The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1907-04-18
JamesL. Nelson.

Inc following obituary OF James l..
Nelson, is taken from the Oskaloosa
Herald. The deceased was we'll known
to many of our citizens, being brother
of the late Mrs. Elizabeth McCutchan
Evans, and had visited here on num-
erOuS occasions.
James l.. Nelson was born Feb. 13,
1S4S, in Madison county. Indiana. Came
with the family to Wayne county, Iowa,
in 1854. He was the youngest son of
family of ten children, five boys and five
girls. All were trained to a hustling
farm life and all lived to make homes OF
their own. Mr.. Nelson came to Oska-
loosa in 1883 and has since been a resi-
dent of this city. On Jan. q, 1866. he
was married to Harriet Agnes Clark,
native of Ohio. She was woman of sin
cere beautiful spiritual life. An invalid
for more than half of the forty years of
their married life. These were years Of
deepening anxiety and solicitude for Mr..
Nelson, which doubtless helped to i'm
pair his strong constitution and shorten
his years. Until death relieved her
suffering, he cheerfully made it the one
Gpject Of his life to contribute in every
possible way to her comfort. Since 1898
Mr.. Nelson has devoted his time eXclu-
sively to fire insurance business, repre-
senting the American Fire Insurance
Company Of Newark, N. j. the British
American Assurance Company of Tor
onto, Canada, the Hawkeye, the Capital,
and the State Insurance Company of
Des Moines. He delighted to meet
people in their homes, enjoy n social
hour and talk insurance to them. Every
new client became q personal friend
ever afterwards. He had large ac-
quaintance and built up a good business,
largely in the country. We become at
tached to the work that costs us effort.
During the last months Of his illness he
expressed wish that his agency might
be kept intact at least for a time. M.
Hedge, his lifelong friend, has become
his successor to his business. On Sept.
~, 1906, Mr.. Nelson was united in mar
riage to Mrs. Ellen G. Fothergill, whom
he had known in social and business
way for number of years. Their mar
ried life was unfortunately of short
duration, but very happy one.
During the last four months of his fatal
illness he received every attention that
love and affection could invent for his
| comfort. Two physicians pronounced
his case hopeless. A third saw some
hope and succeeded in prolonging his
| life for number Of weeks. He began
to rally and felt that the crisis was pass
ed and he was on the road back to health.
On the evening of March -, 1907, the
messenger came. He had retired as
usual and was resting quietly when
suddenly his soverourdened heart ceased
to beat and his spirit passed to the
spirit world. No time for message.
He needed none, for his preparation had
all been made. 1t was great shock to
his devoted wife who is left on the
shores of time. From early life Mr..
Nelson had been member of the
Baptist church, from which he was
buried on March IA, Rev. F. NJ. Whit
comb, the pastor, preaching the funeral,
being assisted in the services by Rev.
A. NJ. Duboc, a former pastor, and Rev.
]. w. Somerville, of the M. e. Church.
The floral offering were most beautiful
and profuse. The Modern Woodmen, of
which order Mr.. Nelson was member,
had charge of the services at the grave.
His brother Frank L., of Leon, Iowa, was
present at the funeral, also his young
est daughter, Mrs. Este Briggs, of Des
Moines. The other two daughters by
the first marriage, Mrs. Onie Williams,
of Pasadena, California, and Mrs. Matte
Wisdom, of Escondido, California, were
unable to be present.