She died Nov. 5, 1933

Tipp Herald, November, 1933

 FRIEND OF YOUNG PEOPLE SUMMONED BY HEART ATTACK Mrs. Emma Shellenberger Was Only Woman In Country Honored By Boy Scouts DONATED LAND FOR CAMP Native of Tippecanoe City Was 79 Years of Age – Funeral Tuesday

A heart attack resulted in the death at 2 o'clock Sunday morning of Mrs. Emma Shellenberger, 79, a native of Tippecanoe City, at the Stouder hospital in Troy, where she was taken when she fell and broke her hip five weeks ago. She had lived alone in her cottage at Cowlesville for 25 years and her plight following the accident was discovered when her little dog gave the alarm and aroused neighbors.   She was the daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Chaffee and was born June 6, 1854.  She married the late Dr. James G. (sic) Shellenberger in 1876 and they spent much of her married life in Piqua.  Dr. Shellenbrger was a surgeon in the service of the United States army in the Civil war, also the Spanish-American war and Philippine insurrection.   Of her immediate family there remain one daughter, two sisters and a brother.  The daughter is Mrs. Mary McDowell Colt (sic) of Clearwater, Fla., who arrived shortly before her mother passed away.   The two sisters are Mrs. Nettie Hites of this city and Mrs. B. U. Rannells of Cleveland.  The brother is J. Ward Chaffee of Dayton.   The deceased was a member of the Piqua Presbyterian church of which she had been a member for many years.  Her death recalls the fire some years ago which destroyed her residence, since which time she had lived in a cottage at Camp Chaffee that she might be near the boys and girls summering at that pretty spot.   After the Kiwanis club of Troy decided to sponsor a camp for the young folks, Mrs. Chaffee offered the club as a gift the eight acres of land and it became Camp Chaffee, as a means of perpetuating the name of her late father.  In 1927 she made the club another gift of five acres adjoining the original gift.   During her close association with camp Chaffee in her last eight years she manifested an intense interest in the boys and girls, enjoying camp life.  It is said of her that before she would retire for the night she would satisfy herself that each youngster was in, safe and sound.   It is also related that it was her great desire for Camp Chaffee to become a Boy Scout camp.  Scouts have frequented the camp in times past and in recognition of her interest in Scouts, a number of executives from Dayton, including Pearle Whitehead, called upon her at the hospital and presented her with a plaque inscribed with the Boy Scout insignia.  She had the distinction of being the first woman so honored by the Scouts.   As a further mark of respect the Kiwanis club attended the funeral in a body.  It was held from the Irwin funeral home in Troy at four o'clock Tuesday afternoon.  Rev. I. L. Dungan of Troy officiated and interment was made at Maple Hill cemetery.

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