On March 26, 1885, he was united in marriage to Miss Lizzie Shields.  To this union were born five children of whom one daughter, Ethel, died in infancy.  The remaining children are two sons and two daughters, namely: Lester P. Sieple, of Kansas City, Mo.; Isom Sieple at the old home place near Joetta; Mrs. Bertha Huey of Lamoin township and Miss Martha at home.  Besides the children and his sorrowing wife, he leaves one brother, N. A. Sieple of Tennessee, Ill., and three sisters, Mrs. Mary Jane James, of Ashland, Oregon; Mrs. Lavina Dunham of Camp Point, Ill., and Mrs. Ellen White of near Colchester, Ill.  He also leaves four granchildren, Elbert and Hubert Sieple and Frances and Russell Huey.

Deceased was an honored member of the M. W. A.  In early boyhood he accepted Christ and became a member of the United Brethren Church which relation he sustained until early manhood when he united with the Methodist Episcopal Church at Majorville and up to the time when his affliction came upon him thirteen years ago, he was a regular church attendant and a faithful church worker and in his home with his loved ones he knelt daily in prayer to render thanks to God for his goodness and mercy to him and his family, and having the spirit of Christ in his life, he was a devoted husband, a loving father, a kind neighbor and true friend.  But in spit of his noble character, about thirteen years ago he was overtaken by a mental affliction from which he never fully recovered.  And as a result of an irrational moment caused his afflictions, his loved ones were obliged to bid his soul farewell and await till this dawn of that fair day when all the dead in Christ shall rise and live forever without affliction in the kingdom of God.

Funeral services were held Thursday afternoon, Dec. 11, 1919, at Majorville at 2:30 o'clock, conducted by Rev. Kneebone, the M. E. pastor of Colchester.  Burial in church yard cemetery.

Lizzie Bell Siepel (Shields) was born Aug. 19, 1859, in Henry county, Iowa, and died Oct. 5, 1923, at Colchester, Ill., at the age of 64 years, 1 month and 16 days.

She came to Illinois at the age of seven years and located near Fountain Green, where she was later united in marriage with Geo. W. Siepel on March 26, 1885.  To this union five children were born --- Lester of Kansas City, Mrs. Bertha Huey of White Flock, Ill., Ethel, the first born, died in infancy.*  After their marriage they lived near Joetta until seven years ago, when they moved to Colchester.

Her husband, having preceded her in death in 1919, she leaves to mourn her death the above named children, one brother, Lyman Shields, of Tennessee, Ill., one sister, Mrs. Ida Knoedler of Blandinsville, Ill.  Three brother, John, James and Henry, preceded her in death. She is also survived by the following step-brothers and sister: John Hartman, of Tennessee, Ill., Mrs. Mary Biery, of Keokuk, Ia., Frank Hartman, of Colorado, and Willard Hartman, of Rock Island, Ill.  There also remain seven grandchildren and a number of nieces and nephews.

Mrs. Siepel joined the Methodist church shortly after her marriage and remained a firm believer to the end.  She was a good christian woman and her life was full of unselfish service.  Even though she had a large family to care for, her home was always open to the many relatives and friends who loved to frequent her house.

Her last days were days of heaviness and suffering, but she displayed the same calm to the end. Being fully prepared, she welcomed the relief.

*This obituary, transcribed from the original news clipping, mentions five children, but then
names only three.  The other two are included in Mr. Siepel's obituary.
 

Marriage Documents

Undated obituaries from unknown original news sources, verbatim transcriptions, shared by great-grandniece, Mary Jane White.  With the sole exception of Nathaniel Asa Seipel, who preferred that spelling, all instances of Sieple should read Siepel.

For Siepel family information, see:	Philip Ira Siepel & Eliza Fawver (parents)
For Shields family information, see:	James Madison Shields & Electa Brown (parents)

The children of George Washington Siepel and Lizzie Bell Shields were all born in the Siepel home in Hancock Township.  Lester, Bertha and Isom were attending Woodville School during the 1900-1901 and 1901-1902 school terms.  George was on the school board in those years.

i.	Ethel Siepel, January 26, 1886 - February 13, 1886, burial at Majorville Cemetery.
ii.	Lester Phillip Siepel, born March 5, 1887, died May 16, 1972.
iii.	Bertha Ellen Siepel, born June 15, 1888.  She died January 23, 1986, at Carthage, Hancock County.
iv.	Isom Edwin Siepel, born March 12, 1894, died February 15, 1963.  Burial at Saint Mary's Cemetery, Saint Mary's Township, Hancock County.  He married Flora Isabell Twitchell.
v.	Martha Frances Siepel, born August 14, 1896.

