1889 Lincoln County Kansas Obituaries
1889
Lincoln County Kansas
Obituaries
These obituaries were taken from the Lincoln County Beacon. Further information and clarifications were added as needed by the transcriber.
John T. Alexander
July 18, 1889
The 4 weeks old son of C. Alexander [John T. Alexander, according to Lincoln Death Register] died at the parents’ home, seven miles north of Lincoln, early on the morning of July 16, 1889. [Buried Lincoln Cemetery.]
Benjamin Bannister
Jan. 24, 1889
Near Vesper, on Jan. 8, 1889, Benjamin Bannister, of dropsy, aged 87 years, 5 months and 8 days.
He was born in Windom, Vermont, and spent his boyhood there. At the age of 18 he moved to the state of New York. At 45 years of age he moved to Illinois, and in 1876 he came to Kansas. When about 42 years old he became a member of the M.E. church. After 20 years service in that church he changed his church relationship by uniting with the Christian church, in which faith he died. He leaves a wife and eight children, all grown to mature years. [No burial site given; two other Bannisters buried Vesper Cemetery.]
W.E. Beach
Nov. 14, 1889
W.E. Beach of Lincoln, died Oct. 31, 1889, at his home, paralysis of the heart, aged 76 years and 4 months.
He was a member of the Congregational church and is said to have lived a consistent christian life. His death was as one going to sleep. [Burial not given.]
Daniel Brown
June 20, 1889
Daniel Brown, aged about 26 years, last Saturday went in bathing in an artificial pond, on a farm belonging to Wm. Rallston, who lives in the northwest corner of Hanover township. Mr. Brown resided just over the line in Russell county, and the pond in which he was drowned is also in Russell county. He was accompanied by his three brothers-in-law, Chard by name. This about 11:30 a.m. After they had been in the water a few moments Mr. Brown was taken suddenly with cramp, and went to the bottom like lead, in eight feet of water. Jas. Chard attempted to help him and came very near being drowned himself. Daniel Brown had been married about a year and a half, to a daughter of Jas. Chard Sr. of Hanover township. He had lived in Lincoln county about eight years, and was an industrious, energetic fellow of excellent character and very popular. The funeral was held at 10 a.m. Sunday, and the interment was made in the Delhi cemetery.
Mary Brown
Oct. 3, 1889
Mrs. Mary Brown, wife of John Brown, formerly of Lincoln, died at her home at Lucas, Thursday night, Sept. 26, 1889, of consumption. She leaves a husband and nine children.
Mrs. Brown nee Mary Samis, was born in 1847, in Elgin, Kent county, Ill., where she lived for 30 years. She was married when 19 years of age, to John Brown, and removed to Marion township, Lincoln county, Kansas, in the fall of 1877, where she lived for about 11 years, removing to Russell county within a year of her death.
The funeral was conducted by Rev. Ekey, upon Saturday, and the interment took place the same day, in the Lucas cemetery.
Mrs. Brown was a hard working, conscientious, Christian wife and mother, who endeavored to meet the emergencies of each day of life with Christian fortitude and patient devotion to her duty as she saw it.
Jeremiah Cashman
Jan. 17, 1889
Jeremiah Cashman, of Beverly, Kansas, died very suddenly last Sunday evening about 6 o’clock, of pleuro pneumonia. Mr. Cashman was taken sick on Thursday, grew rapidly worse on Saturday, and died on Sunday. His sickness was of such short duration and his death so sudden that many in the neighborhood did not know that he was sick until after his death. The body was embalmed by Gragg & VanFleet, of Lincoln Center and kept until Thursday. Mrs. Cashman’s father and mother, from Indiana, came to Beverly as soon as they learned the sad news, and remained to attend the funeral procession as it slowly and solemnly wended its way to the Topsy cemetery, situated in the neighborhood where Mr. Cashman and family first lived. He came to Beverly among the first settlers and established a large and prosperous business in the implement trade, with which he was thoroughly acquainted and for which he was well suited. The partial failures of crops in the last two years had affected his branch of industry perhaps more than any other, and he was negotiating a trade or sale of his business house and stock in trade, when taken sick, with the intention of moving to Indiana to engage in other pursuits of life. Mr. Cashman was born in Kerry county, Ireland, but left there at an early age. He was 38 years old and had lived in Kansas for 10 years, where he had formed a very extended acquaintance made a host of friends who always called to see him when they came to town, attracted by his jolly good nature and wit. His sudden death made a sad impression on the minds of the whole community, and the sympathies of all were extended to his family in their sad bereavement. – C.W. Cullum [There is no cemetery today called Topsy; this could refer to Hammer Cemetery, where there is a Catherine Cashman buried.]
