Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-09-19
Another Old Settler Gone.

side at his journeys end on this earth.
We who remain stop a few moments in
the activity of business to mediate
upon our birth, life and the dread of
death, and wonder what has been
accomplished in life. We cannot act as
judges as to what others have accom-
pIished, the good deeds done, the
failures of life, the opportunities for
growth gone by unheeded, but can only
reflect on the success or failure of our
own lives. In the loss of dear one,
we come to realize the dreadfuIness of
death. We feel our feebleness when
compared with it, and realize that after
all, the greatest is insignifcantly small
as compared with the great future.
In the death of Mr.. U. G. ST. Amour,
his immediate family who have known
him through life as a husband and
father, will miss him most. Then his
immediate relatives and dear friends
for they were within the radius of his
kindliest acts and emotions and there
fore knew his worth. Then the COM
munitY in which he lived where he
proved an honored and respected
citizen whose influence will be missed
The more true character one shows in
this life the more they are missed when
gone. If we so live and conduct our
selves through life that our family,
relatives, friends and citizens miss us
when gone, we can come to the conclu-
sion that the object of life has been
largely obtained
The Centralia Enterprise contains
sketch of Mr.. St. Amour's life, a
portion of which we hereto append:
"Mr. U. G. st. Amour died at his
home, the Commercial Hotel, in
Centralia, at two O'Clock in the after
noon, on Wednesday, the 18th of
September. The immediate cause of
his death was failure of the heart. but
he had been suffering for the last three
months from Il complication of other
diseases. He was born at st. Paul, a
little village nine miles distant from
Joliet, Canada, on the 2lst day Of
August, 1885, SO that, at the time Of his
death, he WIS reaching the end of his
iiity-third year. He lived the DAYS of
his childhood ut st. Paul Before his
departure for the United States, he
remained with the family at Joliet,
three years.
At this time of his life, full of courage
and ambition, he decided that he
would seek more lucrative employment
than he could secure at home, with the
prospect of commencing business for
himself. This was in the days of steam
boats. He landed in st. Paul where he
became acquainted with Captain
Robert, at that time one Of the wealthy
men of the city, who held out induce
ments for Mr.. st. Amour to remain.
Meeting some friends, however, who
were coming to Grand Rapids, they
insisted with such persistence that ne
should accompany them, that he finally
acceded to their entreaties. A short
time after his arrival here, being
pleased with the prospects of the place,
he wrote his father, at Joliet, Canada,
to come and meet him. The latter
complied with his sons wishes, but
death struck him suddenly down only a
few days later.
After this sad event, Mr.. st. Amour
went to Canada to settle matters con-
nected with the estate, a duty, consider
ing the difficulties under which he
labored, he performed to the
satisfaction of all the heirs. Returning
to st. Paul, he again met his old friend,
Capt. Robert, who having full
confidence in the integrity and business
capacity of his protege, advised him to
go in business at Henderson, Mimi,
and made an advance of funds for that
purpose.
| At that time, he was married to Miss
Christie Cormier, and the young people
were living happy and contented,
doing good business, when the war
cry of the Sioux was heard through the
land and the terror-stricken population
fled in every direction. Fortunate were
those who, losing their houses, which
became the prey of the flames, their
horses, their cattle and all they had in
the world-escaped the fate of others
the savages and were tortured, scalped
and submitted to still worse atrocities.
Mr.. st. Amour fed with what clothing
they could carry away. After an ardu-
Gus journey in Minnesota, through
endless perils, they reached Grand
Rapids and living there a short time
finally decided to choose Centralia as
their home. The time of their final
return to Wisconsin was in the spring
of the year 1858. About that time, Mr.
st. Amour was always wanted by either
one or the other of our merchants to
assist them in their business He was
a most active man, and his integrity
in all busines intrusted to him, was well
known.
liz was III tNo VI 1uISS gSdIS IHaI'
ager of the I. B. Scott's Lumber Co
mercantile department a. Merrill. But
he also followed other vocations, fol
himself. The last was the management
of the Commercial Hotel in Centralia
which he purchased two years ago.
Mr.. St. Amour's health had beer
gradually failing for a year or more
but his friends were not greatly
alarmed. He was man of natura
strnncr constitution aud II rrnS thnnnI,.