This July 1, 1926, Lowell Tribuneobituary appeared on page 1, column 5:
CYNTHIA DODGE SPAULDING
Cynthia, eldest of thirteen children born to Henry and Lucretia Dodge, first saw the light of day in West Creek township, Lake county, Indiana, June 28, 1838. Her parents were the early pioneer settlers--braving the wilderness and hardships of that day to make a home. At the time of her death she was the oldest surviving native born resident of Lake county. She died Saturday, June 26, 1926, at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Cass Scritchfield, within two days of her 88th birthday.
On October 22, 1856 she united in marriage with Joshua Spaulding. Mr. Spaulding died October 7, [NOTE someone marked the 7 out on the copy and wrote in 4] 1921, these two having lived together in married happiness for 65 years.
Eight children were born of this union, of whom six are living. One child died in infancy. One daughter, Mrs. Isabel Miller, died in December, 1917. The children living are: Milo, of Iowa, La., Mrs. Mary Thompson, of Eau Claire, Wis., Levi, Azalia, Ore., Mrs. Helen Willing, Valparaiso, Ind., Henry, Los Angeles, Calif., and Mrs. Alice Scritchfield, of Lowell, Ind. Of her immediate family there are 22 grand-children, and 29 great-grand-children living. Four brothers, Henry, Hiram, Julius and Rufus all of Ferry, Michigan, live to mourn her going.
Mrs. Spaulding bore the fears and burdens of a soldier's wife, caring for her three children while her husband fought in the Union army to preserve the Union. In her veins flower the blood of a patriotic militant spirit. Her father was a soldier in the Mexican war. One son, Henry, wore the uniform as a loyal American in the Spanish-American war. A grand-son was in the border warfare with Mexico, and another grand-son served faithfully in the World war for his countyr in France.
At seven years of age she united with the Presbyterian church at Crown Point. Later when the Presbyterian church at Lake Prairie was founded she transferred her membership there. Then she placed her membership with the Presbyterian church at Lowell. She remained loyal and faithful to her church in a life long christian service.
Funeral services were held at the M.E. church at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. Rev. J.J. Simpson, former pastor of the Presbyterian church here, preached the funeral sermon, Rev. C.A. Brown, pastor of the M.E. church, assisted in the services. The following acted as pallbearers: Jas. Brannock, Emory Thomas, Jesse Little, Cyrus Dickinson, Frank B. Plummer, E.N. Hayhurst. Interment was in charge of Undertaker Sheets.
