The author of several books and magazine articles, she was the widow of the late L.W.Ragon, retired publisher of the Lowell Tribune. He died in Hammond last year after retiring in 1942.
Mrs. Ragon, known to her readers as Hurley Lee, founded the Lowell Garden Club and was active in the Lake County Poetry Club and the American League of Penwomen.
FUNERAL services have been set for 12:50 p.m.Tuesday in the Sheets Funeral Home here, with the Rev. E.L. Worley officiating. Burial will be in Lowell Cemetery.
Surviving are a daughter, Mrs. Azalia Richards of Whiting, with whom Mrs. Ragon made her home; one son, Max, of Dayton, O.; a grandchild; two great grandchildren; one sister, Mrs. Lewis Lash of Vandalia, Ill., and a brother, John W. Lee of Henderson, Tex.
Anoter article on the same page of the scrapbook is hand-identified as being from a January 1954 issue of the Post Tribune:
Mrs. Ragon was the author of three books and numerous magazine articles. She was the founder of the Lake County Poetry Club and the Lowell Garden Club. She also was a member of the Chicago branch of the American League of Pen Women.
She moved to the nursing home following the death of her husband last spring.
Mrs. Ragon is survived by: daughter, Mrs. Azalia Richards of Whiting; son, Max, of Dayton, Ohio; sister, Mrs. Lewis Lash of Vandalia, Ill.; brother, John W. Lee of Henderson, Tex.; granddaughter and two great grandchildren.
The body is at the Sheets Funeral Home in Lowell. Services will be held at 12:50 p.m. tomorrow, the Rev. E.L. Worley of Shelby Church of Christ officiating. Burial will be in Lowell Cemetery.
The following Jan. 14, 1954, article from the Lowell Tribune (page 1, column 6) was found in the Lowell Public Library Clipping Files (LH- Vital Statistics--vol. 3, page 10):
Mrs. Adelia Hurley Lee Ragon, authoress and widow of the late L.W. Ragon, former publisher of the Lowell Tribune, died Saturday night in the Wood Nursing Home in Michigan City at the age of 73.
A lover of nature and beautiful things, Mrs. Ragon collected lovely ware, and her beautiful garden brought joy to both she and her husband, as well as their friends. Some years ago her flower garden won first prize in a picture contest sponsored by the Chicago Tribune. As an award, an artist came to her home and captured this beauty on canvass. This painting she and Mr. Ragon prized highly.
Most of her life was spent in literary work. She was the author of three books, many poems, numerous magazine articles, and short stories. She also lectured widely before club groups and university classes.
For many years she was an active member of the Chicago branch of the National League of American Pen Women. She organized the Lake County Poetry club and founded the Lowell Garden club.
Born February 17th, 1880, near Sherburnville, Illinois, eight miles west of Lowell, Adelia, "Dolly," was the daughter of Patrick and Emily Coffenbury Hurley. Her mother died soon after her birth, and when seven months old, she was adopted by Mr. and Mrs. John W. Lee of North Clark St., Lowell. She was educated in the Lowell schools, graduating from Lowell high school in 1897. In 1898 she married the boy next door, Leonard W. Ragon. In 1899, a son, Max Lee Ragon, was born, and in 1903, a daughter, Azalia Ragon Richards.
After her husband retired, they moved to Jasper, Indiana, where they resided for four years. Both in failing health, they returned to Lake County and lived in Hammond to be near their daughter. Mr. Ragon passed away on February 9, 1953. Since last March she had been at the Woods Nursing Home.
Surviving with her son, Max of Dayton, Ohio, and daughter, Mrs. Baron Richards of Whiting, are a half sister, Mrs. Lewis Lash of Vandalia, Illinois, and a brother, John W. Lee, Jr., of Houston, Texas; also a granddaughter, Mrs. Ritter Collet, and two great grandchildren of Dayton, Ohio.
Memorial services were held Tuesday, January 12th, at 1 p.m., in the Sheets funeral home with Rev. E.L. Worley officiating. She was laid to rest in the Lowell cemetery beside her husband.
Go to Adelia "Hurley" Lee Ragon, "Pioneer History Index," for further information.
Return to Lowell Biographies.
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