Newman Coker
Dec. 12, 1889
At his home in Lincoln, Kansas, Dec. 5, 1889, Newman Coker, aged 60 years and 4 months. He came to this country from England, settled in Chicago, and was married to Hannah Cherry on Jan. 1, 1858. Hearing of our good prohibition law he four years ago came to Lincoln, Kansas, to avoid temptation, but even here he found Satan lurking in the dark to tempt men to drink. "Oh, I wish every individual in Lincoln could be good!" he cried out on his death-bed. He was a very faithful and honest servant. His employers (Col. Dean and those for whom he worked at the Lincoln House and Windsor Hotel) speak in highest terms of his faithfulness. He was a kind neighbor, and worked hard to make home comfortable. On Saturday, Nov. 23, he was down to the early train and injured himself by lifting a heavy box filled with sample whips. He thought little of it until he found that an old rupture had gone into strangulated hernia and was past recovery. He suffered much pain in his sickness, so that death was welcome. His funeral services were from the Presbyterian church, of Lincoln. His widow, Hannah, who now needs the care of his many friends, desires hereby to express her thanks to all who have watched with her husband during his last sickness and who have been so generous to herself. – H.C. Bradbury [No burial site given; not in Lincoln County burial records.]
George Donovan
Aug. 1, 1889
[Transcriber’s note: This is more of a news story than an obituary, but it gives the particulars of an obituary.]
Sunday morning last George Doherty, a former resident of Lincoln, now of Scott township, went on business to the house of George Donovan, in the southern part of that township and about 12 miles from Lincoln. Mr. Donovan’s house is three-quarters of a mile from J.L. Harper’s place, where Doherty resides. Repeated knocking brought no response and finding a door slightly ajar, Mr. Doherty pushed it open and looked in thinking that Donovan was probably sleeping late and he would awaken him. When the door was opened he saw Donovan lying on his face on the floor, with his head resting upon his folded arms. The attitude was quite natural, but an intolerable stench told Doherty that the man before him was dead. He immediately went for the neighbors. Justice Wilkins, who lives at Barnard, three miles northeast of Donovan’s place, impaneled a jury and an inquest was held which developed the following facts:
Donovan was last seen alive late last Thursday afternoon, when his father was at his place and remained until after 6 o’clock in the evening. George was apparently in good health and showed his usual activity and spirits about his work. The jury and the other people who congregated could find no evidence of foul play, such as weapons of any kind, marks of violence or traces of a struggle and the body being in such a state of decomposition that a post mortem examination by dissection was impossible with the facilities at hand, a verdict was returned that death ensued from "unknown causes," and let the people draw their own conclusions from theories of heart disease, internal hemorrhage or suicide from poisoning. Drs. Ballard and Gilpin were present.
After the verdict was brought and many of the people had left the premises, letters were found in an obscure place in the house, written by Donovan and dated Thursday, the day he was last seen alive. One of these letters was addressed to Miss Zora Otto, who lives in Battle Creek township and to whom Donovan was to have been married the day that his body was found. We have not been apprised of the contents of this letter, as it was delivered with the seal unbroken, to Miss Otto. With these letters was found a deed transferring his farm of 160 acres to Miss Otto. It has since transpired that Donovan came to Lincoln early Thursday morning and secured the services of H. Hammer to make out and acknowledge this deed.
In the letter to his father he gave directions for the disposal of his personal effects, requesting his father to sell them off and with the proceeds settle up his small debts and keep what was left. In this letter he stated that he was tired of life and should kill himself, but gave no intimation of what means he should use or when he proposed to do it. No poison was found on the premises, but the generally accepted theory is that he used some powerful opiate and quietly fell asleep in the position in which he was found. His death probably took place Thursday evening as his bed had not been occupied.
There is no theory practicable that Donovan had a disordered mind, in the sense the term is generally used. He was hard-working, muscular and apparently in good health the last day of his life. His father was helping him on Thursday to arrange his house for the reception of his intended wife on the following Sunday, and this, too, after his intentions were probably fully formed to suicide and his farm was deeded away as we have mentioned.
