1890 Lincoln County Kansas Obituaries
1890 Obituaries
Lincoln County Kansas
These obituaries were taken from the Lincoln County Beacon. Further information and clarifications were added as needed by the transcriber.
Rasmussen Anderson
Oct. 30, 1890
Rasmussen Anderson [Rasmus Andersen in Denmark burial records] died at his home in Grant township, Tuesday morning, Oct. 21, at 2 o'clock, of heart disease. Coroner Cecil was summoned to hold an inquest, Mr. Anderson's family thinking it was necessary. The jury brought in a verdict of death from natural causes. Mr. Anderson and family had been over from Denmark but a year and a half. He was 59 years and 7 months old. He was in very good circumstances. [Buried in Denmark Cemetery.]
W.R. Anderson
Dec. 11, 1890
W.R. Anderson of Colorado township, died at his home on Friday, Dec. 5, 1890, at 5:30 p.m., aged 56 years, 9 months and 19 days, of heart disease, after 36 hours of suffering.
The funeral was held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, at the Monroe school house, conducted by Rev. Brown, M.E. minister from Tescott. The interment was made in the Monroe cemetery.
Mr. Anderson was born Feb. 16, 1834, in Huntington county, Penn. He was left motherless when quite young, from which time he drifted about for himself, always finding friends wherever he went. He went to California during the gold fever and remained until the war broke out, when he enlisted in the Union service for three years. At the close of the first year he was discharged for injuries received in the artillery service. When the call for 9 month volunteers was made he re-enlisted. At the expiration of his second term of enlistment he was honorably discharged. Was married to Miss Jane E. Mills, of Huntington county, Penn., on Oct. 20, 1868. He enlisted for a third time in the Union service, this time for three years. He was taken prisoner and was confined in Andersonville prison 6 months and 8 days, when he was paroled and went home for 30 days. He then returned to his regiment and served until the war was ended.
In 1865 he removed with his family to Iowa and from that state to Colorado township, Lincoln county, Kansas, in October 1865.
Mr. Anderson was an exemplary christian gentleman and a member of the M.E. church. He left as many admiring friends as any man with the same number of acquaintances, and his departure is a real loss to the community where he lived and an irreparable one to his family. He left a wife and six children.
Spencer Berryman
July 24, 1890
Friday, July 18, 1890, in Marion township, Spencer, infant son of John and Susannah Spencer, aged 11 days. The internment was made Saturday, in the Lincoln cemetery.
Ida Blackwell
April 10, 1890
Mrs. Ida Blackwell, aged 85 years, niece of M.C. Barr of Lincoln, died at 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 9, 1890, at Mr. Barr's home.
Mrs. Blackwell had long been a sufferer from consumption and came from her home in New York city two months ago to spend her last days with those with whom she had spent a large part of her life.
The funeral services were held today at 11 a.m. at Mr. Barr's home, conducted by Rev. H.C. Bradbury. [Not in Lincoln County burial records.]
Rosa DeLong
Feb. 20, 1890
Feb. 15, 1890, at Pottersburg, Lincoln county, Kansas, of pneumonia, superinduced by la grippe, Mrs. Rosa DeLong, wife of John DeLong, aged 57 years and 1 day.
The family have resided on the farm they now occupy since early in the seventies. Mrs. DeLong was greatly respected and loved for her many excellent qualities of head and heart, and will be greatly missed in the community where she has so long been active in every good work. Her husband and two sons survive her. [Buried in Vesper Cemetery.]
Harry Donovan
July 24, 1890
Harry Donovan, infant son of E.W. Donovan and wife of Scott township, died July 18, 1890, aged six months. [Not in Lincoln County burial records. Possible Union Valley.]
Peter Foley
July 3, 1890
Peter Foley, aged 68 years, died at his home six miles west of Lincoln, Friday, June 27, 1890, of inflammation of the stomach and peritoneum, after a painful illness of three months.
The funeral services were held Saturday at 2 p.m. conducted by Father Maujay, and the interment was made in the Catholic cemetery in Indiana township [St. John Catholic Cemetery].
Mr. Foley was born in County Galway, Ireland, in 1822. He came with his family from Pennsylvania to Lincoln county in 1873, where he has since resided. He leaves a wife and two married and two unmarried daughters.
Mr. Foley was an exceptionally good citizen: industrious, honest, kind and hospitable. By hard work and strict economy had had acquired a moderate competence and died respected by all who knew him.
[Transcriber's note: Tombstone gives date of birth as 1819.]
Anner Gilpin
Oct. 30, 1890
Mrs. Anner Gilpin died at her home in this place Thursday, Oct. 16, 1890, aged 71 years, 5 months and 23 days, of neuralgia of the heart and stomach, after an illness of but 40 hours. The funeral was held Friday at 3 p.m. at the Presbyterian church, conducted by Rev. Schuerman of Sylvan Grove, and interment was made in the Lincoln cemetery.
