The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1901-01-03
Death of Gen. II. b. Shepherd

town died at his home, Tuesday Jan. /,
at O'Clock p. NJ, after an illness of
nearly eleven weeks. He was taken,
Thursday, October 18th, quite sud
denly early in the day, while attend
ing to some out door business, with
what appeared to be acute indiges-
ton attended with quite serious dis
turbance of the action of the heart
and affecting respiration. Later
diabetes developed, complicated with
Bright's disease. From the first the
case assumed serious conditions,
battling the skill of attending physi-
clans and the specialists consulted at
various stages in the progress of the
disease, and he sank gradually until
the end came.
General Shepherd had a large place
in the affections of our people and in
the material and public interests of
our town, manifest on all sides by the
frequent and tender inquiries in re-
gard to his condition during his dis
tressing illness, and the fervent ex-
preston of hopes for his recovery.
Nor was this solicitude confined to
our town or county or the State, even.
Russell Benjamin Shepherd was
born in Fairfield, Me-, September IA,
1929. He was educated in the public
schools of that town, Bloomfield
Academy and Colby College. He
taught in Bloomfield Academy and
the Girls high school in Bangor, was
admitted to the bar in Penobscot
county, served three years in the war
of 1875, and was engaged several
years in cotton planting in Georgia
Returning to Skowhegan he establish
ed his home here and entered active
ly into business, including farming,
building and operating wooden mills,
purchasing and improving water
powers, and engaging in various en-
terprises in the direction of general
the town. The last enterprise i'll this
line was the construction of the
electric railway from this town to
Madison Centre and Madison, of
which he was the principal owner,
president and manager. AT the time
of his death Gen. Shepherd was presi
dent of the Second National Bank,
the Skowhegan Pulp Company, the
Milburn Company, the Skowhegan
Water Company, and was largely in
terested in Coburn Hall association
beside having quite large ownership
in water power and real estate in the
town. He held the position of presi
dent of the Second National Bank for
nearly 20 years.
Gen. Shepherd has served his town
on the school board at various times
and was member of the board at his
death. He served mis- town III the
House of Representatives, the county
in the Senate and on the Governors
council. He was for many years a
trustee of Colby College and of Maine
Insane Hospital. These positions
came to him without solicitation on
his part and his death makes vacan-
cies therein regretted exceedingly by
the managers of these institutions.
He was also for some years a valued
trustee of the State University at
Orono. He was a member of Somer-
set Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons,
Somerset Chapter, Royal Arch
Masons, Mount Moriah Council, and
De Molay Commandery, Knights
Templar. He was also a member of
the Milburn Club and of Abraham
Lincoln Command L. V. U.
Always a large owner of taxable
property in town he was invariably in
favor of liberal appropriations for
public objects that commended them
selves to his judgment and his in
fluence in municipal affairs was ex-
ceptionally great. His public spirit
was of the kind that benefited the
town and its business. He will be
greatly missed and is sincerely
mourned.
In early life and until within a few
years, Gen. Shepherd possessed robust
health, but of late disease had made
inroads upon his system. He relaxed
little, however, in his labors and ex-
ercised his usual pains taking care in
looking after his many business in
terests and public duties, not realiz-
ing, apparently, that he could not
with impunity endure the exacting
labors to which he was accustomed in
early manhood. He was solicitous
for and careful of others, but did not
give his own health the attention it
deserved.
General Shepherd was twice mar
ried; January 23d, 1865 to Miss Helen
M. Rowell, who died in January, 1891;
and January II, 1892, to Mrs. Edith
Louisa Goodwin, who survives him,
and, with her daughter, Mrs. F. w.
Briggs of Pittsfield, ministered to his
comfort in his protracted and dis
tressing sickness.
Funeral services will be held to-
morrow, Friday, at II O'Clock a. m, at
the family home on Water Street,
i. -