The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1899-01-20

Died.
At his home in Melrose township, Grant Count
| ). D., on January 49, 1899, of lagrippe and bro
| chial troubles, Col. Abel b. Smedley, in I'll
| '9th year of his age.
| The subject Of the above announcement was on
OF the early settlers in Grant county, who ha
always taken an active and interested part in it
affairs, and also in those of the state, and in hi
social life was generally and widely esteemed q
neighbor and friend, of generous impulses an,
kindly good fellowship. For the past few year
his health had been failing noticably, and he ha,
perform his usual duties until about week be-
fore his death, which occurred at II o'clock OF
the morning of the 18th inst He leaves widow
and two sons, Clinton j and Agustus b., and two
adopted daughters, Laura and Anna, to mourn
their loss. Mrs. Smedley herself is prostrated
having been seriously i'll before the death of hel
husband. The funeral service took place at the
home in M"lrose township last Sunday afternoon
Rev, .. Williams officiating, and was largely at
tended by old neighbors and friends. The body
was clothed for burial in the full uniform of a
hentenaht-c colonel, the uniform having been that
worn by the deceased in his military life and care
fnily preserved for that purpose The pall-bear
ers consisted Of four Of the G. A. r. comrades
OF the deceased and two of his old neighbors, the
remains being laid to rest in the Milbank GENE
terry.
Inc following biographical sketch is taken
from the Compendium of Biography: Col. A. B
smedley was born in Jefferson county, N. y
September 2l, 1925. His father, Joseph Smedley
was Methodist minister, and his mother bore
the maiden name of Miss Mary Jones' The for
mer was Of English decent and his ancestors
" re among the early settlers of New England
and from there many of them moved to New
York, and later drifted to the western states
Colonel smedley. the subject of our sketch
spent his boyhood in the state Of his nativity
and was educated at Williamstown, Mass. He
was later educated az master machinist at Fulton
n. \. In lS4O he moved from New York state tc
wisconsin, and was engaged in the iron foundr,
business at Oshkosh until the breaking out of the
Civil war. In 1853 he entered the military service
IN the capacity OF major of the Thirty-second
Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. and in June Of
the following year he was promoted to the
office OF lieutenant-colonel. In 1884 he wae
obliged to return to his home on account Of sick
ness, but in the course of three months he re-
sNAhou W VIC ScTNICc OI Tie government IN Jle
capacity of lieutenant-colonel OF the Forty sixth
Wisconsin, and was mustered out in October
1856.
In 1868 Colonel Smedley located in the
then new town Of Cresco, la, and purchased q
large tract of land in the vicinity of the town and
conducted farm on strictly scientific principles
He was considered one of the most thorough and
practical farmers in the state Of Iowa. He al
ways had large herd of cattle on the place, and
was one of the first to adopt the new and modern
methods OF dairy practice. He also engaged ex-
tensiyely in the raising Of fruit of all kinds
and his home WAS one of the most beautiful and
and attractive In Iowa. On New Years night
1878, this home was destroyed by fire, and with
1t the Colone!s large and valuable library and
many fine paintings in oil, around which cluster
edmany fond memories of friendship and love.
The Colonel was one OF the prime movers in
the organization of the Grange in the state OF
Iowa. and soon became one Of the foremost
members, not only Of Iowa, but Of the National
lodge. He organized the local lodge at Cresco
and was its master in 1872, and at the same time
acting IS overseer of the state grange from 1873
1876. For two years thereafter he was the lectur-
er of the National Grange, travelling and work
ing in all the states in the Union except the Pa.
ciac slope, and was probably the best informed
man In the Grange in the United States He ID
the author of several works, among them the
Patron Monitor and . .'Msnual of Jurispru-
dence and Cooperation 7 He also wrote one
hundred pages of the "Foot Prints OF Time," and
has probably written more Grange books than
any other man. He has written q great deal on
agriculture and horticulture for various papers
periodicals., ETC., and is authority on fruit-grow
ing, butter making, stock raising and all kindred
branches Of rural industry.
On the 10th day of September, 1867, Mr.. Smed
ley was joined in wedlock to Mrs. Jennie Sher
man, an artist of Milwaukee, Wis, and theil
home has been blessed by the advent OF one
child, Augustus, who is still living with his
parents. Mrs. Smedley was born May TO- 1926, in
Oneida county, New York, daughter Of Nathan
lei Tompkins, who moved to Milwaukee. Wis,
In lS49, and located on farm in that vicinity
where he made his home until his death, which
occurred In 1868. He was quite prominent man
in the business Affairs of the city of Milwaukee
Mrs. Smedley bore the maiden name Of Miss
Sarah ]. Tompkins, and was educated ct De
Lancy Institute near Clinton, N. Y. She wae
first married to Henry Sherman, OF Bridgeport
Conn, in 1858, and lived with him three years
To this union was born one child, Berthe, who
was educated in the Iowa Agricultural college
and the senior class eff the Milwaukee college,
graduating from the latter June q, 1876. She ID
now married to james G. Drake, aud is living q
Tacoma, Wash.
Since moving to Grant county, in the fall OF
1885, our subject has taken an active part in the
upbuiluing and development Of the interests OF
his adopted county in every respect. He filed q
soldiers claim to the southwest quarter of section
thirty four, Melrose township, where he still re
sides, and has . pleasant and well-improved
farm. Politically he Is Republican and was
chairman Of the township board for ten years.
From 1885 until 1887 he was member OF the
territorial council, and, in that capacity, served
- chairman Of the committee on railroads and
drafted and introduced the FIRST law in the terri.
tory that pertains to railways, which 10 yet upon
the statute books. He has always been enthusi.
astic In educational matters and waa member Of
the state board Of regents for ten years and up 70
March, 1897, and has taken an active part in the
drafting and introducing Of bills in behalf Of the
educational institutions Of the state. He
was one Of the instigators and moving spirite
In the establishment of the Agricultural school