Mary Ellen Myers ¹

HITCH, MARY ELLEN\emdash Mary Ellen Mayers, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Mayers, was born at Ashland, O., December 14, 1847. She moved with her parents to Bloomington, Ill., when a small child. There she grew to womanhood and there she was married to Newton Hitch, February 21, 1873. In August 1890, Mr. and Mrs. Hitch moved to Geneva, enjoying thirty happy years together here, until Mr. Hitch passed on April 7, 1920, leaving her and their only child, a son, Frank, to continue life's journey together. For many years Mrs. Hitch maintained her own home in close proximity to that of her son, but for the last few years, she has lived with her son and family, where she died May 9, 1935, at the advanced age of 88 year, 4 months, and 26 days. Grandma Hitch lived a long and interesting life. She was mentally alert and took great interest in life though finding her chief interest centering in her home. It is interesting to recall that she had as childhood playmates some who afterward became national figures. Adlai E. Stevenson, vice president with Grover Cleveland, being one, and Gordon Lillie "Pawnee Bill," frontiersman, whose careers she watched with much interest. She was baptized and received into the membership of the Geneva Methodist church a few years ago, and though she has not been able to attend the services of the church because of her advanced years, her pastor found upon his occasional visits that she was deeply interested in things spiritual, evidenced by the fact that she requested Christian baptism, sought membership in the church, and received the sacrament at his hand. We have every reason to believe that she has gone to her eternal reward. Funeral services were conducted at the home of her son, Frank H. Hitch, Friday afternoon, May 10, at 3:30 by Rev. W. H. Shoaf of the Geneva Methodist church. Burial was in the Geneva cemetery. The Nebraska Signal, 1935.

Mary married Newton H. Hitch, son of David Hitch and Julia Ann Reeves, on 21 Feb 1878 in McLean Co., IL.^{1 2} (Newton H. Hitch was born on 08 Dec 1848 in Ross Co., OH,^{1 3 7 8} died on 07 Apr 1920 in Fillmore Co., NE ^{1 6} and was buried on 10 Apr 1920 in Geneva Cemetery, Geneva, Fillmore Co., NE ⁶.)