Printed in the August 14, 1941 Pilot Tribune, Blair, Nebraska

(photo)

Death Takes Blairite, 79, on Saturday

Mrs. C.R. Crutsinger Had Resided Here More Than Half Century

Saturday afternoon, August 9, a busy life ended for Mrs. Mary Sheffield Crutsinger, 79, at her home in the south part of Blair. She had taken ill Friday afternoon because, it was believed, of overheating. Her health up to that time had been fairly good, although she had been troubled by some rheumatic pains.

Born Mary Ellen Sutton in Washington county, Virginia, Mrs. Crutsinger grew to womanhood there. March 29, 1885, she was united in marriage to Benjamin F. Sheffield, and immediately afterward the pair moved to a farm five miles south of Blair.

Mr. Sheffield died in June of 1901, but Mrs. Crutsinger (then Mrs. Sheffield), undeterred, kept on with the work, living on and farming the place very successfully until 1911, when she moved into a home on Lincoln street in the city of Blair.

But the lure of the farm was too strong for her, so in 1927 she made a trade and moved to the place on the south edge of town which has been her residence ever since.

Her second marriage occurred June 21, 1931, when she was wed to C.R. Crutsinger, Blair, who survives her. In addition to her husband, she is survived by four brothers and one sister. They are R.L. Sutton, Covington, Kentucky; C.C. Sutton, Hennessey, Oklahoma; C.R. Sutton, W.S. Sutton, Mrs. R.L. Stalcup, all of Blair. Over and above these, there are 23 nieces and nephews, of whom several live in Blair.

Funeral services were held Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. in the Christian church, the one to which Mrs. Crutsinger had long and faithfully belonged. The Rev. John L. Boldon of Missouri Valley, Iowa, officiated. Interment was in the local cemetery.

Printed in the August 14, 1941 Enterprise, Blair, Nebraska

Mrs. Crutsinger Passes At 79 Yrs

Mrs. C.R. Crutsinger of this city passed away last Saturday at 11:40 A.M., the victim of heat prostration. She was first overcome with heat on the Sunday previous. She failed to recuperate and steadily grew worse and, on Saturday, passed away. It was her first sickness in her entire life, and when a physician was called, it was the first time.

Mrs. Crutsinger, as Mary Ellen Sutton, was born in Virginia on February 22, 1862, where she grew to womanhood and was married to Ben Sheffield, who passed away over forty years ago. After living as a widow for over thirty years, she married C.R. Crutsinger and they lived very happily together on their place just south of Blair.

She came of a large family and while she had no children of her own she leaves besides the husband, four brothers and a sister to mourn her departure. They are C.R. and W.S. Sutton of Blair, C. C. and R.L. Sutton of Oklahoma, and Mrs. Robert Stalcup of Blair.

She came to this county in 1885 and during that time she made a wide circle of friends who admired her for her energy and straightforward manner of living.

She was a devoted member of the Christian church and she lived the live as nearly as is possible for humans to do.

Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon at two o'clock from the Christian church with J.E. Campbell, mortician, in charge and interment was made in the Blair cemetery.

~~obituaries courtesy of Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Public Library, Blair, Nebraska ~~~

Biographical Information

Mary E Sutton and Ben F Sheffield were married around the year 1885. In 1900, the couple and their family were residing in De Soto Township, Washington, Nebraska. By 1910, Mary was widowed had relocated to Blair, which is where she was also residing as sole member of the household in 1930.

Currently known family members are:

Spouse, Benjamin F Sheffield, b ca 1853 in VA. B Mar 1853 per 1900 census.

Self, Mary E Sheffield, b ca 1861-62 in VA, Feb 1862 per 1900 census. Father born in NC (per 1900 census) or NC (per 1930 census). Mother b in VA.

Niece, Mattie B Hurdt, b ca 1886-87 in TN. B Jul 1887 per 1900 census.

Nephew, Charles Hurdt, b ca 1885-86 in TN. Feb 1886 per 1900 census.

Nephew, E W Sutton, b ca 1879-80 in VA. Aug 1880 per 1900 census.

Niece, Maude Sutten (sic), b ca 1890-91 in VA. (age is off, but possibly # 27215192). Present in the home in 1910.

Mary's mother, Mary E Sutten, b ca 1836-37 in Virginia. Present in the home in 1910.

Mary E. Sheffield and Charles R. Crutsinger were married on June 21, 1931 in Washington County, Nebraska. Charles and Mary were residing in Blair in 1940.

*****************************************************
NOTE: Listed in the Blair cemetery records under surname Crutsinger. Interred with her first husband, Ben Sheffield.