Faith Felgar
Faith Felgar
Faith Felgar was a household editress for the Chicago Daily Drovers Journal for nearly twenty-four years, until her death on July 17, 1925. She was described as "a farm woman's woman who loved country life, believed in it with all her heart, and whose greatest wish was to be of service to the woman of the farm."
In real life, Faith Felgar was Lucretia Alberta Kepper, daughter of the Honorable Washington and Elizabeth (Felgar) Mullen, and wife of George Hammond Kepper of Winfield, Iowa. "It was in this community that Faith Felgar was born the daughter of a sturdy pioneer, and where she grew up, was schooled, and wooed and won to settle down on 'eighty' with her young husband." (this quote from the Chicago Daily Drovers Journal, July 18, 1925, Number 160)
From the beginning on an 'eighty' the Keppers increased their land holdings by good management and livestock and grain farming until for many years the farm has comprised 400 acres. The original 'eighty' was bought from the Hochreiter family who were the earliest known settlers of Winfield. It was also the site of the only public building in Scott Township prior to 1854. There is also a pioneer cemetery located on the land.
From this farm the 'gude mon' as Faith often referred to her helpmate, who - though handicapped by a lasting weakness left from a siege of 'grip' - marketed thousands of head of cattle and hogs at Chicago. This feature of the place, as well as the crops, had always been operated with an eye to profit and most successfully. Faith took to writing regularly on the home and social problems of farm life when as a young farm wife she felt the urge to voice her ideas for the aid and inspiration of sister farm wives and farm girls.
Her writings met with instant appeal and she was encouraged to continue in the work. For some years she had contributed a letter in each issue of the Drovers Journal, her last one bearing the number 5,267.
The fame of her writings spread all over the middle west and even into Canada, and she was besieged with requests from farm and other organizations such as women's clubs to address meetings and conventions. These she almost steadfastly refused, as she felt that in her writings she could serve best. (Today we might compare Faith Felgar's column to Heloise, and many times included recipes as well as helpful household tips.)
George and Lucretia (Faith) were the parents of three children, two sons and a daughter. Most of Faith's readers had heard her mention them. There was Lawrence, who was overcome with the heat in the field and brought back to normal only after several years of patient, loving care by his mother, and an operation. Lawrence never married and lived at home all of his life. Samuel lived across the road with his wife, Lois (Cannon) Kepper. That was where Faith's "good old father" passed away at the ripe old age of 80 some odd years. After Faith died, Sam's father and brother switched houses with Sam and Lois, since the big house was more suitable to raising the young couple's five children. (Sam never lived in any other than the two houses. He was born and died in the same room.) Gladys was Faith and George's only daughter. She married M. C. Hibbet. They lived on a farm south of Winfield with their three daughters, and eventually moved to Chicago.
Faith Felgar died unexpectedly in a hospital in Burlington, Iowa, from heart failure. She had gone there for rest only a few days before on the advice of physicians when she had experienced some weakness in attending to her duties in the farm home and at her desk.
The sad news of her passing was contained in a message from her husband who was shocked upon receiving word of her sudden departure while he was attending to the pressing duties of the season on the farm.
Faith had no thought that her end was near, or if she did she gave no hint of it to anyone. (It should be mentioned that Faith was a very large woman, weighing close to 350 pounds.) In her letters to the Drovers Journal she took pains to allay any alarm that her going to the hospital might cause.
"I simply need rest and treatment," she wrote. "The doctors have given their consent for me to continue to write some each day. I am in no pain and hope to be out before long. I hope you all are well and am glad to say I'm getting on nicely. Sincerely, Faith." (Chicago Daily Drovers Journal, July 18, 1925, Number 160.)
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