Death of a Pioneer: Susan M. Burgess
One of Walla Walla’s respected early residents passes away at her home on North Third Street.
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. Susan M. Burgess, widow of the late Colonel T. T. Burgess and one of Walla Walla's most respected and oldest pioneers, died at the family residence at 416 North Third Street this morning of cancer. Mrs. Burgess was aged 73 years and had made Walla Walla her home for over 40 years. Last September a cancerous growth made its appearance. Though suffering from its effects and knowing that the end was not far away, she bore her affliction with cheerfulness. Mrs. Burgess is survived by a sister and two brothers residing in the east; a grandchild, T. C. Burgess of Walla Walla; a niece, Mrs. Lewis Schmuck of Colfax and daughter-in-law, Mrs. Fanny Burgess.
“Though suffering from its effects and knowing that the end was not far away, she bore her affliction with cheerfulness.”
Obituaries like this offer a window into the tight-knit pioneer generation that shaped early Walla Walla. The mention of the family residence being on North Third Street highlights how central that neighborhood was to the city's established families at the turn of the century.
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