Mrs. Gilpin's maiden name was Smith, and she was born near Lancaster, Fairfax county, Ohio, April 18, 1819. She was married to Wm. Gilpin Sept. 29, 1836. Mr. and Mrs. Gilpin were the parents of eight children, seven of whom are living. Henry, Albert and Frank live in and near this place and were present during her last illness.
Francis Bruce Harbin
April 17, 1890
On April 14, 1890, at the home of his parents, Fayette and Sarah Harbin, Francis Bruce Harbin, aged 6 years and 2 months. This child was greatly beloved by all who knew him. He has been suffering 10 weeks from the effects of la grippe. The funeral services were conducted by Revs. Kuhn, Gouldin and Bradbury. The whole community attended. [Not in Lincoln County burial records. Possible Elkhorn Cemetery.]
Melissa Henderson
Aug. 14, 1890
At Nokomis, Ill, Sunday, Aug. 3, 1890, Mrs. Melissa Henderson, wife of B.J. Henderson, aged 68 years, 11 months and 24 days.
Mrs. Henderson and her husband were among the early settlers in this county, where they resided for many years, and were universally respected as upright citizens and good neighbors. Mrs. Henderson was born Aug. 9, 1821, and was married to B.J. Henderson in 1838. They were the parents of 11 children, four of whom are living. [Not in Lincoln County burial records; probably buried in Illinois.]
George Henry Hicks
July 3, 1890
Geo. Henry Hicks, son of T.F. Hicks, of Barnard, died Friday, June 27, 1890, aged 9 months. [Not in Lincoln County burial records.]
Jane Hoover
Oct. 23, 1890
Mrs. Jane Hoover, formerly a resident of Lincoln, died at her home at Norman, Indian Territory, Saturday, Oct. 11, 1890, aged 56 years. [Not in Lincoln County burial records; likely buried in Oklahoma.]
Hans Johnson
May 1, 1890
[Transcriber's note: In burial records this is Hans J. Christiansen]
At his home near Denmark, Lincoln county, April 24, 1890, of consumption and chronic diarrhea, Hans Johnson, aged 28 years, 1 month and 17 days. The funeral services were held at the Denmark church on Saturday, at 10 a.m., conducted by Rev. M.F. Christianson. The interment was made in the Danish cemetery. Mr. Johnson first came to Lincoln county with his parents, from Denmark, in 1870, being but 8 years old. He was a farmer and possessed in a high degree the sterling qualities of honesty, temperance, industry and all the traits which contribute to make a man a very useful member of society. He leaves a wife, and a child but a few months old. [Buried in Denmark Cemetery.]
Isaac Jones
June 12, 1890
At his home near Woody, June 6, 1890, Isaac Jones, aged 62 years. Mr. Jones was a native of Cork county, Ireland, and was an old settler in our county. He leaves a wife and children, most of whom are men and women.
The comforting burial services of the Episcopal church were read at his funeral by Rev. H.C. Bradbury. He had suffered a whole year from a painful disease and it was better for him to depart and be with Christ, his savior. [Buried in Elkhorn Cemetery.]
Louisa M. Kingsley
May 8, 1890
At her home, six miles east of Lincoln, May 4, 1890, Louisa M., wife of Harmon Kingsley, aged 59 years, 4 months and 1 day.
She was born in Oswego county, New York, married in 1850 and removed to Lincoln county in 1869, where she has resided since. Mrs. Kingsley had a large circle of friends and a kind word for all. She has been a Baptist many years and was a member of the Baptist church at Beverly at the time of her death. She leaves a husband to mourn her loss. The writer preached the funeral sermon to a large audience, after which the remains were interred in Lincoln cemetery to await the coming of the "Just One." ' John T. Farley
William Lambert
March 27, 1890
[Transcriber's note: First name is not given in the obituary, but it was in the burial records.]
In Franklin township, Monday, March 24, 1890, of diabetes and general debility resulting from old age, William Lambert, aged 75 years. [Buried Hammer Cemetery.]
John S. Marshall
Jan. 16, 1890
January 13, 1890, in Lincoln Center, Kansas, John S. Marshall, aged 29 years, 1 month, and 19 days, after a very painful illness lasting three months and two days. His last illness was of a typhoid nature, complicated by an abscess in the side and symptoms of a billious nature.
He was born in Poseyville, Ind., Nov. 25, 1860, and has resided in Lincoln 13 years. He is the son of Wm. Marshall, Esq. of Marion township. He leaves a wife and little son, parents, a brother and sister to mourn their loss which is his gain. Two brothers and two sisters died before him.
The funeral services were held in the Church of Christ, Jan. 14, and were attended by a large concourse of sympathizing friends and neighbors. Rev. D.G. Murray officiated, assisted by Rev. F. Wright. The interment was made in the Lincoln Cemetery.
