Mrs. Mary Reeder, who died March 25^th at the home of her daughter, Mrs. W.H. White of Boyne City, was brought here and on Saturday morning was laid to rest in the cemetery here beside her husband. Services were held in the M.E. church, conducted by her pastor, Rev. C.S. Jenkins, who delivered a touching eulogy of the departed.

Mary Quick was born in New Jersey and grew to young womanhood there, a daughter of a Presbyterian pastor of that that state, Rev. John J. Quick. When she was a young woman, the family emigrated to the wilds of Northern Michigan, settling in Grand Traverse county. Dollars were none too plentiful in the pioneer homes of the late sixties or early seventies, and Mary took up the then poorly paid work of teaching a small school, and boarded at the home of a man named Clark.

Sometime in 1871, Daniel Reeder, the pioneer resident of Lake City, who had not long before homesteaded the land on which the village was afterwards built, while going back and forth between his home here and Traverse City which was the nearest post office and market town, stopped at the Clark home, and met the fair young school ma’am and straightway wooed and later won her. They were married at her home, her father performing the ceremony, on the 29^th day of February 1872, so that they only celebrated a wedding anniversary once in four years. She was at once brought to Lake City as a bride, and shared the hardships, the laughter and the tears of the life of the pioneers of this locality. The life was crude, and all things were new and raw, but she was always a brave soul, not easily daunted, able usually to carry her own burden smiling, and help some other person not so fortunate or perhaps not so brave. Two children came in a few years, to add to her joys and labor, Martin D., now of Boyne City and Alpena, and Louise, now Mrs. Wm. White of Boyne City.

Here in Lake City, she spent the rest of her life, save for spending the winters late years in a milder climate. Here she raised her children, and saw them marry and find homes of their own.

Her husband’s health failed several years before his death, and to her other duties she added that of constant nurse, business manager and devoted attendant to her husband. Possessed of infinite patience and tact, she shielded him from all worries, and gave him a devotion seldom seen.

Mrs. Reeder was one of the founders of the Methodist church here, and has ever since been one of the thoroughly dependable mainstays of the organization. In fair weather or foul, she was one of the faithful who could always be depended upon to be loyal to the pastor and the best interests of the church.

The "Old Settlers Society" of this county owes its existence largely to her interest and labor. She was probably the originator of the idea, in the first place, and gave her time and much work to making its meetings successful and interesting. She was the historical secretary of the society during its lifetime, and to her fell the melancholy duty each year of reporting the vacancies made by its ranks each year by death, and now a successor must be chosen to perform the sad service for her.

Possessing a strong character, decided opinions, backed by a strong will, her unfailing tact nevertheless enabled her to preserve friendship with all, and while yielding no principle she deemed worth while, she was always willing to concede non-essentials, and never allowed her personal claims to recognition to stand in any one else’s way.

The high personal esteem in which Lake City people held her, was indicated at her funeral. On the busiest day of the week, practically every business house was represented by its head, and the church was crowed, while the casket and altar were buried in flowers, the gifts of many people.

Mrs. Reeder would have been 64 years of age in May next. While her health had not been of the best for some years, no immediate danger was anticipated by any. She was spending the winter as usual at St. Petersburg, Florida, when word was received that she was seriously ill. Her son Martin and his wife hastened to her side, and Mrs. W.H. White was notified at Vancouver, B.C., whither she had accompanied her husband on a business trip. She started at once, and was met in Florida by the party, on their way north, the physicians there having advised them to take the patient home, since she wanted to go. Reaching Boyne City, every attention was given her, and she seemed to rally, and her recovery was regarded as probable, until two or three hours before her death. It appeared to be a general breaking down, from which she had not sufficient vitality to rally.