped away Wednesday evening, June 24th and like a fully ripened sheaf of golden grain was garnered home for her coronation. Five children, two daughters and three sons survive: Mrs. L. O. Putnam, of Laurens; Phillip Leroy Kemp, (familiarly known as Roll) of Fergus Falls, Minn.; George Franklin Kemp, of Laurens; Mrs. Maggie Bell Sterns, of Carstairs, Canada; and Curtis Alva Kemp, of Mason City. Grandma Kemp had a total of 173 descendants, of whom 34 were grandchildren, 85 great grandchildren, 43 great great grandchildren. Often one of the penalties of long life is the tragedy and sorrow of outliving one's friends. While Grandma Kemp outlived many friends she was constantly making new friends and leaves an unnumbered host of friends both old and young, whom she had made during a century and more of living. If I were asked to mention an outstanding feature of Grandma Kemp's personality I would unhesitatingly say it was her keen, discerning mind and her love for and interest in people. One illustration will suffice to show how she maintained her interests in life. She did a Radio Broadcast, by electrical transcription less than a year ago. So she lived and kept alive her interest in people until death kissed her eyelids shut. It was a great privilege to have known her and learn from her the philosophy of life that brought her contentment and happiness. She lived a long life according to years, but she also learned how to live.

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Mary Jane Layton Kemp's memorial?
Mary Jane Layton Kemp's memorial is located at: Laurens Cemetery, Laurens, Pocahontas County, USA.
When did Mary Jane Layton Kemp death?
Mary Jane Layton Kemp death on 24 Jun 1942 in Laurens, Pocahontas County, Iowa, USA
Where are the coordinates of the Mary Jane Layton Kemp's memorial?
Latitude: 42.8438988
Longitude: -94.8330994

Family Members:

Parent

Spouse

Phillip Kemp

(1838 - 1924)

Siblings

William A. Layton

(1845 - 1945)

Pvt Hiram D. Layton

(1847 - 1921)

Martha Carpenter

(1852 - 1928)

Children

Annie Elizabeth Kemp Smith-Putnam

(1857 - 1951)

George Franklin Kemp

(1870 - 1953)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Laurens Cemetery
Laurens, Pocahontas County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8438988, -94.8330994

2. Calvary Cemetery
Laurens, Pocahontas County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8403015, -94.8368988

3. Swan Lake Cemetery
Laurens, Pocahontas County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8511009, -94.8925018

4. Garton Family Cemetery
Marathon, Buena Vista County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8297000, -94.9334500

5. Washington Cemetery
Havelock, Pocahontas County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8363250, -94.7091440

6. Marshall Cemetery
Pocahontas County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7633018, -94.8930969

7. Poland Township Cemetery
Marathon, Buena Vista County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8610992, -94.9916992

8. Fairfield Cemetery
Albert City, Buena Vista County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7783012, -94.9692001

9. Smith Cemetery
Albert City, Buena Vista County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8142014, -94.9925003

10. Rush Lake Cemetery
Rush Lake Township, Palo Alto County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9497185, -94.7383270

11. Garfield Township Cemetery
Webb, Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9538994, -94.9392014

12. Saint Mary's Cemetery
Rush Lake Township, Palo Alto County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9560000, -94.6980000

13. Dover Township Cemetery
Varina, Pocahontas County, USA
Coordinate: 42.6896100, -94.8524200

14. Calvary Cemetery
Pocahontas, Pocahontas County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7335000, -94.6597000

15. Summit Hill Cemetery
Pocahontas, Pocahontas County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7315000, -94.6595000

16. Saint John's Lutheran Cemetery
Albert City, Buena Vista County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7200920, -94.9947630

17. Ellington Cemetery
Ellington Township, Palo Alto County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9377000, -94.6240400

18. Powhatan Cemetery
Plover, Pocahontas County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8557396, -94.5801773

19. Osborn Cemetery
Webb, Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9346918, -95.0608244

20. Silver Lake Cemetery
Silver Lake Township, Palo Alto County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0386009, -94.8597031

21. Calvary Cemetery
Silver Lake Township, Palo Alto County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0386009, -94.8613968

22. Saint Columbkilles Cemetery
Varina, Pocahontas County, USA
Coordinate: 42.6467018, -94.8443985

23. Saint Johns Church Of Christ Cemetery
Storm Lake, Buena Vista County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7108002, -95.0428009

24. Varina Cemetery
Newell Township, Buena Vista County, USA
Coordinate: 42.6539993, -94.9339981