Charles F. McMillan
June 26, 1890
Charles F., the infant son of Rev. B.F. McMillan and wife, died of measles, in Lincoln, Saturday, June 21, 1890, aged 5 months and 9 days.
Services, conducted by Rev. N.P. Tedrick, were held at the residence at 8 a.m. on Sunday and the body was immediately taken to the McMillan settlement eight miles southwest of Beloit, where services were held at 4 p.m. and the interment made in the Pleasant View chapel cemetery at that point.
Reuben L. Morrical
Feb. 13, 1890
[Transcriber's note: Name was given as Morical, but I've taken the liberty to correct it throughout to Morrical.]
Comrade Reuben L. Morrical died Feb. 2, 1890, at his home six miles southeast of Beverly, Kansas, of dropsy, after a protracted illness.
The funeral services were held on Tuesday, the sermon being preached by Rev. J.T. Farley, of Lincoln, after which A. Hickerson, the commander of Lewis Christie Post G.A. R., took charge and conducted the further services according to the ritual of the order.
One by one the ranks of our brave comrades are being reduced. Let us so live that there will be a happy reunion in the Grand Army above.
Mr. Morrical was born in Jay county, Ind., in 1841. He enlisted in 1861 in Col. I, 34th Indiana Volunteers, and served three years. He came to Kansas 18 years ago. He leaves a wife and seven children. In his death his family loses an affectionate husband and father, and the community a good citizen. [Buried Hammer Cemetery.]
Elizabeth Pierce
March 20, 1890
Mrs. Elizabeth Pierce died at her home in Lincoln of la grippe, March 16, 1890, aged 60 years.
Mrs. Pierce (formerly Mrs. Austin) had lived in Lincoln county for a number of years, residing for some years on upper Spillman, where her first husband, named Austin, died. She had resided some time in Lincoln alone. Her death was very sudden, she being taken ill only the day before. Mrs. Pierce was held in high esteem by all who knew her. [Not in Lincoln County burial records; first husband appears to be buried in Pottersburg Cemetery.]
Sophia Sahlman
Feb. 20, 1890
Feb. 15, 1890, of la grippe, Sophia, infant daughter of Henry and Sophia Sahlman, of Lincoln, aged 4 months. [Buried Lincoln Cemetery.]
William Schroeder
April 10, 1890
[Transcriber's note: This is more a news story than obituary. The name was spelled phonetically as Shraeder throughout, but "Schroeder" is correct.]
Monday last [April 7] Jesse Wright and Dora Webb of Beverly were at the farm of Wm. Schroeder, in Logan township, making a boring in the bottom of Mr. Schroeder's dug well, which was already 36 feet deep. At about 3 o'clock in the afternoon Mr. Schroeder descended into the well, using the rough wall for a ladder. As he did not come to the top when expected the other men, among whom was Randolph Thews, looked into the well and saw him lying on the bottom. Thews immediately went into the well, also using the wall as a ladder. Ten or 12 feet from the top he was overcome by fire-damp and fell to the bottom.
Lon. Mills was then let into the well by a rope, which he fastened to Thews who was badly cut and bruised by the fall. Thews was drawn out semi-conscious and for some time was delirious. Mills then fastened the rope to himself and 15 feet further along the rope tied it to Schroeder, and both were drawn out.
Schroeder gasped once after being taken out. He was in the well about half an hour and Thews about half that length of time.
Mills reports that there was no damps at the bottom of the well, and it is thought that the fall might have been partly the cause of Schroeder's death, though he was not much injured externally. Thews was painfully cut and bruised though not dangerously. He has entirely recovered from the effects of the damps, which lay in a strata across the well, about 8 feet from its top. Firedamp is considerable heavier than the atmosphere. In this case it probably issued from the sides of the well very suddenly and lay in a heavy layer, or strata holding down the pure air which could not escape from beneath it, while it could not escape from the top. Experiments with lights were afterward made which showed the strata of damp to be four or five feet in thickness, and rapidly increasing in volume.
Wm. Schroeder was about 30 years of age, hard working, honest and thrifty. He was a bachelor and his two brothers, Edward and Jacob, lived near him. He was the man who was attacked by a 2-year-old bull last fall and had a half hour's struggle for his life, being rescued by Harry Hinkley. [Buried in Beverly Cemetery.]
David C. Shoemaker
Nov. 13, 1890
David C. Shoemaker died at his home in Lincoln, Kansas, Nov. 9, 1890, at midnight, after a protracted illness from a complication of liver and heart complaints.
The funeral was held at the M.E. church in Lincoln conducted by Rev. N.P. Tedrick, who preached a sermon on that occasion that will long be remembered by all who heard it and which abounded in comforting philosophy for the large audience as well as for the immediate friends and relatives of the deceased.