Philip Sieple, 41, male, farmer, value of real estate 400, value of personal estate 300, Hesse Dahmstadt
Elizabeth, 37, female, born VA
Mary J, 11, female, born VA, attended school within the year
John W, 9, male, born VA, attended school within the year
Ellen, 9, female, born VA, attended school within the year
Nathaniel, 4, male, born IL
George W, 3 male, born IL
Lavnia F, 1, female, born IL

J M Shields, 44, male, farmer, value of real estate 3000, value of personal estate 1500, born OH; attended school within the year - 2 [perhaps 2 children living in this household attended school within the year]
Electa, 33, female, born OH
James, 15, male, born OH
Henry, 10, male, born IA
John, 5, male, born IA
Lyman, 3, male, born IA
Eliza B, 10/12, female, born IA
Edith David, 25, female, domestic, born OH

Family #43
Sifel, Phillip, 52, male, white, farmer, value of real estate 3000, value of personal estate 1000, born Hesse Darnstadt, both parents foreign born, male citizen of the U.S. aged 21 or more
Eliza, 41, female, white, keeping house, born VA
John W, 20, male, white, born VA, father foreign born
Nathaniel, 14, male, white, born IL, father foreign born
George W, 12, male, white, born IL, father foreign born
Levina F, 10, female, white, born IL, father foreign born
[no indication of school attendance for any of the children]

Family #44
Melon, Frank, 23, male, white, farm laborer, value of personal estate 100, born IL, married in May, male citizen of the U.S. aged 21 or more
May J, 21, female, white, keeping house, born IL, married in May
Bloyd, James, 62, male, white, laborer, born KY, male citizen of the U.S. aged 21 or more
Elisabeth, 54, female, white, keeping house, born KY
Adaline, 26, female, white, keeping house, born IL

Shields, James, 57, male, white, farmer, value of real estate 5000, value of personal estate 2000, born OH, father foreign born, male citizen of the U.S. aged 21 or more
[continued on the next page]
Shields, John, 15, male, white, born IA, attended school within the year
[Shields], Lyman, 13, male, white, born IA, attended school within the year
[Hartman], Jemima, 40, female, white, born OH
[Hartman], Scott, 10, male, white, born IA, attended school within the year
[Hartman], Willie, 4, male, white, born IA
[Hartman], Mary, 12, female, white, born IA, attended school within the year
[Shields], Lizzie, 10, female, white, born IA, attended school within the year
[Shields], Henry, 19, male, white, farmer, born IA
[Shields], Isabella, 21, female, white, keeping house, born IL [Isabella Roberts, Henry's wife]

Siple, Philip, white, male, 61, married, farmer; Is the person sick or temporarily disabled, so as to be unable to attend to ordinary business or duties? If so, what is the sickness or disability? broken arm; born Hesse Darmstadt, both parents born Hesse Darmstadt
Eliza A, white, female, 56, wife, married, keeping house, born VA, both parents born VA
George W, white, male, 22, son, single, farmer, born IL, father born Hesse Darmstadt, mother
born VA
Lavina F, white, male, 20, daughter, single, farmer, born IL, father born Hesse Darmstadt, mother born VA

Sheilds, James A [sic], white, male, 61, married, farmer, born OH, both parents born Ireland
Jemima, white, female, 51, wife, married, keeping house, born OH, father born NY, mother
born PA
Lyman, white, male, 21, son, single, farmer, born IA, both parents born OH
Elisabeth, white, female, 20, daughter, single, born IA, both parents born OH
Ida, white, female, 14, daughter, single, born IA, both parents born OH
Heartman, Willard, white, male, 13, step son, single, born IA, father born PA, mother born OH

Siple, George W, head, white, male, Nov 1857, 42, married for 15 years, born IL, father born Germany, mother born VA, farmer, months not employed - 0, could read, write and speak English, owned his farm home free of mortgage, farm schedule 133

Lizzie B, wife, white, female, Aug 1859, 40, married for 15 years; mother of 5 children, 4 living; born IA, both parents born OH, could read, write and speak English

Lester P, son, white, male, Mar 1887, 12, single, born IL, father born IL, mother born IA, at school for 5 months, could read, write and speak English

Bertha E, daughter, white, female, June 1888, 11, single, single, born IL, father born IL, mother born IA, at school for 7 months, could read, write and speak English

Isam E, son, white, male, Mar 1894, 6, single, born IL, father born IL, mother born IA, at school for 2 months, could read, write and speak English

Martha F, daughter, white, female, Aug 1896, 3, single, born IL, father born IL, mother born IA

Eliza A, mother, white, female, Mar 1823, 77, widow; mother of 1 child, living; born VA, both parents born VA, could read, write and speak English

Shields, Jemima, mother-in-law, white, female, July 1828, 71, widow; mother of 1 child, living; born OH, both parents born OH, could read, write and speak English [Jemima was Lizzie Siepel's stepmother]

Seipel, George, patient, male, white, 51, married, born IL, father born Germany Ger, mother born West Virginia, spoke English, could read and write

Sieple, Lissie, head, female, white, 50, widow; mother of 5 children, 4 living; born IA, both parents born OH, spoke English, farmer, general farm, employer, could read and write, owned her farm home free of mortgage, farm schedule 135

Isom, son, male, white, 16, single, born IL, father born IL, mother born IA, spoke English, farm 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, attended school after Sept. 1, 1909

Martha, daughter, female, white, 13, single, born IL, father born IL, mother born IA, spoke English, could read and write, attended school after Sept. 1, 1909

Siepel, Lizzie, head, owned her home free of mortgage, female, white, 60, widow, could read and write, born IA, both parents born OH, spoke English

Martha, daughter, female, white, 23, single, could read and write, born IL, father born IL, mother born IA, spoke English

Hull, Florence E, niece, female, white, 40, married, could read and write, born IL, father born IA, mother born IL, spoke English, nurse, general practice, working on own account