Mary Elizabeth Lakin Steele’s Death

Mary Elizabeth Lakin Steele (1850 – 1899) died in Indianapolis at the family residence, known as Tinker Place, (Pennsylvania and Sixteenth streets) at 7 o’clock pm, Tuesday, November 14^th,  1899. She died of tuberculosis at age 49.  She was the first wife of T.C. Steele and mother of his three children . Mary Elizabeth Lakin (Steele) was called by family and friends “Libbie” or “Bess”.  She was born February 22, 1850 at her family’s farm near Rushville, Indiana.  T.C Steele and Libbie met at Waveland Academy in Waveland, Indiana where they were both students; they were married on St. Valentine’s day, February 14, 1870 after graduating from Waveland Academy. She was a founder of the Portfolio Club in Indianapolis which exists to this day.  A private funeral and burial took place with internment at Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis Indiana.