The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1903-02-05
Former Well Known Resident OF Ke-
nosha City and County Died at
Omaha Monday Morning.
CLOSE OF AN EvENTFUL CAREER.
Deceased had Gained Fame as q Traveller
and as Writer.-Had Long Been'Con-
nected With Affairs In KenOsha.

2, and whose burial took place in this
city Tuesday last, was born March S,
1920, in Southington, Conn. He was
thus almost SO years of age at the time
of his death. He was the son of Mr..
Orren Lee, the third of six children,
only one of whom, Younger sister,
Mrs. Cornelia Butts, of Man1ius, N. Y,
survives him. He was of the seventh
generation from John Lee, who, as a
young man, emigrated from Essex
county, England, in 1884, settling
finally, in 1641, in Pennington, few
miles from Hartford, Conn. While
yet lad of six years Leonard's par
ents moved from Southington to Man
illus, (near Syracuse) N. Y. Here he
grew to manhood, receiving a liberal
education.
| He was married April II, 1914, to
Miss Sophia A. Cook, native of Man
Illus, and who was 1ineal descendant of
| William Westwood, the guardian of
John Lee, the young emigrant of 1884.
| On her fathers side she was descended
from Huguenot stock. Having decided
to make their home in the West, the
newly married couple at once moved to
Kenosha-then Southport-Wis., and
ablished themselves on the open
prairie, in fine location, some three
Or four miles west of the town, in
Somers township. Here Mr.. Lee i'm
proved an extensive farm, than which
none in the vicinity was better kept.
Here also five children were born, four
of whom are still living. Hattie, the
only daughter, died in 1879.
Mr.. Lees interest in education and
his desire to give his children a good
start, led to persistent and successful
efforts on his part toward bringing up
the district school Of the neighborhood
to high standard of efficiency. This
standard was maintained for num-
Der of years. Probably no similar
better equipment in library and ap-
paratus, or had better teachers than
District No. Q, Somers. Among the
teachers for a single year was Mr..
Robert Graham, who was afterwards
connected with the Normal school at
Oshkosh, and later was elected Super
intendent of Public instruction of the
State. Owing largely TO the impetus
they here received, not few pupils of
| this school were afterward led to pur-
sue advanced courses of study else
where.
During the civil war Mr.. Lee en-
listed ia company from Kenosha-
Co. c, 39th Regiment--in which he
was Sergeant. The company was
commanded by Captain Robert Ora
ham and Lieut.. J. V. Quar1es, now
| United States Senator. For sew
eral years past he has been mem
Der of the Fred S. Lowell Post. G. A. r.
at Kenosha.
In 1867, having disposed of his farm,
Mr.. Lee moved to Kenosha and en-.
gagged in manufacturing pursuits
| first as proprietor of the Kenosha Flax
! Mills, which burned in 1872, and sub
sequently as Vice President and Man
ager of the Philips Furniture Manu-.
featuring Co. He built him home on
Prairie avenue, which he sold later to
Captain Charles Palmatier. In
1871 he made an extended tour OF
Europe, Egypt and Palestine. such
tours being much less common then
than now. His weekly letters to the
Kenosha Telegraph, recording his i'm.
pressions and describing, in fresh and
racy style, things seen and incidents
of travel, were widely read and awak
ened no little interest. After the
death of his wife in 1890 and the con
sequent breaking up of the home, he
devoted much time TO travel, mostly ir
this country. His winters were spen
mainly at the South, either in Florida
or California. He visited both Cuba
and Mexico, and from time to time
contributed Interesting letters to his
home paper. His summers have beer
spent either with friends at the East
or at Kenosha, or with his sons.
Genealogical Researches
and Authorship
Mr.. Lee early became interested il
the subject of the genealogy of the LIE,
family, and for many years made it !;
special study. Whenever opportunity
presented, he made investigations, az
ia this way a large amount of va1ua bl,
data was at length accumulated Con
: siderable progress had already beer
made by others at the East who wer,
interested in the subject, and small
volume, compiled by Miss Sarah M
Lee, of Norwich, Conn, embodyins
the results of Investigations up to tina
time. was published in 1873. But TIL
need of larger and more complet
work was felt in growing degree b,
many Of the Lee kindred. and Mr.. LIE
his fitness for the difficult task bein.
recognized-was solicited to under
: take it. To these solicitations h
finally yielded. The new work was t
be based upon the one which ha
already been issued, and was to en-
body the latest fruits of his own an
others researches, particularly those Q
the Hon. VIM. Wallace Lee, of Merider
: Conn.,, who had written an account q