Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1894-02-21
Death of John w. Cole.

February IL, 1894, at 1880 O clock, of kid
ney and bladder troubles, being sick
only a omparatively few days He
had usually enjoyed good health and
therefore the news of his apparent
fatal illness was learned with surprise
by the community in which he had
been a familiar figure for so many
years. Mr.. Cole was born of rugged
New England stock at Charleston, YER
mont, December 29,1SI4. Until the age
of % he worked on his fathers farm
and at the carpenter and joiner trade.
In 1886 be started west and landed in
Milwaukee, where he remained cutting
timber on the Milwaukee river until
January, 1887, when he removed to
the site of the present city of Water
town, then called Johnson's Rapids.
He made the journey with OK teams.
carrying flour and pork. Mr.. Cole was
preceded here only few months bv
the first white settler, the late Timothy
Johnson. With his brother Luther A.
Cole, now deceased, he erected build
ing on the south corner of Main and
Second streets and in 1S41 opened the
first store in Watertown. Dissolving
partnership with his brother, Mr..
Cole built a store on the north
corner of Main and Second streets and
carried on a general merchandising
business for fifteen years, part of the
time being also engaged in the manu-
facture of saleratus and potash. In
1854 he built the block of stores which
is still his property on the southeast
corner of Main and Second streets.
Mr. Cole retired some years ago from
active business except to look after the
interests of bis property. Through
frugality and the exercise of great
care in his investments, Mr.. Cole
acquired large competency, some esti-
mates placing the value of his estate at
considerably over quarter of a mil
lion of dollars. With other of his busi-
ness enterprises Mr.. Cole upon the or
ganization of the Merchants bank
became one of its principal stock
holders. Mr.. Cole was never ambi-
tious for position and never sought
Office, but in 1855 he held the office of
mayor of Watertown and was later
elected supervisor. He possessed all
the characteristics of the true pioneer;
of unflinching honesty, his word was
his bond, and in his intercourse with
his fellow men he was blunt, plain,
candid and outspoken. He is now
gathered to his fathers and his memory
will be long cherished in the commun-
ity. In 1914 Mr. Cole was married to
Miss Eliza G. Fisk, who, with one son,
Oscar A, survives him.
Mr.. Coles funeral was held from his
late home Monday afternoon at 2
O'Clock and was largely attended. The
ceremonies were simple and devoid of
any religious character, Mr.. Coles we'll
known wishes in this regard being
strictly observed. A funeral address
was read by Andrew Willard, of Beav-
er Dam, and a dirge was sung by Louis
Charboneau and Jonas Stahl. The
body was then conveyed to Oak Hill
cemetery and there laid to rest. The
casket was copper with gold trimmings,
the first of this make ever used here.
Among the floral tributes was a
bouquet of red carnations II feet in
length, presented by Mr.. Charboneau.
The bearers were the following
Samuel Roper, Geo. Hawkins, Robert
Jones, S. B. Fuller, VIM. Ames, w. E.
Jones.
To fulfill promise made to Mr.. Cole
some years ago bis old friend, Andrew
Willard, of Beaver Dam, read the fol-
lowing funeral address composed by
Mrs. Cole and which had Mr.. Coles
endorsement
KIND FRIENDs:-Again we are face to face
with the great mystery that shrouds this
world we question but there is no reply
AT this season of the year, how natural and
appropriate it seems that one who has
reached the autumn of his life should drop
away. What can we say of death? What can
we say of the dead? Where they have gone
reason cannot go, and from thence revelation
has not come. In our mothers womb we are
forced into life and nourished nurtured from
the cradle to the grave by the elements of
production OF Nature, produced at her vast
laboratory partly with the aid of the worlds
waste and decayed matter in connection with
her solar rays.
To repay Nature her legal dues, we are
1orced to enter her vast mill, join and share
with the creatures who have died and die
Inc DOdy d1ssolves and mingles with the
gasscs and atoms Of deeaYed animation and
FegetatlOn, and changes into new forms of
natural and beneficial beauty recombines
into It's natural and original matter from
whence 1T evolved, and becomes again used
up Dy her energy and dissipation for the
benefit OF new life to inhabit her vast estate
eternally changing and transfiguring from
one thing to another, decaying and reproduc-
ing.
Dissolution, combination and transfigura
uon, is the art of Nature Forced to die we
conslgn our friend to Mother Earth and
energetic Nature, who well cares for her
property, and lets nothing go to waste The
dead are useless to the living, but useful
material to Nature Forever identicallv and
individually disappearing, merged into the in
mite ocean OF imperishable matter leaving
behind 1ndellble, aching pain and distress to
parents and friends we patiently endure and
submit TO the irrevocable laws of Nature No
more sensation, no more reason and no more
conscience, hence no soul for hereafter-a
mere faIntIng, perishable memory, and van
lshlng shadow of an image we leave behind
to those who mI1Ef