The Prolific David Owens: Daughter Sarah Edna Owens Clark

Villa Grove, Saguache, Colorado
(photo unattributed)

David Owens, my 3rd great grandfather, married my 3rd great grandmother, Sarah Holler and they had a passle of kids. You can read their early story here.

Sarah Edna Owens was the daughter of David Owens and his first wife, Sarah Holler born in Poyner Township, Black Hawk County, Iowa on 30 Jul 1858. She married James Riley Clark on 09 Oct 1874 in Raymond, Black Hawk County. James Riley (he went by Riley for the most part) had a brother Emory, who married another Owens child, Emily.

The best way to tell Sarah's story is to reference her obituary:

MRS JR CLARK
Mrs JR Clark, the beloved proprietor of the Clark Hotel, of Villa Grove, Colorado, passed away Wednesday morning, March 5th, at 4:00 am at the Rio Grand Hospital, Salida, Colorado.

Her maiden name was Sarah E Owens, and she was born at Raymond Iowa, July 30th, 1858; and was married to James Riley Clark of Raymond, Iowa, Oct 9, 1874. They started west and stopped in Clay Center, Kansas, remaining there about five years and came to Colorado 37 years ago, locating at the Orient Mine. Mrs Clark was in charge of the boarding house and Mr Clark was interested in commercial enterprise..

Later, Mr Clark became engaged in business in Villa Grove, and they moved there, where Mrs Clark has been in the hotel business for the past 35 years, up to the time of her death. Had Mrs Clark lived until October 9th, she and Mr Clark would have celebrated their Golden Wedding.

To this union was born five children: Frank A., Ida May, Fred W., Elsie and Dorothea.
Mrs Clark is survived by her husband, James Riley Clark, and two daughters, Ida May Johns of Denver and Elsie C Shippey, wife of Representative Arthur V Shippey of Villa Grove, who were at her bedside, and her son Fred W Clark, who resides at San Jose, Calif.

She is also survived by a sister, Mrs Hattie Reynolds of Braddville, Iowa, who was with Mrs Clark at the end, and two other sisters, Mrs Margaret Brunson, living in Newburg, NY and Mrs Lucy Miller, of Vinton, Iowa and her two brothers, George Owens of Rushville, Nebr and David Owens of Burlington, Mo. Three grandchildren survive her: Mrs Thelma Wills, Betty Shippey and Tedbert Clark.

Funeral services were held at Villa Grove on Friday afternoon. Rev WH Miller of Saguache, officiating. He read the appropriate poem, "The House by the Side of the Road." Vocal selections were given by Dr OP Shippey, Mrs Eugene Williams, Mrs Carl Marold, Mrs Perry Campbell, Miss Johnson, and Tom Reese. Mrs HB Means accompanied them.

The following friends of the family were pall bearers: Jacob Barsch, Earl Wilson, Charles Gillespie, Robert Ellis, Eugene Williams and James C Freedle. Many lovely floral pieces were sent in loving memory of Mrs Clark. Interment was made at the family plot in Villa Grove, where her little Dorothea was interred.
Saguache Crescent, Colorado, 13 Mar 1924
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The Clark Hotel was renamed The Cottage Hotel after the Clark's died. Their daughter, Mrs Ida May Johns took over management. How long that lasted, I haven't discovered.

I'm still working on the kids of Sarah and Riley, but was able to work a bit with the daughter, Elsie Clark who married first Carl C Hoffman and divorced, and then married Arthur Venters Shippey, the brother of the town doctor. They moved to Los Angeles with Elsie's daughter Edna Elizabeth (she went by both Hoffman and Shippey), where a boarder they took in would change their lives.