GEORGE W. DITMARS GRAVESTONE PHOTO
The Chanute Daily Tribune, May 23, 1910
HE HAD LIVED HERE 51 YEARS
GEORGE W. DITMARS, NEOSHO COUNTY PIONEER, DEAD.
Funeral Service, From Late Home, 322 S. Ashby, at 3 Tomorrow Afternoon--
Soldier in the Ninth Kansas.
George W. Ditmars died at his home, 322 South Ashby avenue, yesterday about noon. The immediate cause was heart failure, though Mr. Ditmars had been an invalid and forced to walk on crutches for ten years.
He was feeling as well as usual yesterday, however, and was washing for dinner when a sinking spell overcame him. He died before the physician, who was summoned immediately, arrived.
Mr. Ditmars leaves besides his wife, two sons, one daughter and one brother. The sons, Judson and Warren, are Neosho county farmers. The daughter, Mrs. S. H. Ruggles, lives on a farm near Guilford, Wilson county. The brother, James Ditmars, lives in Earlton.
Mr. Ditmars was 78 years of age, an old soldier and an old settler, in fact, one of the oldest in this vicinity. He was a native of Tioga county, New York, and was the oldest of a family of three sons.
While still a young lad the parents moved to Michigan, where George grew up, got his schooling and married.
With his small family Mr. Ditmars decided to brave the dangers of a pioneer life and drove in a covered wagon to Neosho county in 1859.
He had no more than broken the sod and erected a pole shanty on his farm, two miles and a half from what is now Chanute, then the Civil war broke out.
Mr. Ditmars established his wife and family safely in Iola and enlisted in Company D, of the Ninth Kansas, which made such a name for itself on both sides of the line for valiant service. In the three years of more than active service Mr. Ditmars received only one injury, a rupture from the pommel of a saddle, and from which he never fully recovered.
The farm, which lies along the Neosho river, was early in the oil boom development and later disposed of profitably.
The ford which crosses the river at the boundary of the farm was named Ditmars' ford after the owner of the farm.
The funeral will be from the late home tomorrow afternoon at 3 o'clock. Burial will be in Elmwood cemetery.