Grandmother to Vice-President Charles Curtis

TOPEKA DAILY CAPITAL (Topeka, Kansas)
Sept. 5, 1903

Mrs Permelia Curtis, who been at the point of death for the last three weeks, died at 6:05 pm yesterday at the Curtis home on West Curtis street in North Topeka. Mrs Curtis has another bad sinking spell at 10 o'clock yesterday morning and grew gradually worse until the hour of her death. She died apparently without pain, her mind perfectly clear up to the last minute.
During her last illness, Mrs Curtis referred continually to the flood. Her mind was clear at all times. During the past three days she has asked about each of her living relatives, calling them all by name.
Mrs Curtis' death was due to old age, although she has been afflicted with heart trouble for some time. She was 96 years old on May 14, having lived forty years in North Topeka. She leaves four brothers, eleven children, twenty-nine grandchildren, forty-nine great-grandchildren and 5 great-great-grandchildren.
Mrs Curtis' last illness was with one exception the only time in her life that she was ever confined to bed by sickness. About six years ago she was very sick for fifteen days and during a part of that time was not expected to live. She has been very weak most of the time during her last illness, being unable to take nourishment for periods lasting from two to five days.

KNOWN FOR BENEVOLENCE

Throughout her life Grandma Curtis has been known as one of the most benevolent and unselfish of women. Ever since she has lived in North Topeka no one asking for food or shelter has ever been turned from her door. Every tramp and vagrant has always known that he could get something to eat from "Grandma" Curtis.
For the past eighty-two years she has been a member of the Methodist church and for the past thirty-eight years a member of the Kansas Avenue Methodist church in North Topeka.
"Grandma" Curtis was born in Berkshire county, Massachusetts, May 14, 1807. At the age of fourteen she moved with her family to Michigan. After a stay of a few years the family moved to Indiana, where she married William Curtis Nov 4, 1827 in Eugene, Vermillion County, Indiana. "Grandma" Curtis and her husband came to Kansas in 1862, settling at New Florence, near the present site of Meriden. While they lived in New Florence, the home of the Curtis' was the stopping place for passengers on the overland coaches.

CAME TO TOPEKA DURING THE WAR

In 1864, Mr and Mrs Curtis moved to Topeka. They built a residence on the north bank of the river and laid out the town of Eugene which was afterwards renamed North Topeka and taken into Topeka. They conducted the old Curtis house at what is now the corner or Railroad and Jackson streets until 1869 when they sold the place and built the present Curtis house. The old Curtis house was the first hotel in North Topeka and was a well known stopping place for travelers in the pioneer days. While Mr and Mrs Curtis conducted the place no wayfarer was ever turned away because he had no money.
Mrs Curtis was always a hard worker and even during her last sickness often expressed regret because she was not doing anything. In addition to raising fourteen children of her own she brought up eight grandchildren.

ALWAYS STRONG AND HEARTY

During her old age Grandma Curtis has been exceptionally strong and hearty for a person of her age. Since she passed her eighty-fifth birthday, she has made trips to California, Utah, Indiana and Oklahoma.
All of Grandma Curtis' relatives have been notified and a great many of them will no doubt be here for the funeral. The funeral will be held Sunday afternoon from the Kansas Avenue Methodist church. The interment will be made in the Curtis private burying ground north of town on the Rochester road. This ground is about an acre in extent and has always been reserved as a last resting place for members of the Curtis family. A number of the descendants of "Grandma" Curtis are already buried here.
Mrs Curtis leaves four daughters living in Topeka, Kansas. They are Mrs Cynthia Smith, Mrs Eunice Wish, Mrs Sarah E Brown and Mrs Belle Armstrong. She leaves one daughter living in Colorado, Mrs Emma (Emily) La Tourette. She leaves two living sons, Charles C. Curtis of Lawrence, Kansas, and John Curtis of Newkirk, Oklahoma. She leaves four living brothers, the oldest of whom is ninety-three years of age and the youngest eighty-one. Congressman Curtis is a grandson.