Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-09-17
IN MEMORIAM.

OOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOl
On Sunday morning, September II,
1904, at O'Clock, James Burbage, one
of the old pioneers of Iowa, quietly |
breathed his last at his home in |
Agency. He had been in failing health |
for some time, and the last seven |
weeks of his life were weeks of great
suffering. At the last he was not con-
scious of pain, the end being very
quiet and peaceful. There were pres
emit at his bedside when he passed
away Mr.. and Mrs Edwin Betterton
and Joseph Burbage, of Eldon; Mr.. and
Mrs. Milton Fisher of Brookville; Mrs.
Thos. Sampson of South Ottumwa;
and Mrs. Levi Moody, Jr., of Columbia,
Mo.
Mr.. Burbage was born at Melton
Mowbray, Leicestershire, England,
September 18, 1916, and was 81 years,
II months and % days old at the time
of his death Only one more week OF
life and he would have completed 80
years. His early years were spent at
Melton Mowbray and also at Thorpe
Arnold. He was married on Easter
Sunday, March 81, 1S41, to Elizabeth
Partridge, who was his faithful COM
panion for SO years, death claiming
her on March 26, 1894. The first years
of their married life were spent in Nor
gan county, ILL.,, then in the spring be-
fore the Mexican war they moved TO
Iowa, settling near the county line,
and having land in both Jefferson ana
Wapello counties. They moved from
Illinois to Iowa in the days when traV-
cling was more serious business than
it is now. All of their worldly pos
sessions were packed into one covered
wagon whcih was drawn by yoke OF
oxen. The writer of this sketch mas
heard them tell many, many times OF
i the hardships of those early days.
They crossed the Mississippi river on
a ferryboat and the yoke of oxen trav-
eled rather slowly by land Three
daughters were born to them. me
youngest of them was only three weeks
old when the parents moved from H.
I linois to Iowa, and the mother, in order
to keep a fly-leaf table which had
cost much effort to obtain, from being
. sold, walked up all of the hills and
J carried the baby SO that the load might
travel easier. They lived in a log
) cabin until they were able to build a
house and then, the greater part OF the
material for the house had to be haul
ed in wagons from Bonaparte, FIT. Mad
ison and Keolluk.
Their children grew to womanhood
and Mary, the Oldest one, became the
wife of Edwin Betterton. She was
her fathers pride, and his love for
her caused strong friendship to exist
in later years between him and this
son-in-aw. Mary died in 1851 and left
loneliness in the life of her father
which was never fully overcome. Sarah
the second daughter, was mar
3 ried to Milton Fisher and after a few
t short months of happiness died in
! 1866. Elizabeth, the youngest daugh,
ter, died at II years of age in 1868. In
1868 Mr.. and Mrs. Burbage sold their
$ farm and removed to Agency. After
several years of loneliness, they SEM
+ in 1876 to England for a little orphan
= girl who was the daughter of a half
! sister to Mrs Burbage. This girl lived
with them until her marriage in 1894
$ after the death of Mrs. Burbage She
, tried very hard to win their love as
, daughter, and to great extent fill
ed a daughters place in their house
!, In seven months after the death OF his
a wife Mr. Burbage was married to Mrs
a Matte Dawson of Agency, on October
: IN. 1894, and on October 4, 1899, she
= also died. For some time afterwards
! his first wifes sister kept house fol
= him, then, in November, 1902, Mr.. anc
!. Mrs. Edwin Betterton, of Eldon, came
- to live with him at his request, ant
. have cared for him ever since. They
: have been helped to great extern
:. :. of late by Joe Burbage, nephew OF thu
deceased, who deserves a great dea
. of credit for his excellent nursing ant
care of his uncle.
s During his illness Mr.. Burbage wa
: a patient sufferer, but very uneasy ant
. restless. His mind wandered back t.
y the scenes of his early life and HI
3 often quoted two lines of an old-fash
:, toned hymn Jesus, thy blood an
II righteousness, my beauty and M
glorious dress.
At times his suffering was so grea
that he would exclaim, 81 wish
n could die and be free from misery!
y Mr.. Burbage has no very near rels
H. tives living. A nephew, Joe Burbage
IT of Eldon, is perhaps the nearest one
s., although there are two neices in Ems
is land who are his brother Edward
10 daughters.
Funeral services were held at hi
is home in Agency on Tuesday, Septen
lg Der 10. Rev. Cannon had charge
~ these services and was assisted by Rev
]. B. Hill and Rev. D. M. Lower. Tn
n body was inferred in the old lowavlll
p cemetery by the side of the bride
at his youth and his children. Thus tn
d. family of James Burbage is once nor
ut united and their resting place is on
and the same. Contributed.
b. -----
I'd Mother-Yes, one package make
Id two quarts of baby medicine. See {
tie rections. There is nothing just as goo