David C. Shoemaker was born Oct. 6, 1833 in Wyoming county, Penn. At the age of 14 he went to the state of Ohio, where he lived until the age of 22 when he went to Fayette county, Iowa. He was married Oct. 30, 1856, to Miss Hattie Churchill. In 1877 he came with his family to Lincoln county, Kansas, and resided in or near Lincoln until his death. His wife and son and two daughters survive him.
Mr. Shoemaker was a man of strong individuality ' with deep convictions upon all subjects that attracted his attention. Personal integrity and a profound sense of honor were among his strongest characteristics, and be taken with him to a better land the respect and confidence which he always inspired in all who knew him here. [Buried in Lincoln Cemetery.]
Annie Elizabeth Smith
July 10, 1890
At her home near Shady Bend, Lincoln county, Kansas, after a protracted sickness as the effects of la grippe, Mrs. Annie Elizabeth Smith, wife of Chalmers Smith, aged 36 years. [Note: date of death July 2, 1890.]
She was a most faithful wife and mother. She leaves a family of seven children, from three to 16 years of age. May God ever direct and care for them. Revs. Bradbury and McMillan conducted the funeral services and the body was buried in the Beverly cemetery.
Paulina Soldner
May 1, 1890
On Sunday morning, the 27th of April, 1890, near Bashan, Lincoln County, Kansas, Mrs. Paulina Soldner, aged 61 years.
The deceased came to her death by drowning in the Saline river, near her home. She had been deranged in her mind for some time, and on the morning of her death she wandered away from the house and was found about an hour afterward in the river and cold in death. The act seems a tragic one, but the many friends of the departed one kindly draw the veil of charity over the dread scene. No one saw her as she entered the stream and no one knows the secret that underlies it all. She was always regarded as a consistent Christian, and the large attendance at the funeral bore evidence of the high esteem in which she was held. For a long time she had much trouble, and this no doubt weakened her mind; and perhaps the stream in her dazed vision seemed like a soft resting place, like a couch of down to her weary frame and spirit alike. And it may again be that earthly sight had failed her in her bewildered condition and unconscious of the river she stepped into its depths.
The funeral services were conducted by Rev. B.F. McMillan of Lincoln. The Farmers Alliance participated also, with their beautiful and impressive service.
Mrs. Soldner was found lying in about two week of water at the bottom of a precipitous bank about 20 feet high. A heavy bruise across the forehead would indicate the possibility of her having fallen off this bank. In that case, stunned by the fall, and her mind and eyesight both being impaired, it is not easy to see how she could have avoided death by drowning in the water at the bottom, in the event of no one seeing the accident. There is no good reason we can discover, for claiming that it is a case of suicide, although the jury brought in a verdict of self-destruction. The jury was composed of the following citizens, all of whom, except Mr. Brunt, are neighbors of the deceased: S.H. Brunt, David Shaver, Z. Wincell, Herman Schmidt, T.M. Hedrick, E.S. Bloomhart.
Mrs. Soldner had lived in Lincoln county about 20 years. Her husband was killed in 1874 by a fractious horse, and about four years ago his mother, who was living with her daughter-in-law, suicided by drowning in a well. [Not in Lincoln County burial records; other Soldners are buried in Hammer.]
Henry Stewart
Feb. 20, 1890
Henry Stewart (colored), of Hanover township, was found dead in his stable last Sunday evening and is supposed to have died of paralysis. He was living with his grandson, a boy about 17 years of age, and was last seen alive about 3 o'clock p.m. He was found by the grandson when the latter went to the stable to attend to the evening chores. Monday morning the coroner was summoned and a jury empanelled. The above facts were elicited and the jury returned a verdict that deceased came to his death from paralysis. The funeral and interment took place Tuesday.
The deceased was 66 years of age and had lived along with his 17-year-old grandson a number of years, on a homestead. He had been in feeble health for some time and was supported almost wholly by his grandson's industry. He was highly respected by the entire community. [Not in Lincoln County burial records.]
Agnes A. Topping
Jan. 30, 1890
At the home of her step-son, M.C. Barr, of Lincoln, Kansas, Jan. 25, 1890, of old age, Mrs. Agnes A. Topping, aged 86 years, 6 months and 19 days.
Mrs. Topping came to Lincoln about four years ago, with her step-son, from New York city, where she lived many years. The funeral services were held at the residence, on Sunday, conducted by Rev. H.C. Bradbury, and the interment was made in the Lincoln cemetery.
Henry H. Van Fleet
Jan. 9, 1890
December 31, 1889, Henry H., son of Marshall H. and Katie Van Fleet of Lincoln, Kansas, aged 1 year, 11 months and 6 days, of membranous croup. The funeral was held at the family residence, Jan. 1, at 2 p.m., Rev. E.V. Swartz officiating. [Buried in Lincoln Cemetery.]