Children of James and Catherine are:
James and family appeared as follows on the 1850 census of Washington Twp, Lycoming Co, Pennsylvania:
In November of 1859, Catherine married second, Manna C Stears.
They appeared as follows on the 1860 census of Tipton, Cedar County, Iowa:
Catherine appeared as follows on the 1880 census of Tipton, Cedar Co, IA:
Catherine's death notice and obituary appeared in 'The Tipton Advertiser', Tipton, Iowa:
Thursday Jan 21, 1886, p. 2, col. 2.
The news of the sudden death of Mrs. C. J. Stearns, which occurred at the home of her son, Robert Whitson, in Santa Ana, California, on Thursday of last week, was received here by telegraph the next day. Mrs. Stearns is an old resident of Tipton, where two of her daughters, Mesdames W. W. Aldrich and J. L. Rowell, still live, and was well known and highly respected here. She went to California for a visit and had only been there about three months. Mr. Whitson is expected to arrive here to-morrow with the remains.
Thursday Jan 28, 1886, Page 2, Column 5 as follows:
DIED STEARNS - At the residence of her son, Robert C. Whitson, in Santa Ana, California, on Thursday, January 14, 1886, Mrs. Catherine J. Stearns, aged sixty-eight years. The deceased, Catherine J. Piatt, was born in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, Dec. 8th, 1818. On Feb. 11th 1836, she was united in marriage with James H. Whitson, and in June, 1854, the family came to Tipton, which has ever since been the home of the subject of this sketch. By the death of her husband only a few months after her arrival in a strange place, Mrs. Whitson was left a widow with a family of three sons and four daughters to care for. And her force of character and self-reliance were such that she was able to keep them together and afford them the blessings if a good home, with all that that implies. In November, 1859, she was married to M. C. Stearns, who died in 1876. Since then she has continued, most of the time, to keep house here until last October, when she went for a visit to the son to whom fell the melancholy duty of bringing back her mortal remains to be placed beside those who have gone before. When but 16 years of age Mrs. Stearns united with the church and throughout the long years she not only maintained her connection therewith, but lived an active, consistent and useful Christian life.
The very largely attended funeral was solemnized by the Presbyterian Church, to which she belonged, at eleven o'clock on Monday, Jan. 25th, Rev. A. C. Brown officiating. The sermon was an enforcement of the text, "Be ye also ready," and the example of deceased was made a comfort as well as a warning to those who remain. Notwithstanding the interval of ten days since decease, the features looked very natural, and were viewed by nearly all the friends present. All Mrs. Stearns' children are living, and all but one were able to be present and follow to her last resting place the loved mother. Mr. John Whitson, of Clinton, and Mr. Oscar Whitson, of State Center, with their wives, Mr. Robert Whitson, from California, and Mrs. Hart, of Sac City, were here from abroad. Mrs. W. W. Aldrich and Mrs. J. L. Rowell, with their families, except Mr. Aldrich, who is serving as juryman in the Federal Court at Keokuk were also in attendance. Interment took place at Sand Hill Cemetery, near Bethel.
Sources:
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