The Quiet Passing of an Early Settler
Ellen Francis Hewlett, one of the first women to establish a home in North Yakima, passes away after a long illness.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Mrs. Hewlett, wife of L.S. Hewlett, died on Friday, the 17th. Her illness dated back several years, and for the past three years her condition was such that her death at any hour would have surprised no one. An uncommon woman, she possessed great will power and remained clear-minded until her final day. She requested no ostentatious funeral or public display of mourning, and asked that the Rev. Mr. Eshelman speak briefly at the house and grave. Ellen Francis Goetoo was born in Chester, Mass., and was 46 years of age. She was one of the first to begin housekeeping in North Yakima in 1885 and was known to nearly every family there.
“She was an uncommon woman in this matter of will power, and was clear in her mind until the last day of her life.”
Obituaries like this offer a rare, dignified glimpse into the lives of the women who anchored North Yakima's early years. Her specific request for a private funeral speaks to a resistance against the performative social obligations often imposed on 19th-century families.
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