Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-06-03
Nebraska
MICKEY DEAD
Former Nebraska Executive Passes
Away at His 0sceola Home.
HARDENING OF ARTERIES FATAL
Is Surrounded by All OF the
Members of the Family when
the Final Summons
Comes.

OSCEOLA, Neb. Neb., June 2.-(Spec!al
Tclegram.) -EX- Governor J H. Mickey died
here this morning at llO o'clock following
a long battle with disease that had af-
flicted him at Intervals for five years The
governors entire family was at the bed
side, his daughter. Mrs. Bertha Smith of
Denver. arriving yesterday
When he took the office OF governor five
years ago Governor Mickey was warned
by his family physician that he was
physically unable to bear the strain Of the
task. He suffered at intervals from
hardening OF the arteries and In the last
year had several severe attacks, the last
one enduring ten days. one son, James.
graduated at the Osceola High school this
year and the other. Benjamin. at the Ne
braska Wesleyan university. lie had been
unconscious since Sunday.
The funeral services will be held Sunday
afternoon at o'clock at the Osceola Meth
odist Episcopal church. Rev. A. a. Randell
will officiate.
sketch of HE Life.
John Hopwood Mickey, twice governor Of
Nebraska, was born In 1886 near Burlington
la. His father was a farmer and he was
reared on the farm He was educated in
the public schools Of the town and finished
after he had returned from the war by
attending Wesleyan college at Mount
Pleasant for two years. Although not OF
age he enlisted In August, 1858, in Company
b. Eighth Iowa cavalry, in which he
served until mustered out under a general
order or August, 1865.
His career in the army was fairly active
His first assignment as scout was In Cen
trail Tennessee. In the spring of 1864 no
NIT ~
| Chattanooga to Atlanta, laying the founda-
ton for SnermAn's famous march to the
sea In the fall OF that year he was
prominent in opposing Hoods expedition
to Nashville. engaging the enemy at
trankville and Nashville.
After the war he returned to Iowa, re-
naming until 1868 when he came to Ne
braska, settling on the homestead In Polk
county. Before leaving Iowa in Septem-
ber 1867, ne was married to Miss Miranda
McCray OF Des Moines county.
| The children of this union are o. E.
Mickey, cashier State bank Of Osceols:
L. S. Mickey, bank examiner and executive
clerk to his father while governor; Mrs.
Bertha Smith of Denver. IL. A. Mickey,
! farmer, on the old homestead at Osceola;
Marie Main Mickey of Lincoln. Mrs. Mickey
died in 1886 and about twenty years ago in
! heya rama county, where the governor
had large ranch interests, he married Miss
Flora Campbell. who with these children,
survive him: Benjamin Mickey, student at
! Wesleyan university; James, Elizabeth and
Flora, students in the Osceola High school
OF the latter union two children, John and
Warren, are dead. r,sr ..-.. g
Mr.. Mickey lived on his Polk county
homestead until 1872, when he moved tc
Osceola, having been. elected county treas
uIer, which office he'held tenfyears.
In Nebraska Legislature.
He served in the Nebraska legislature OF
1881, but never held any other public posi-.
tion except that of governor of the state
He was president of the Osceola bank
He farmed a tract OF 240 acres engaged
in stock raising, making a speciality OF
Thoroughbred Shorthorns. Governor Micke,
was born and reared Methodist and wa
always identified with that church, actiy,
more especially in promoting its educa
tional work. He was president of the boarC
of trustees of the Wesleyan university
: University Place. He believed in broaC
and liberal education for all the peopl
and would have. no secretarlanism in an,
public institution, although he believed
there was work for the secretarian colleg
l outside Of and in addition to that of tn
state university.
: In politics he was always a republican
and in his speech before the convention
that nominated him for governor he re
called voting for Abraham Lincoln whel