The Presbyterian parsonage in this city, occupied by Dr. B. H. Hyde and his family, was the scene of a quiet wedding Thursday, Nov. 12, 1885, at 10 a. m. when Joe Hobart claimed Miss Eva Wright for his bride, Dr. Hyde reading the marriage service.  Those who witnessed the ceremony were Mrs. Emma Kuntz, Scott Duffy (the groom's uncle), and Mrs. Carrie Bernethy, all now dead.

Both young people were members of old and well known families in the Webster community.  Joe Hobart is the son of Isaac Newton and Mary E. (Duffy) Hobart.  He was born on the Hobart homestead June 12, 1864.  His grandfather, Norman Hobart, came to this county at an early day and about one hundred years ago established a mill on Crooked Creek, which has been the theme of many delightful reminiscent stories of old days in Hancock county.

Eva Wright was the daughter of Lafayette and Sarah (Wilson) Wright and was born two miles north of Webster, Nov. 10, 1864.

This marriage, consummated fifty years ago, was blessed with the birth of a son, Ray Hobart of Danville, Ia.  His wife was Hazel Kleckner.  They have five children, two girls and three boys, Opal Fay, Mildred Maxine, Lyle Hobart and Loren and Keith.

Mr. Hobart stated that but few firms are now in business that were in business then - possibly The Carthage Republican, _. W. Berry, Judge C. J. Scofield and A. W. O'Harra, and Reyer & Son.  He had seen half the square build up and had cut wheat all over the east side of the corporation.

Mrs. Hobart was converted at Burnside before her marriage; Mr. Hobart found salvation on the sawdust trail during the Billy Sunday meetings in 1903 and was baptized at the Christian church. They are both members of the Odd Fellows and Rebekah lodges.

These splendid people are kindly citizens who have lived helpful, conscientious lives in their community and were yesterday duly honored with a great out-pouring of congratulations and gifts. Many gathered at the home to celebrate the occasion.

About eighty relatives brought well-filled baskets to break bread on this happy occasion with Mr. and Mrs. Hobart.  In the absence of Rev. and Mrs. Porter, unable to attend, Mr. Hobart addressed the throne of grace in a spirit of thanksgiving and blessings on all as dinner was announced.  It was a feast for the gods.

Friends called all afternoon and were served ice cream and cake.

Mr. and Mrs. Joe Hobart, Mr. and Mrs. Ray Hobart and family, Mr. and Mrs. Morris Yetter and family, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Yetter and family, Mr. Roy Rich and family, Mrs. Ivan Latherow, Newt Hobart and family, Leslie Huff, James Whitten, Mrs. Russell Whitten, Mrs. John J. Johnson and Billy, Mr. and Mrs. Anderson, James Wright, Hattie Wright, Ross Yetter and family, Mrs. Kuntz, Mrs. Forrest Worman, Jinks Yetter, Mrs. Mills, Mrs. Lyons, Carl Buesens, Miss Davidson, Ralph Worman; Mrs. Mary Curry Bailey, of Hamilton; James E. Curry, Edith Marshall, Jennie Marshall; Dale Myers of Carthage; Clarice Tyler, Avis Todd, Eva L. Brandon, Pearl Stidum, of Burnside; Mrs. Alma Thompson, Dr. and Mrs. C. L. Ferris, of Carthage; Delores Emmings, of Webster; Mr. and Mrs. Fred Reu, Carthage; Mrs. Olive Hiller, Mr. and Mrs. A. L. Barr, Mr. and Mrs. E. V. Lenix, Albert Barr.

Marriage Documents  (87k, 67k)

Mrs. Joe Hobart, of Hamilton, passed away yesterday morning, Jan. 11th, at 8:50 o'clock, at the home of her son, Ray, at Danville, Ia., where she and her husband had been since last fall.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, Jan. 13, at 1:00 o'clock at the Carthage Christian Church, of which she was a member, Rev. Fred Nichols to officiate.  Burial will be in Moss Ridge cemetery.

Eva Hobart, aged about 75, was the daughter of Lafayette and Sarah Wilson Wright, and was born in this county, where she lived most of her life.  Several years ago, Mr. and Mrs. Hobart moved from their farm east of town to Hamilton.

Deceased is survived by her husband, one son Ray, five grandchildren and one great grandchild. There is also one brother, Pat Wright of Hamilton; one sister, Mrs. Reynolds, of Pekin, Ill.

Eva Etta Wright, daughter of Lafayette and Sarah Wilson Wright, was born November 10, 1864, in Fountain Green township, two miles north of Webster, in a log cabin, and passed away in the home of her son, Ray near Danville, Iowa, at 8:50 o'clock Thursday morning, January 11, 1940.

