WILLIAM NORTON

Chase County Leader, Tuesday, June 16, 1908, Pg 1

Vol. XXXVIII, No. 33

 Wm. Norton Gone.

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   Wm. Norton died at his home on Norton creek Friday evening after an illness of about a year.  His affliction was creeping paralysis and he has been confined to his bed much of the time.  His mind was alert and active all of the time.

  The funeral was held at the Norton home Monday afternoon and the body laid to rest in the Bazaar cemetery beside his mother, his brother and his son.

  In spite of the short notice and the flood times the funeral was one of the largest ever held in Chase county.  Every available buggy and carriage from both towns was brought into service.

  Wm. Norton was one of the best known and most generally liked men in Chase county.  He always took a keen interest in public affairs and several times held important public positions.  He was sheriff of the county two terms and Register of Deeds two terms.

  He was also called in from his farm and appointed postmaster of this place holding the position three years when he resigned to return with his family to the farm.  This was perhaps the only time that a man was called in from the country to be postmaster in this city.

  He always stood for the highest and best things in life.  He believed in honest dealing among men and in public office; he was a staunch friend of education and moved to town for the purpose of giving his children a high school training.  He was one of the men who helped from that County High School bill for Chase county and he did not stop working for the proposition until that high school was an established fact.

  We know of no man who took a greater interest in his family than Will Norton and we know of no man who was more highly respected by his family and whose going will be the cause of more sorrow at home.  And not only did Mr. Norton take an interest in his own children but he was a friend to every young man and young woman, to every boy and girl who was honestly striving to accomplish something for himself.

  We have had a pleasure of being at the Norton home and we discovered on entering the house that there were no “spare rooms”; it was all “Home” from parlor to kitchen and as soon as you were inside the door you became part of the family and when you went away you carried with you the memory of one of the most perfect family relationships you ever knew.

  A man is gone who will be greatly missed, both in his home and among his neighbors and friends.  But the influence of his upright, Christian life is not gone.  It will live as long as there lives one who knew him.

  Wm. Norton was born in Grundy county, Ill., April 2, 1847.  With his parents and brothers he came to Tocumseh, Kansas, in 1854 where two years later his father died.  In 1859 the family, consisting of the mother and five boys moved to this county and to the mouth of Norton creek where the mother took a claim.  None of the boys at that time were of age and Will was but twelve years old.  When Will was 17 years of age he enlisted in the 17th Kansas Infantry and served until the close of the war.  Two of his brothers, John and Tom enlisted in Co. I, 9th Kansas and the latter died in the army at Duval Bluff, Arkansas.  His brother, John died in 1868 and his mother in 1874.  Both are buried at Bazaar.

  In 1875, while he was sheriff, Mr. Norton married Miss Victoria Jeffrey.  To this union eight children were born, seven of whom are living and all at home.  They are Minnie, Grace, William, Edward, Roy, Emmet and Tom.  Two brothers, also survive him, Mike Norton of Okarche, Okla., and P. J. Norton of this city.