George Donovan was 29 years of age, a bachelor, and first came into the neighborhood where he died, about 14 years ago. He came there with his father and several brothers, who still reside there. He and his father spent seven or eight years in New Mexico since they first came to this county. He was an honest, straightforward man in his business relations, hard working, economical and thrifty and was becoming "well-fixed" financially. [No burial site given; not in Lincoln County burial records. Possible Union Valley.]
Gilford Fitzwater
June 20, 1889
Gilford Fitzwater, aged 13 years, son of Rev. Fitzwater (Dunkard), who lives five miles southeast of Lincoln, was drowned last Sunday, June 16, at 5 o’clock p.m. the circumstances were as follows: Ward and Morgan Green and Alfred Rees, three neighbor boys, were bathing in the Saline river about two miles below Rocky Hill, where Jesse Nothern, another boy, came along accompanied by Gilford Fitzwater, who could not swim, but went into the river which has a very irregular bottom – shoaling places and deep holes close by. A few moments after going in Gilford was seen by his companions to be in distress. The Nothern boy attempted to help but was unable to do so, and the four boys realized at once that their companion was drowning and went for help. The body was taken out about 7 o’clock. Short funeral services were held at Mr. Fitzwater’s at 10 a.m. Monday, conducted by Rev. John Medcraft, and the interment was made in the Lincoln cemetery.
Mary Gee
July 18, 1889
Mary Gee, daughter of R.H. Gee and wife, of Beaver township, died July 1, 1889, of dropsy, aged about 2 months. [Burial not given; not in Lincoln County burial records. Possible Sunnyside.]
Gertrude Hanford
Sept. 12, 1889
Gertrude, the eldest child of L.B. Hanford and wife, of Lincoln, died Friday, Sept. 6, 1889, of membranous croup. She was 5 years and 2 months old. The funeral was held Saturday, at 5 p.m., and the interment was made in the Lincoln cemetery.
Lyona Helvey
May 2, 1889
Mrs. Lyona Helvey, of Cedron, died April 26, 1889, of consumption, and aged 18 years. She was the wife of Albert Helvey. [Buried Spillman Cemetery.]
Rhoda M. Hewes
Nov. 28, 1889
Mrs. Rhoda M. Hewes died at her home at Beverly, Kansas, Nov. 22, 1889.
She bore her last illness with christian patience and resignation. She leaves a husband and daughter to mourn their loss, which is her eternal gain. May they all meet where parting is no more. The funeral rites were conducted by Rev. J.T. Farley. [Not in Lincoln County burial records.]
Barkman Lamont
July 18, 1889
Barkman Lamont, son of N. Lamont and wife, of Lincoln, died July 14, 1889, of cholera infantum, aged 1 year, 2 months and 20 days. The funeral was at 5 p.m. of the same day, conducted by Rev. C.W. Caseley. [Burial not given; not in Lincoln County burial records. Possibly in Lincoln Cemetery.]
Sarah McCune
July 18, 1889
Sarah McCune, daughter of D.B. McCune and wife, of Elkhorn township, died on July 4, 1889, of concussion of the brain, aged 1 year, 6 months and 6 days. [Burial not given; not in Lincoln County burial records.]
Charles Franklin Miller
May 16, 1889
Charles Franklin, son of Hon. J.D. Miller and wife, of Indiana township, died May 13, 1889, aged 6 months and 22 days. The funeral took place at the parents’ home, a mile and a half south of Lincoln, upon the 14th, Rev. H.C. Bradbury officiating. The interment was made in the Lincoln cemetery.
Charles G. Minnick
March 28, 1889
Charles G. Minnick, an aged veteran soldier of the War of 1812, aged 90 years, 9 months and 22 days, departed this life on the 15th day of March 1889.
He was born in the city of Baltimore, Maryland, on May 24, 1798. He had been living with his granddaughter, Mrs. Dempker [Damker], six miles west of Lincoln, Kansas; but a few years ago he went to Chicago, Ill., to live with his son, Dr. E.G. Minnick, of Chicago, Illinois, formerly of Ellsworth, Kan. He, however, longed for his old Kansas home and came back again. He told his friends that he came to die here, and expressed his wish to be buried in the family cemetery overlooking the beautiful Saline and Spillman valleys. His wish was complied with, and last Monday the remains were laid away in the grave with memorial services, to await a joyful resurrection.
