The Redwood gazette., 1911-01-17
Thomas f. Marsh.

this city, in the early hours of last
Wednesday morning, brought with
it sense of real loss to many old
friends as well as to the stricken
family. Death came suddenly, acute
congestion of the lungs beingTas-
cribed as the cause. Mr.. Marsh
went to bed seemingly as we'll as u.s.
ual, was noticed to be laboring in
his breathing and somewhat dis
tressed by his son in the night, and
was induced to come down stairs
from his bedroom and lie on a couch
and not obtaining any apparent re-
lief, Mrs. Marsh asked her son to
get doctor. The son returned only
to find that his father was no more,
death coming a few minutes before
the arrival of the doctor.
Mr.. Marsh was native of Massa-
chusetts, but spent most of his life
time in the west, he having been one
of the great company of young men
who went to California in the early
years of the gold mining excitement.
He was married in 1862 to Miss
Irene Swift, daughter of the..pioneer
Methodist minister who early set
tied in Renville county and estab-
lished the first congregation of that
denomination in this city-Rev. N.
Swift. Mr.. and Mrs. Marsh estab-
lished pleasant home in their home
stead on the river road across the
Minnesota, and both were active and
faithful in their devotion to the as
sociated orders Of Odd Fellows and
Rebekahs. Mr.. Marsh's lodge
brothers are recalling the fact that
there were few lodge nights too
cold or inclement to deter Mr..
Marsh. in the days Of his vigor,
from attending to his Odd Fellows
duties in the lodge in this city. His
death following those of Brothers
JIM. Dunnington and Esquire Chap
man, is fresh reminder of the un-
certainty Of mortality. Members of
the Odd Fellows lodge attended the
funeral at the M. E. church last
Friday in body, as did the Rebekah
members, Mrs. Marsh being one of
the pillars of that organization for
many years in succession. Rev.
Shuman preached the sermon to an
attentive congregation.
Mr.. Marsh was in his 8Oth year,
and besides the widow, a grown son
Walter and daughter Mrs. Everett
Cliff survive his leave-taking.
The Hastings Gazette of last Sat-
urday contained death notices of
the aged father of Mrs. ]. L.
Thompson Of this city and also of
Mrs. Thompson's brother law,
John F. Knowles, who located a
homestead in this county in 1872 and
afterwards exchanged the same for
farm in Hampton, Dakota county
His death occurred Dec. 18th, at the
home of his only daughter at St.
Paul. Mrs. Thompson went to
Hastings the day following her faith
er's death, accompanied by her son
Fred. and wife of Watertown, her
niece Mrs. Theo. Lewis of St. Paul
also attending the funeral, accompa-
MED by her husband. We copy from
the Hastings Gazette:
"Mr. Hart G.. Shepardson died at
his home on Fourteenth Street last
Saturday, after a protracted illness.
He was born in Guilford, VT, May
14th, 1925, and married to Miss Sar-
ah S. Franklin at Halifax, VT, Mar
18th. I849. On May 1st, 1857. they
came to Minnesota, pre-empting a
claim in Hampton, where he engaged
in farming until Mar 1st, 1884, when
they moved into town. He leaves a
wife and two daughters, Mrs. Char.
lotte A. Knowles of Hastings and
Mrs. j. L. Thompson of Redwood
Falls, with three grandchildren and
five great grandchildren. Mrs.
Rexaville Stone, of Brookline, Mass.
is sister. The funeral was held
from the house on Monday, at two
p. M, with interment at Lakeside. .