Her parents passed away only one week apart when Eva was but ten years of age*.  She was taken into the home of her half brother, James Wright and wife near Burnside, where she lived for a time, later entering the home of Dr. Ing and wife in Burnside, where she proved herself so industrious, capable and dependable that she won the hearts of these good people and their relatives and made life-long frindships [sic] in that community.

At the age of eighteen she united with the Christian church in Burnside, later transferring her membership to the Christian church in Carthage.

She was united in marriage to Joseph N. Hobart, November 12th, 1885.  To this union one child was born, a son, Ray Hobart, now living at Danville, Iowa.  There are five grandchildren, Mrs. James Garland, and Lyle and Loren Keith Hobart of Danville, Mrs. Carl Suesens and Lowell Hobart of Burlington, Iowa; one great grandchild, Hobart Burton Garland.

Of her immediate family there were three half-brothers, James, Skelton and John Wright and one half sister, Sarah Wright, all deceased.  One sister, Mrs. Belle Reynolds of Pekin, Ill., and one brother, Patrick Wright of Hamilton, Ill., survive, besides a number of nephews and nieces.

At the time of their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Hobart lived near Carthage for a time then moved to a farm two miles south and west of Webster[,] where they built a new home and continued to live there, celebrating their golden wedding on November 12, 1935 in this home by entertaining many relatives and friends.

In March, 1937, after Mrs. Hobart had suffered a paralytic stroke, they rented their farm and moved to Hamilton.  Mrs. Hobart dearly loved her home, where they had spent so many happy years and her homesickness for this home the past months, has been quite pathetic.

A few weeks ago she and her husband both became so ill that the son and his wife came and took them to their home to care for them.

Mrs. Hobart not only heeded the admonition, "To visit the sick," but the one who writes this sketch today and many other friends will hold Eva Hobart in grateful remembrance for entering their homes so kindly and willingly and keeping vigil during the long weary hours of the night, administering to their loved ones during their illness.

She and her husband were members of the Rebekah and Hancock Mutual lodges in Webster and attended regularly, doing their part faithfully.

Mr. and Mrs. Hobart were constant companions.  If you saw one of them anywhere, you felt sure the other was near for one scarcely ever left the home, without the other.  God has been kind indeed to permit them to spend so many happy years together.

Mrs. Hobart was strong physically and enjoyed good health the most of her long life and being energetic she kept up the duties of the day in a systematic way and accomplished more than most people are able to do.  Since her stroke three years ago she has found it hard to stand by and give up this work to another.

Funeral services for Mrs. Hobart were held in the Carthage Christian church Saturday, Jan. 13, at 1:00 o'clock, Rev. Fred Nichols officiating.  Mrs. Earl Calhoun sang "In the Garden" and "Old Rugged Cross," accompanied by Mrs. Lyle Ruberts.  Interment was in Moss Ridge cemetery. The pall bearers were friends from Danville, Iowa.

*The second obituary stated that Eva's parents died when she was 10 years old.  In fact she was about 15.  Both Lafayette and Sarah died in November of 1879 according to the Mortality Schedule prepared in conjunction with the 1880 Federal Census of Fountain Green Township.  In the summer of 1879 two of Lafayette's and Sarah's younger children also died, Ola and Albert.  The obituary further reported that Eva temporarily lived with her half-brother, James.  In 1880 she was counted in the home of another half-brother and his wife, John and Capitola (Robinson) Wright.  It was in John's home that Lafayette, Sarah and the two little Wrights perished.

The first obituary was contributed by Cora R. Swift.  The second obituary is from the collection of Okle Campbell Browning.

See also: Patrick E. Wright

Hobert, Newton, 35, male, white, farmer, value of real estate 10000, value of personal estate 200, born IL, "first boy born in Fountain Green T"
Mary, 30, female, white, keeping house, born IL
Mary, 9, female, white, born IL, attended school within the year
Carrie, 7, female, white, born IL, attended school within the year
Joseph, 5, male, white, born IL, attended school within the year
Dennis, 3, male, white, born IL
Eva, 2, female, white, born IL
Lilly, 4/12, female, white, born IL

Wright, Lafayette, 36, male, white, farmer, value of real estate 1000, value of personal estate 400, born TN, could read but not write, [no entry regarding citizenship]
Sarah, 26, female, white, keeping house, born KY, could not read or write
Flora B, 8, female, white, born IL
Eva E, 6, female, white, born IL
Patrick, 7/12, male, white, born IL, born November