The deceased was a solider in his 17th year, at the battles of Stony Point and Baltimore in Sept. 1814. He remembered very distinctly to within a short time of his death the stirring scenes of those times of trial. He was in the land force while the British fleet rained its fire of shot and shell upon Fort McHenry a short distance below the old town, but now in the suburbs of the modern Baltimore. When the morning dawned after that fearful night of suspense, he, with his brave comrades, saw that "the flag was still there" in all its beauty of crimson, and field of blue with its stars of hope.
A few – very few – are left to-day to tell the story. Another one has gone: the mute, yet instructive pages of history alone will soon be the only teachers of the youth of our nation. In 1878, at the reunion of the survivors of the defenders of Baltimore, only 13 could be found to join in the procession. The deceased was one of the number. That was the last time he ever met with them. In 1887 there were only two. They were too old and decrepit to march in the parade, and kind friends provided a special carriage. But, while the body of Charles G. Minnick is dead, he still lives. A nation’s gratitude will never cause the memory of her good and true and brave to perish. Mr. Minnick was also a solider of the cross, trusting in the Great Captain of his salvation. – B.F McMillan
Catherine A. Mollenkamp
June 13, 1889
Catherine [Catherina] A. Mollenkamp died June 7, 1889, on consumption, at her home in Pleasant township, Lincoln county, Kansas, aged 45 years, 5 months and 26 days. She was the widow of Geo. Mollenkamp. The interment took place upon Sunday from the Heiser school house, Rev. Hahn, of Ellsworth, officiating. [Buried at the Emmanuel Church Cemetery.]
Alexander W. Porter
Feb. 7, 1889
At Woody, Kansas, Jan. 29, 1889, Alexander W. Porter, aged 34 years, 1 month and 4 days.
Mr. Porter came to this county in 1879. In 1883 he was married to Miss Ella Baker, daughter of Capt. Wm. Baker. His father, Rev. Alex. Wm. Porter, a Presbyterian minister, gave his son a good education in the Iowa State University, so that he was quite successful as a day school and Sabbath school teacher. He has taught day school at the following places: Woody, Spring Valley, Pleasant Valley, Vesper, King’s School House and Logan Center.
He had commenced a second school at Woody when he was taken down with the disease that caused his death. His scholars speak very highly of Porter as a teacher. He had lived on a pleasant farm near Woody. A wife and three children survive him.
The funeral services at Sunnyside were attended by all the neighborhood. Sunnyside cemetery is the place of his grave. – H.C. Bradbury
Henry F.J. Sahlman
July 18, 1889
Near midnight, Saturday, July 13, 1889, after an illness of two days, Henry F.J., son of Henry and Sophia Sahlman, aged 1 year and 16 days, of cholera infantum.
The funeral services were conducted by Rev. Hahn, of the German Lutheran church, at 10 a.m. on Monday, at the family residence, and the interment made in the Lincoln cemetery under the willows beside the little sister who died two years ago of the same disease, and of the same age to a day. The parents and grandparents have the sympathy of the entire community in their bereavement.
Ralph Shaver
Jan. 3, 1889
At Bashan, Dec. 27, 1888, Ralph Shaver, son of Clem and Maggie Shaver, aged nearly four weeks, of spasms. The funeral conducted by Rev. Campbell, of Lincoln, was held at the family residence, Dec. 28, and the interment was made in the Lincoln cemetery.
Lucy M. Spears
Oct. 31, 1889
In Cedron township, Lincoln county, Kan., Mrs. Lucy M. Spears, aged 50 years.
Her disease was inflammation of the brain and lungs, from which she suffered only eight days when death came to her relief. She has been a member of the Baptist church for 32 years, and died a true christian. Many are the relatives and friends that mourn her departure. Her remains were interred in Cedron cemetery near where she lived and died. Funeral services by the writer. – B.F. McMillan [Cedron cemetery is now called Spillman Cemetery.]
Mary Tiemann
July 18, 1889
Mrs. Mary Tiemann, of Elkhorn township, died July 8, 1889, aged 23 years, 4 months and 24 days, of billious fever. [Buried St. John Lutheran Cemetery.]
Henry Van Alstine
Feb. 21, 1889
Henry Van Alstine died his home near Allamead, Lincoln county, Kansas, Feb. 5, 1889, aged 78 years, 2 months and 14 days.
