The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1909-04-23
PASSING OF A PIONEER

city, Monday evening. April l3th,
after an illness lasting since the mid
die of February. Altho his weak
ensd condition was quite generally
known, yet his death came as a
shock to the people to whom he had
been a familiar figure 50 long.
Funeral services were held at the
home Tuesday afternoon conducted
by Rev. Rowan and the further
ceremonies were in the charge
of the Knights of Pythias. Inter
mcnt was in the kennewick ceme-
terry.
Dewitt Owen was born in Massa-
chusettes, September II, 1881. His
father being a genuine New Eng
lander, while his mother was of
French decent. His father was the
proprietor of woolen mill. At the
age of l6, d. w. left home to learn
a trade and became a metal polish
or and worked at that trade for a
number of years in Philadelphia,
New York and in Connecticut cit
les. He came west in tn, fifties
and went into Kansas as a member
of the second party of free state
democrats to enter the territory
He remained in the state during
those stormy times for year and a
half and then returned to New
YORK. He came west again and
lived in Michigan near Chicago,
and for a short time in the city.
Moving westward to Iowa, he
was engaged in business in Cresco
for short time. He came to Gold
endale, Washington. in 1877 and
lived there and at The Dalles until
1881, when he filed on homestead
near Ainsworth. He was active in
the business and development which
went On in Pasco and AinsWorth in
those early days. He came to Ken
newick in 1894, when the old ditch
company was active and bought the
ranch just cast of town which has
been his own and developed the Or
chard and fine trees found there.
He has been successful in a fnan-
cial way and leaves an estate esti-
mated at ten to twelve Thousand
dollars. During all his life he has
been an enthusiastic curio collector
and some sof his finds have been
eagerly sought by the big museums.
and the Smithsohion Institute has
some of them on display in Wash
ington. Much Of it was disposed in
the last few years. but the remain
der of his valuable collection will GO
to his nephew at Usage, Iowa.
OF his fathers family of seven
children, only brother at Yonkers
N. Y. survives him. Other relat-
ives are, a niece at San Antonio,
Texas and niece and nephew at
Usage, Iowa the latter of which re-
Gently visited him.
He made an extended trip thru
the east a year or so ago and it was
an event in his life. He not only
visited his old friends and relatives
but visited the museums in New
York, Philadelphia and Washing
ton and was shown every courtesy
by the men in charge, some OF
whom he was personally acquainted
with and all of whom knew of him
through their agents.
On account of his long experience
as a fruit grower and his familiarity
with the conditions here he was
very often consulted by the intend.
ing settler and he was always will
ing t. give good conservative ad
vice. On this account there were
hosts who were his confidential
friends who will long remember hin
for his kindly interest in their pro.
gress in the country. In his death
the community loses an honest
public spirited citizen who dealt
justly with all and whose wide
knowledge of the leading industry
and its conditions made him valu
able member of the community.
| must engage my berry picker,