Home > United States of America > Kansas > Cowley County > Arkansas City > Memorial Lawn Cemetery > Priscilla Richey Emerson

Priscilla Richey Emerson

View larger map

Birth	:	15 Oct 1838
Death	:	28 Dec 1898 Stratford, Hamilton County, Iowa, USA
Burial	:	Memorial Lawn Cemetery, Arkansas City, Cowley County, USA
Coordinate	:	37.1352997, -97.0421982
Description	:	Priscilla died in 1898, not 1897 as is engraved on the headstone. ********* Webster City Freeman January 6, 1899 A VERY STRANGE DEATH Mrs. Priscilla Emerson Passes Away at Stratford several days ago and Her Body not Discovered Until Sunday Afternoon - Wonderful Family History. Mrs. Priscilla Emerson is dead. Probably some people will ask who Mrs. Priscilla Emerson was, but others will be shocked to hear the news. She is an aged lady who lived at Stratford alone in rooms over a store. She was a woman who had seen more trouble probably than any other... Read More	Priscilla died in 1898, not 1897 as is engraved on the headstone. ******* Webster City Freeman January 6, 1899 A VERY STRANGE DEATH Mrs. Priscilla Emerson Passes Away at Stratford several days ago and Her Body not Discovered Until Sunday Afternoon - Wonderful Family History. Mrs. Priscilla Emerson is dead. Probably some people will ask who Mrs. Priscilla Emerson was, but others will be shocked to hear the news. She is an aged lady who lived at Stratford alone in rooms over a store. She was a woman who had seen more trouble probably than any other woman in Hamilton county and the family really seemed to be followed by a strange fatality that pursued them until death has taken every one, was probably the most gossiped about family that ever lived in the county. Mrs. Emerson died several days ago and her body was found Sunday, by neighbors who had not seen her since before Christmas. She was found dead in the bed. Coroner Hall was called but as it was Sunday afternoon and no trains were running he delegated authority to the justice of the peace at Stratford to hold the inquest. The inquest was started Sunday afternoon; the jury seemed to be in favor of an autopsy and so they will probably hold their verdict until this investigation is made. It is the opinion in Stratford that heart disease caused the death. The history of the Emerson family is probably one of the most strange that ever occurred in this section of Iowa. Mrs. Emerson was an old lady when she died, and her life had been devoted to the accumulation of money and a desperate attempt to save what she had after her husband's death. An instance of her economy is cited. Her son Lloyd was a proud young fellow and at the age of eighteen he decided to bring in some of his best friends and give a birthday party. His mother prepared the bill of fare and when the elite of Stratford sat down to partake of the supper their surprise was great when they discovered that only lemonade and ginger snaps were to be the bill of fare, but for all her parsimony Mrs. Emerson was a good woman at heart. She was the mother of two children, May a daughter, that made a history as well as Lloyd, a son. These two children both died tragic deaths. Lloyd was given a fine education and graduated from the Ames Agricultural college, after which he was for a time a teacher in that institution. Not liking the work of an instructor in the college, with the assistance of his father, he started a bank in Rising City, Neb. The climate he thought did not agree with him there, and he went to Colorado Springs for a short outing, leaving his bank in charge of his cashier. While taking a bath in the hotel that place he burst a blood vessel and died. The body of this prominent young man was brought home to Stratford and interred. He made but one mistake in life and that mistake led to ugly rumors and a law suit at which judgement against him was rendered by default, for $2,000 in favor of a Miss Paulson - and he had left Stratford for good, only to be brought back a corpse. The daughter, May, passed away in almost as peculiar a manner as did the son Lloyd. While trimming a bunion it is said she cut a toe, blood poisoning set in, and about nine months ago she died shortly afterwards of the lock jaw. But the loss of the children was not the only trial of the old lady whose dead body was found in Stratford. Her daughter May was married previous to her death, and the incident terminated in the loss of a large slice of the fortune which nearly drove Mrs. Emerson crazy. Lloyd's trouble had caused his mother to transfer everything to her daughter to keep the opposition from getting it. May fell in love with a young physician, Dr. King [East], in Nebraska, and in three months after his first wife's death they were married. She had everything in her name when wed, and when she died her husband, it is said, claimed it all. Here was a law-suit on hand, and the trouble commenced. It never ended for poor Mrs. Emerson. Her husband died suddenly several years ago at his home in Stratford, and now the once happy family has been entirely annihilated with the sad and sudden death of Mrs. Emerson. ******** AN ENTIRE FAMILY Wiped Out by a Series of Fatalities That Seemed to Follow Its Members Webster City, Ia., Jan. 2. - The mysterious disappearance of Mrs. Priscilla Emerson, aged 80, widow of the late Levi Emerson, a banker, of Stratford, has been solved by the finding of her body frozen stiff in her home. She had been dead, it was learned, since a few days before Christmas. An autopsy will be held today to determine the cause of her death. Thursday night before Christmas a nephew from Dayton took Mrs. Emerson two barrels of apples as a Christmas gift. He was at the house last night and said everything about the place is just as he left it when he returned home. Sums of money were known to have been kept in the house, but how much there is now, or was, has not been ascertained. It is not believed the house has been robbed. A strange fatality seems to have followed the fortunes of the Emersons, Levi Emerson, the husband and father, is said to have committed suicide by poisoning himself. He died suddenly and no examination was made of his body. Lloyd Emerson, the only son, doing a banking business at Rising City, Neb., went to Colorado Springs for his health, and while taking a bath burst a blood vessel and death ensued. Miss May Emerson, the only daughter, while handling a razor, accidentally cut herself. Blood poisoning set in and caused her death nine months ago. Thus the entire family has been wiped out by fatalities. Portsmouth Herald Portsmouth, New Hampshire. January 3, 1899; Page Three ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Priscilla Richey Emerson's memorial?
Priscilla Richey Emerson's memorial is located at: Memorial Lawn Cemetery, Arkansas City, Cowley County, USA.
When did Priscilla Richey Emerson death?
Priscilla Richey Emerson death on 28 Dec 1898 in Stratford, Hamilton County, Iowa, USA
Where are the coordinates of the Priscilla Richey Emerson's memorial?
Latitude: 37.1352997
Longitude: -97.0421982

