Annie R. Willson

Funeral for Annie Willson, 96, Is Held in Guernsey

Thon Book No. 1

Funeral services for Mrs. Annie R. Willson, 96, one of Niobrara County;s oldest residents, was held July 22 at 2:00 p.m. in Guernsey. Rev. Kenneth Gordon officiated. Burial was in Guernsey.

Mrs. Chester Frederick and Miss Louanna Shaul sang "In The Garden" and "The Lights of Home." Mrs. Gordon Davis was organist.

Active pallbearers were George Abrogast, Charles Lawrence, Gordon Davis, Chet Frederick, Stanley Palmer, Fred Berry. Honorary pallbearers were Charles Frederick, Charles Baker, Frank Baker, Walt Ragan, Ed Dicker, Art Crawford, Pete McNall and Jesse Hall..

The Lusk Herald
July 23, 1959
Annie R. Willson Dies Here Sunday

Mrs. Annie R. Willson, one of Niobrara County's oldest residents, died at 96 Sunday evening in the Spencer Hospital as a result of a stroke which she suffered a week previous.

Mrs. Willson the morning of her stroke, July 12, got out of bed about 7:10 a.m., did some light work around the house including making her own bed, and read the paper. That afternoon, evidently while taking a nap, she suffered a stroke and never regained consciousness.

"Aunt Annie" as she was affectionately called by many was born to Henry and Catherine Runser, November 19, 1862 in Erie, Pa. At 16 she went to Chicago where she was employed as a seamstress in the Henry Bryant home.

One of the Bryant daughters later became Mrs. Charles Guernsey, the man who founded the town of Guernsey, Wyoming. It was on the advice of a doctor that Mrs. Willson came west and she arrived at the site of Guernsey in 1890 before there was a town there. The only material thing on the bank of the North Platte River where Guernsey is now located was one small log cabin.

SERVICE WEDNESDAY
Funeral services were held for Mrs. Willson in Guernsey Wednesday afternoon. She was buried in Guernsey beside her daughter, Julianna. Details about the services were not available at the Herald press time Wednesday. Mrs. Wilson is survived by a son, Glen of Lusk. Her husband, Edmund E. and daughter died previously.

Mrs. Willson had made her home in Lusk with her son, Glen Willson and Mrs. Willson from late 1956 until the present time.

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