Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-11-02
0BITU ARY.
MONTGOMERY NJ. CorHREN.

resulted in inflammation of the bowels.
On Friday all hope of his recovery was
abandoned, and on Friday night he
breathed his last. The following
sketch is taken from the History of
Iowa County:
Judge Montgomery u. Cothren was
a native of New York State, and was
born in Yates county, September IS,
1919; when ten years of age, his father,
in 1929, removed to Detroit. Mich,
and two years later removed to Kalama-
zoo, where young Montgomery COM
pleted his education and began reading
law. In the spring of 1888 he started
west; after reaching Chicago, he
came on horseback to Rock River,
near Rockford, and swan ever river
and stream till he reached there; in
1913 he came to Mineral Point; he
was admitted to the bar in the United
States Court the same year, and en-
gagged in the practice of law. In the
early days of the profession here, at
tOrneyS were called all over the terrific
ry, and Judge Cothren has ridden
sixty miles on horseback, with the
thermometer thirty degrees below zero,
and he thought nothing of it. In
1916, he was appointed Clerk of the
Board of Supervisors of Iowa and La
Fayette Cos, and he also discharged
the duties of Treasurer of those coun-
ties; in 1847, he was elected to the
Tnrri+CriaI I nriClo t,,ra oDI in 1910 bo
was elected State Senator, and served
in the State Senate two years, and
served as Chairman of the Judiciary
Committee of that body; he had
charge of the revision and compilation
of the laws; in 1852, he was one of
the Pierce Electors for the State at
large; in the same year, he was elected
Judge, and remained on the bench I'M
til 1865; he then retired and resumed
the practice Of his profession with sig
nal success until 1876, when he was
again elected Judge and completed
the term. Judge Cothren was united
in marriage Aug. "a, 1913, to Miss
Esther Maria Pulford, daughter of DR..
Schuyler Pulford, of OnOndaga Co.,
\. Y.
His death WAS calm and peaceful
He felt that the end was near; that
the struggle of life was almost over,
and that all human hopes and ambi-
tons must be abandoned The grim
monster had no terrorS for him. His
life's work had closed, and he was
ready to meet the great change which
would release his imprisoned spirit.
His death was an almost painless one.
After quietly and calmly arranging his
temporal affairs, he patiently awaited
the end. Finally the heart ceased to
beat and the wearied body and brain
had at last found rest.
Perhaps no man in Wisconsin had a
wider circle of friends and acquaint-
ances than had the deceased. His
name is familiar to nearly every man,
woman and child in Southwest Wis
consin We knew the man and knew
him well: a generous, noble, large
hearted man. Faults and frailties he
had; but these sank into insignificance
when compared with the many virtues
which he possessed. Care and thought
fulneSs for others welfare made him
forget his own. The testi-
mony which his friends and neighbors
bear of his unSelish devotion to those
bound to him by the ties of nature or
of friendship, is the best evidence that
can be produced of the goodness of
heart and true greatness of the man.
In respect to his memory our city flag
was hung at half mast until after the
funeral, which took place on Tuesday,
under the direction of Mineral Point
Lodge, No. l, F. Il \. NJ, Of which
the deceased was one Of the oldest
members. Many MasonS and other
friends We're in attendance from ad-
joining towns. Funeral services were
held in Trinity church, after which the
body was conveyed to GraceIand Gem
etery, where it was committed to the
grave according to masonic rites.
Among the kilograms and letters
received were the following:
WASHINGTON, ID. c.. Oct. %. 1885,
DR.. w. l.. TALLMAN:-Please present
my sincere coincidence to the friends of
Judge Cothren. The public have lost
an honest and faithful citizen.
W. f. Villas.
MADISON, Wis, Oct 29.-MRs. NJ.
VI. COTuREN, Dear Madam have
read in the daily papers, with unaf-
fected sorrow, the death of your Ia
mented husband. This sad event de-
priveS the State of Wisconsin of one
of its most eminent citizens, while the
loss to his family is irreparable. Ac-
cept the assurances of my WarmeSt
sympathy, dear Madam, and believe
me, with great respect, Sincerely your
friend, MORTIMER N. JACKSON.
MILWAUKEE, Wis. Oct. 27:-W. l..
TALLMAN, NJ. d. am panied, griev-
ed, shocked, to hear of my noble
friends death. < To Won
and family, and to Mrs. Cothren and
her whole family, 1 send my deepest
sympathies and sorrow on the death of
the ablest member of the Wisconsin
bar. Fraternally, HENRY s. MACON.
DoDGEvILLE, Wis. Oct. 3Q:-Dr. W.
L. TALLNIAN:-PIease convey my sim
cere regrets at my inability to be
present to pay the last sad tribute of
respect to the honored dead. l sin
cerely sympathize with them in their
great and sudden af1iction.
Yours Truly, JOHN T. JONES.
SuULLSBURG, Wis Oct, 27:-DR.
W. l.. TALLNIAN: The sad news though
not entirely unexpected, was a hard
blow, and keenly felt by all of us
The best and truest friend l ever had
is gone. x Please extend to
the bereayed family our heartfelt sym
Pathy.
RpSpnptTuily TDTyN IT ~AE-AEE