Ivah Iola Patton ^{2 3}

  General Notes:

Some information provided by Janeanne Leas, a great-grandaughter twin to Vivah Viola PATTON

High School Commencement address by Ivah:

Bill of Fare Come this way please, and consult our "Bill of Fare" and you may find anythign that your taste may require. We serve in all styles: French dishes, German dishes, English and American dishes. Anything - everything. We devour to live and live to devour. Come then, and choose from this great "Bill of Fare." Make a good choice. All WE require of you is to feed yourself. Prices are reasonable, and if necessary will be taken in payments but while prices are reasonable nevertheless they must be paid. To keep those who keep themselves is one of our mottoes. Now to make you understand and find a thought in what I say, I will name this "Bill of Fare" and call it our GREAT, BEAUTIFUL, wonderful world with all its excellent opportunities for doing good or becoming great now with us; you will find and choose for a life's vocation, should it be great or small. We are not naturally great, we must make ourselves so, and if we choose wisely from the list, we will prosper. "Think of the great open field!" and of those who have chosen wisely and have found fame. We can mention people in all palces. Look at our pulpits, our colleges, at our Lawyers, Physicians, Artists, Sculptors, our Great Writers and thinkers. They, all, have chosen from our "Fare" and why can't you? I say your "Fare" furnishes opportunities for doing good and becoming great. Will you question my statement? All people can do good in life, however all people cannot become great. I mean to become famous in some particular work, but "to do good is to be good" and by employing our time in searching for advancement is surely doing good. We either advance or retrograde, there is no stopping place in life. Life means to be active and moving. If we retrograde we ourselves are to blame, that means, that we have not chosen wisely. Everyone makes mistakes, but when found, thay should not be repeated. The reason for so many failures in life isthrough the loss of GOLDEN OPPORTUNITIES. Certainly, it is impossible to accomplish all we have before is unless the effort on our part is great. WE MUST TRY and by trying, even though we fall, many times our strength is renewed after each effort. By gazing at a beeutiful object will never give us possession of it unless we try and also have faith in our trying to get it. We, as people, are better provided for struggles than ever before. Our world is groing better day by day and it is only because our people are more eager to grow better. The great object of knowledge is to enlarge anr purify the Soul, to fill the mind with noble thoughts and to furnish us refined pleasures. We should aim high in life and then, should we miss our aim a little, (which is often the case) we will yet be high enough to fill a noble place in life. We should not live alone for self but should be helping others to advance if it be in our power to do so, and it will be if we are noble ourselves. Determine that you will be useful in the world and you will be. Nothing is more noble than doing good. Now take your choice and pay the price then all will be well. Come. We are ready and waiting to serve you, if among so many items you are in doubt as you your choice let us assist you a little. Are you a lady? Then we are glad to say that the "Bill of Fare" we present you today is more varied and better suited to your refined and cultivated taste than ever before. Never have there been so many opportunities for profitable and successful employment of women as at the present time. In nearly all of the useful arts and professions other women have been successful in winning recognition, and why not you? Let the choice include the determination to succeed and victory is yours. In this, the close of the nineteenth century, there is no excuse at all for a failure in life as far as choosing what we shall do. The fault will be in the WAY we do it or what we are, after the choice is made. Again, I implore you to come, make your choice and pay the price out of the profit made in the speculation
Iva Patton

  Noted events in her life were:

• Resided: US Census, 1880, Buena Vista, Hamilton County, Indiana.

• Resided: US Census, 1910, Jackson Township, Hamilton County, Indiana, USA.

• Resided: US Census, 1920, Jackson Township, Hamilton County, Indiana, USA.

• United States Census: Residence, 1940, Cicero, Hamilton County, Indiana, USA.

Ivah married Robert M. Winkel, son of William Winkel and Carrie McCann, on 7 Feb 1900.¹ (Robert M. Winkel was born on 15 Jan 1875 in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA and died on 16 Jan 1942 in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA ^{4 5}.)