He was born Nov. 22, 1818, in Madison county, New York, and from their removed to Iowa in 1851. He came to this county from Iowa in 1877 and has since lived upon the farm where he died. He was a quiet, industrious and kindly citizen, and will be remembered by a wide circle of acquaintances. [No burial site was given; not in Lincoln County burial records. Other Van Alstines are buried in Vesper.]
Frederick William Walter
Feb. 7, 1889
The Bashan people were quite startled last week to learn that one of their number – Frederick Wm. Walter – a strong, young German of 29 years, had died on Monday, Jan. 28, after only a short sickness from typhoid pneumonia. He had many friends. Born in Dundenheim, Baden, Germany, July 8, 1859, he came to America in 1873 and to Kansas in 1888.
His brother and sister live at Bashan and his father and twin brother came from Iowa to attend the funeral services which were conducted by Revs. Hahn and Fitzwater. The great concourse of people at his funeral shows how much he was beloved. He was buried in the Germany cemetery. On Thursday night the Bashan Literary, of which he was a most enthusiastic member, passed resolutions concerning his death, and on last Sabbath a memorial service was held for young men by H.C. Bradbury. … He had always taken great interest in making the school house neat and comfortable for meetings and in this way promoted Christ’s cause. [Buried in St. John Lutheran Cemetery.]
G.H. Whiteman
Feb. 28, 1889
Upon Saturday last coroner DeArmond held an inquest over the body of G.H. Whiteman, who lived about 2 miles north of Sylvan Grove and was found hanging dead upon the Thursday previous. The main facts elicited are as follows:
Thursday afternoon, a 4 o’clock, Whiteman told his wife he was going to hang himself and taking a strap went to the stable and tied it over a beam. Mrs. Whiteman saw him put the strap around his neck, and immediately started to rouse the neighbors. They were skeptical regarding Whiteman’s intentions, believing that he was making a feint to frighten his wife, but went with her to the stable, which they reached about half an hour after Whiteman was seen "making motions." He was hanging, apparently dead, but they made no examination. Someone then went down to Sylvan Grove and a large number of people came up, and Whiteman was cut down about 8 o’clock in the evening. The verdict of the coroner’s jury was to the effect that the deceased came to his death voluntarily and at his own hands. There was at first considerable talk of a possibility of foul play, which was probably unfounded. Deceased was the victim of an irascible nature and financial reverses. [Buried in Vesper Cemetery.]
George W. Wilson
Jan. 31, 1889
George W. Wilson was born in Steuben county, New York, May 14, 1821, and died at his home near Lincoln Center, Kansas, Jan. 21, 1889, of consumption.
When 17 years of age he removed with his father’s family to Jefferson county, Penn. He was married in July 1842 to Miss Jane McCormick, who survives him. He was reared on a farm, but while living in Pennsylvania learned the business of a miller, which he continued to follow as long as his health permitted, though he lived on a farm. In 1865 he removed with his family to Minnesota, where he resided till 1871, in which year he went to Missouri, and from there came to Lincoln county in September 1872, and located upon the homestead on Marion township where he resided until last October.
During the greater part of the first 10 years of his residence here, and as long as his health permitted, he was employed in the different flouring mills in the county, most of the time at Rocky Hill, where he made a large acquaintance with the farmers of the county, among whom his reputation as an excellent miller and for "taking honest toll" was very soon established and the writer has personal knowledge of farmers driving several miles farther to reach the mill where Mr. Wilson was employed in order to have their flour made by him. We mention this as it illustrates his integrity in matters of business. He was a kind neighbor and genial, faithful friend.
He was a man of progressive ideas and was in hearty sympathy with the great reforms of the day. He was a woman suffragist and a party Prohibitionist, and he voted his principles.
During the first winter of his residence in Minnesota, the foundation of the pulmonary disease from which he suffered ever after and from which he died, was laid in a several and prolonged attack of typhoid pneumonia.
His brethren of the I.O.O.F., of which he was a member, though he had never joined the lodge here, took charge of the funeral and buried him with the honors the order. Reverends Bradbury and Campbell conducted the religious services, which were held in the Presbyterian church and attended by a large concourse of sympathizing friends. – A Friend
[No burial site given; not in Lincoln County burial records.]
Levi Wodden
May 2, 1889
Levi Wodden of Cedron, died April 20, 1889, of scrofula, aged 4 months. [Not in Lincoln County burial records.]
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