Hobert, Isaac N, white, male, 45, married, farmer, born IL, father born VT, mother born KY
Mary E, white, female, 39, wife, married, keeping house, born IL, both parents born PA
Mary E, white, female, 18, daughter, single, teaching school, born IL, both parents born IL
Carrie L, white, female, 17, daughter, single, keeping house, born IL, both parents born IL
Joseph N, white, male, 15, son, single, farmer, attended school within the census year, born IL, both parents born IL
Dennis W, white, male, 13, son, single, farmer, attended school within the census year, born IL, both parents born IL
Eva E, white, female, 12, daughter, single, keeping house, attended school within the census year, born IL, both parents born IL
Lillie E, white, female, 10, daughter, single, attended school within the census year, born IL, both parents born IL
Matilda E, white, female, 8, daughter, single, attended school within the census year, born IL, both parents born IL
Ura A, white, female, 5, daughter, single, attended school within the census year, born IL, both parents born IL
Isaac N, white, male, 2, son, single, born IL, both parents born IL
Blanch, white, female, 2/12, born March, daughter, single, born IL, both parents born IL

Wright, John, white, male, 25, married, farmer, born TN, both parents born TN
Capitola, white, female, 19, wife, female, married, keeping house, born IL, both parents born NY
Harris, white, male, 23, brother, single, farmer, born TN, both parents born TN
Eva, white, female, 17, sister, single, at home, born IL, father born TN, mother born IL

Hobert, Joseph, head, white, male, June 1864, 35, married for 13 years, born IL, both parents born IL, farmer, months not employed - 0, could read, write and speak English, rented his farm home, farm schedule 1

Eva E, wife, white, female, Nov 1864, 35, married for 13 years; mother of 1 child, living; born IL, father born TN, mother born NY, could read, write and speak English

Joseph R, son, white, male, June 1887, 12, single, born IL, both parents born IL, farm labor, months not employed - 6, attended school for 6 months, could read, write and speak English

Hobart, Joseph, head, male, white, 45, married (1st) for 24 years, born IL, both parents born IL, spoke English, farmer, general farm, employer, could read and write, rented his farm home, farm schedule 8

Eva, wife, female,white, 45, married (1st) for 24 years; mother of 1 child, living; born IL, father born KY, mother born IL, spoke English, could read and write

Ray, son, male, white, 22, single, born IL, both parents born IL, spoke English, laborer, home farm, employee, whether out of work on April 15, 1910 - no, number of weeks out of work during 1909 - 0, could read and write

Hobart, Joseph N, head, renter, male, white, 54, married, could read and write, born IL, both parents born IL, spoke English, farmer, general farm, employer, farm schedule 149

Eva E, wife, female, white, 54, married, could read and write, born IL, father born TN, mother born OH, spoke English

Hobart, Joe, head, owner, [no entry for home value], owned a radio, lived on a farm, male, white, 65, married, age at first marriage - 21, could read and write, born IL, both parents born IL, spoke English, farmer, general farm, whether a veteran of the U.S. military or naval forces mobilized for any war or expedition - no, farm schedule 112

Eva, wife, female, 65, married, age at first marriage - 21, could read and write, born IL, both parents born TN, spoke English

Hobart, Ray, head, renter, male, white, 32, married, could read and write, born IL, both parents born IL, spoke English, farmer, general farm, working on own account, farm schedule 60

Hazel, wife, female, white, 28, married, could read and write, born IL, father born PA, mother
born IL

Opal Fay, daughter, female, white, 8, single, attended school after Sept. 1, 1919, born IL, both parents born IL, spoke English

Mildred M, daughter, female, white, 7, single, attended school after Sept. 1, 1919, born IL, both parents born IL

Lowell B, son, male, white, 1 5/12, single, born IL, both parents born IL

Hobart, Ray, head, renter, did not own a radio, lived on a farm, male, white, 42, married, age at first marriage - 24, could read and write, born IL, both parents born IL, spoke English, farmer, farm, whether a veteran of the U.S. military or naval forces mobilized for any war or expedition - no, farm schedule 90

Hazel, wife, female, white, 38, married, age at first marriage - 20, could read and write, born IL, father born KY, mother born IL, spoke English

Fay, daughter, female, white, 18, single, attended school after Sept. 1, 1929, could read and write, born IL, both parents born IL, spoke English

Mildred, daughter, female, white, 17, single, attended school after Sept. 1, 1929, could read and write, born IL, both parents born IL, spoke English

Lowell, son, male, white, 11, single, attended school after Sept. 1, 1929, could read and write, born IL, both parents born IL, spoke English

Lyle, son, male, white, 9, single, attended school after Sept. 1, 1929, born IA, both parents born IL

Loren K, son, male, white, 6, single, attended school after Sept. 1, 1929, born IA, both parents born IL