Lola Montez Ragon Surprise (1875-1955)
(Mrs. Ernest A. Surprise)
 Ernest and Lola's home |
 Christmas dinner |
 with Myrtle Ragon Buckley |
 family photo |
This August 31, 1916, Lowell Tribune article was found on page 10, column 3:
- Mr. and Mrs. E.A. Surprise and Mr. and Mrs. William Love left by auto Saturday morning for Allegan, Mich., where they go to visit their brother, Clarence Surprise, and family for a week.
The following information comes from the Surprise family CD-Rom created by Janet Umlauf:
- Lola Montez RAGON was born on 21 Oct 1875 in Lowell, IN. She died on 6 May 1955 in Gary, IN. She was buried on 9 May 1955 in Lowell, IN Lowell Cemetery. She was described as 5 feet tall -- heavy set. Lola had adult onset diabetes and had much trouble with it. She was in the hospital near death several times. She was educated [and] at age 18 graduated from Valparaiso Teachers' College. When going to school in Lowell she lived in town and the school was in the country. She rode a horse and buggy to school each day. She was several months older than Ernest Surprise. She was teaching school and he became her student. That is how they met and later got married. She was [a] staunch Methodist in Lowell. Grandma Lola Surprise took lots of time with her grandchildren. She was very patient. She had 10 kids to take care of. She told a friend that she ran her home much like a school. If the kids got too rowdy, she just sent them all outside to play ball. Ernest Albert SURPRISE and Lola Montez RAGON had the following children: Percy Howard, Kenneth Lyle, Mildred M. , Arnold Glenn, Roger William, Oliver Ragon, Myrtle June, Albert Ernest, Charles Lincoln and Henry "Harry" Harrison.
The following May 12, 1955, Lowell Tribune article was found on page 1, columns 2-3:
Lifelong Resident Laid to Rest
The communities of Lowell and Lake Dalecarlia were deeply bereaved this week end by the death of Mrs. Ernest A. Surprise, 79, a life long resident here. Her passing came as a culmination of several years of impaired health; her decline being gradually perceptible the past few months. Mrs. Surprise had been confined at Gary Mercy hospital for the last three weeks. There she slept away, Friday morning, May 6.
A perfect pattern for motherhood, this precious mother was loved in return by her ten children. Her eldest son, Percy, awaited her arrival in heaven. He died in the service of his country during World War I.
Lola M. Surprise was born in Lowell on October 21, in the year of 1875. She was the daughter of Henry Harrison and Jennie (Smith) Ragon. Her father, a Civil War Captain, was an illustrious figure in southern Lake County history. For 30 years he taught in Cedar Creek township schools and also served as township trustee as well as a state representative.
In 1885, he established the Lowell Tribune. Like her father, Lola too was a teacher in Cedar Creek Township schools.
An alumnae of Lowell high school, Lola was one of three graduates of the class of 1893. She received her teacher's training at Crown Point and Valparaiso University.
It was on November 27, in 1895 that she married Ernest A. Surprise, of the community now known as Lake Dalecarlia. There, their ten children were born and reared on land homesteaded by his grandfather in 1835.
Mrs. Surprise attended the First Methodist church, was a Royal Neighbor, and a Gold Star Mother of the Lowell Legion Auxiliary.
Surviving with her husband are nine children and their families: Mrs. Mildred King and Mrs. Myrtle Myers, both of Tampa, Florida; Kenneth of Lake Dalecarlia; Arnold of Gary; Roger of Chicago; Oliver of Woodbury, New Jersey; Albert of Rockford, Ill.; Charles of Lowell; and Harry of San Mateo, California; also 17 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren, besides a brother, Cordie Ragon of Lowell, and two sisters, Mrs. Myrtle Buckley of South Bend and Mrs. Minnie Collins of Little Rock, Arkansas.
- Good-bye, dear mother --
'Til our sunset fades to evening,
Then night's curtains will be drawn,
And we will go to greet you, mother
In God's great Eternal Dawn!
