Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1884-06-26
II. G.. HUMPHREY.
There is a reaper, whose name is Death.
And with his sickle keen
He Teaps the bearded grain a I breath;
And the flowers that GROW hefAXenn :,


He Ieaps the bearded grain a I breath;
And the flowers that grow between
Our usually quiet community has
been deeply agitated recently by the en-
tirely unexpected coming of this I'M
welcome reaper, so terribly sudden and
telling in both Of his visits, separated
only by four weeks 1t has not seemed
to be Natures reaping time for the
plants or buds of spring had scarcely
reached the perfected foliage and bios
soming of summer.
Thou hast all seasons for thine own OH Death -
The extreme sorrow resulting from the
untimely stroke of this sickle in sever
ing from life just developed manhood in
the death of Samuel Handy had not
faded from the minds of the people
when it was startlingly announced that
the 'bearded grain of matured years
was suddenly gathered by this Unsuitable
reaper and that r. G. Humphrey one of
our much older citizens, was the vic
tim.
The circumstances attending Mr..
Humphreys death were given in a pre-
vious issue of your paper. and but u
short synopsis of the same need find n
place in this article.
On the forenoon of Sunday, June s,
he was returning ON horseback from his
home, and when opposite the place
where John Kaufman lives, he was seen
holding his hand to his head, at the
same time calling to Mr.. X to ''come
there and put water on his head quick. :"
And dismounting hastily water and
camphor were applied, but he grew
rapidly worse and died in perhaps TWEEN
ty minutes. DR.. Lewis arrived at Mr.
Humphreys home in the afternoon and
pronounced the cause of his death to
| be ian aggravated case of congestion
of the BRAIN Mr. Humphrey had
been feeling rather poorly for several
days, having some trouble by disor-
dered stomach and also had been over
heated on the Friday before, which per-
haps caused him to succumb much
more readily to the extreme sultry heat
of that Sunday forenoon.
The subject of this article was born
in Charlestown, Montgomery Co., n.
T., Sept. 20, 1928. In 1858 he was
married in the same locality, and in
1856 started for the west, coming direct
ly to the vicic.ty of Mt. Hope, at which
place he has since resided. None of
our older citizens seemed to be more
alive to the interests and general pros
perity of community than did Mr.
Humphrey in the one in which he had
been so long identified HIS thrift.
forethought and ability, practically, in
conducting the business of merchandise
ing was well known by perhaps all the
leading men of our county, and all who
knew him recognize as well his success
full farm management; pursuit to
which he has always held and one of
which he was ever fond. In any public
enterprise he was always ready with
work and purse, and ibis generous ac-
commodation and ceverness about
store and household proved him kind
neighbor always. Though not a pro-
fessor of religion, yet his efforts were
not opposed thereto, and his general
contributions and presence at church
service did not compare unfavorably
with those of many others from whom
greater things were perhaps expected.
tie was pleased at the last quarterly
meeting to entertain the two ministers
over night saying nothing antagonistic
and providing unrequested, for family
worship evening and morning. The
funeral took place June 10, services at
Nj. E. church, Rev. j. Sims preaching
the discourse. The last song written
by p. 2. Bliss, "He Knows" was a spe-
cial favorite of Mr.. Humphrey and was
selected as one OF the pieces to be sung
during the services. The remains were
taken TO the Maggie cemetery, couple
of miles east of Patch Grove, where
three of his children are buried.
Two brothers, Wallace and William
Humphrey, both elderly men, with fam
lilies, and some other relatives are living
in the vicinity of Patch Grove and
bloomington. The immediate family
thus suddenly bereft, consists of Mrs
Humphrey and four daughters, the old
est of these, Mrs. Maggie McWilliams,
now visiting at her former home, lives
in Dakota. The next elder, Mrs. Mamie
Townsend, assisted her father in the
business Of the store in Mt. Hope and
expects to continue in its further man
agement. The other two are younger
and of course remain at home. The
very large concourse of friends that as
sembled to show the last tribute of re-
spect denotes the esteem in which Mr..
Humphrey was held in the community
and it may certainly be said that the
presence of no one from the vicinity
will be more greatly missed, than
fers w. b. PHILLIPS.