Family Members:

Parent

Spouse

Levi Emerson

(1830 - 1892)

Siblings

Margaret Ann Richey Burnett

(1832 - 1922)

James F. Richey

(1845 - 1922)

Sylvester Richey

(1848 - 1908)

Children

Eva May Emerson East

(1861 - 1898)

Levi Loyd Emerson

(1873 - 1894)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Memorial Lawn Cemetery
Arkansas City, Cowley County, USA
Coordinate: 37.1352997, -97.0421982

2. Pleasant Valley Cemetery
Winfield, Cowley County, USA
Coordinate: 37.1439018, -97.0357971

3. Tannehill Cemetery
Arkansas City, Cowley County, USA
Coordinate: 37.1622009, -97.0955963

4. Riverview Cemetery
Arkansas City, Cowley County, USA
Coordinate: 37.0800018, -97.0597000

5. Parker Cemetery
Arkansas City, Cowley County, USA
Coordinate: 37.0703011, -96.9875031

6. South Bend Cemetery
Cowley County, USA
Coordinate: 37.1281013, -96.9408035

7. Melville - Brown Cemetery
Cowley County, USA
Coordinate: 37.1893700, -96.9509800

8. Highland Cemetery
Winfield, Cowley County, USA
Coordinate: 37.2235985, -97.0014038

9. Geuda Springs Cemetery
Geuda Springs, Sumner County, USA
Coordinate: 37.1300011, -97.1607971

10. Union Chapel Cemetery
Sumner County, USA
Coordinate: 37.2285995, -97.0744019

11. Yeager Cemetery
Cowley County, USA
Coordinate: 37.1982700, -97.1422900

12. Cowley County Poor Farm Cemetery
Cowley County, USA
Coordinate: 37.2228012, -96.9689026

13. Elliott Gravesite
Winfield, Cowley County, USA
Coordinate: 37.2301500, -97.1002000

14. Hope Cemetery
Arkansas City, Cowley County, USA
Coordinate: 37.0271988, -97.0914001

15. Saint Mary's Cemetery
Winfield, Cowley County, USA
Coordinate: 37.2388992, -96.9725037

16. Garden of Lollik Cemetery
Sumner County, USA
Coordinate: 37.0635986, -97.1656036

17. Liberty Cemetery
Cowley County, USA
Coordinate: 37.1281013, -96.8871994

18. Mount Zion Cemetery
Winfield, Cowley County, USA
Coordinate: 37.2458000, -97.1136017

19. Union-Graham Cemetery
Winfield, Cowley County, USA
Coordinate: 37.2542000, -96.9843979

20. Rose Valley Cemetery
Winfield, Cowley County, USA
Coordinate: 37.1713982, -96.8788986

21. Kansas Veterans Cemetery at Winfield
Winfield, Cowley County, USA
Coordinate: 37.2604600, -96.9783500

22. Springside Cemetery
Arkansas City, Cowley County, USA
Coordinate: 37.0133018, -96.9630966

23. Silverdale Cemetery
Silverdale, Cowley County, USA
Coordinate: 37.0410995, -96.9135971

24. Griffith Cemetery
Cowley County, USA
Coordinate: 37.2154500, -96.8973000