The Rev. Harold Hotchkiss officiated at memorial services held Monday, May 9, at two o'clock, in the Sheets Funeral Home. Interment was made in the Lowell cemetery
The following article, found in the Lowell Public Library clipping files (LH-Vital Statistics--vol. 2, page 35) was attributed to the May 13, 1955, Star:
LOLA RAGON SURPRISE, LIFELONG RESIDENT OF LOWELL, DIES AT 79
Services Monday afternoon at 2 o'clock marked the passing of Lola Ragon Surprise, 79, of Lowell, who died Friday at a Gary hospital after lingering illness.Mother of the publisher of the Lowell Tribune, Charles Surprise, she had spent her life in the Lowell and Lake Dale Carlia region and had taught for several years in Cedar Creek Township schools. She was the daughter of Howard and Jane Ragon. Graduating from Lowell high school, she received her teacher's training in Crown Point and Valparaiso.
Survivors with Charles are six other sons, Kenneth of Lake Dale Carlia, Arnold of Gary, Roger of Chicago, Oliver of Woodbury, New Jersey, Albert of Rockford, Illinois, and Harry of San Francisco, California; two daughters, Mrs. Mildred King and Mrs. Myrtle Myers, both of Tampa, Florida; 16 grandchildren; two sisters, Mrs. Myrtle Buckley of South Bend, Mrs. Minnie Collins of Little Rock, Arkansas; and a brother, Cordie Ragon of Lowell.
Rev. Harold Hotchkiss of the First Methodist Church of Lowell officiated for the services and burial was made in the Lowell cemetery.
The following newspaper article, hand-identified as being from the May 8, 1955, Post Tribune, was found in a scrapbook owned by Town Historian Richard Schmal:
- LOWELL -- Funeral services will be held here Monday for Mrs. Ernest A. Surprise, member of a pioneer Lowell family.
Mrs. Surprise died Friday morning in Gary Mercy Hospital, She was 79.
She was the daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. H.H. Ragon who settled in Lowell shortly after the Civil War.
The services will be held at 2 in Lowell. Rev. Harold Hotchkiss will officiate. Burial will be in Lowell Cemetery.
Surviving, besides her husband, a retired carpenter, are seven sons, Kenneth of Lowell, Arnold of Gary, Roger of Chicago, Alfred of Rockford, Ill., Harry of San Mateo, Calif., Charles, publisher of the Lowell Tribune, and Oliver of Woodbury, N.J.; two daughters, Mrs. Mildred King and Mrs. Myrtle Meyers, both of Tampa, Fla.; two sisters, Mrs. Minnie Collins of Little Rock, Ark., and Mrs. Myrtle Buckley of South Bend; one brother, C.U. Ragon of Lowell; 10 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Another article from the same scrapbook is hand-dated as being from the May 11, 1955, Post Tribune. In this article, she is listed as having 16 grandchildren, rather than ten.
Lifelong Residents of Lowell Dies
LOWELL -- Mrs. Lola Surprise, 79, wife of Ernest A. Surprise, of Lowell, died at a Gary hospital early yesterday.Services will be by the Rev. Harold Hotchkiss of the First Methodist Church of Lowell at 2 p.m. Monday in the Sheets Funeral Home. Burial will be in the Lowell Cemetery.
Mrs. Surprise was born in Lowell, Oct. 21, 1875, the daughter of Howard* H. and Jane Ragon. She spent her lifetime in the Lowell-Lake Dale Carlia area. Her father, a Civil War captain, was a well known figure in the area. He was a state representative and a school teacher for 30 years.
Mrs. Surprise taught in Cedar Creek Township schools. She was graduated from Lowell High school and took teacher's training at Crown Point and Valparaiso University.
Surviving with her husband are two daughters, Mrs. Mildred King and Mrs. Myrtle Myers, both of Tampa, Fla., seven sons, Kenneth of Lake Dale Carlia, Arnold of Gary, Roger of Chicago, Oliver of Woodbury, N.J., Albert of Rockford, Ill., Charles of Lowell, and Harry of San Francisco; 16 grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren, two sisters, Mrs. Myrtle Buckley of South Bend and Mrs. Minnie Collins of Little Rock Ark., and one brother, Cordie Ragon of Lowell.
* NOTE -- Lola Ragon Surprise's father's name was actually Henry Harrison Ragon, not Harold H. Ragon.
Go to Lola Ragon Surprise, "Pioneer History Index," for further information.
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