Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-02-02
SAMUEL MAH0N
CALLED BY DEATH
Prominent Citizen Answers
Summons After a Short
Serious Illness
FIGURE
IN COMMERCIAL LIFE
Active in Business as Well
as Being a Veteran !
of Civil War !
(From Saturdays Daily.)


/ been active in his work about the city
| this fall and early winter and his death
comes as distinct shock to the major.
tty of his friends He was busy in
many lines Of work, being president OF
the J. H. Merrill wholesale grocery
| house, head of the Morey Clay Pro-
ducts Co., and vice president of the
Phoenix Trust Co., Iowa National bank
and Iowa Savings bank. He has al
ways been prominent in Cloutman Post
affairs and active in all branches OF
work among the old soldiers Major
Mahon was largely instrumental in
bringing the reunion Of the Hornets
Nest brigade, a veterans organiza.
ton, to Ottumwa last fall and was
head of the brigade at the time Of
his death as we'll as serving his TWEEN.
tteth consecutive term as president of
the Iowa-Nebraska Wholesale Grocers
association.
I, Funeral viii Be Monday. .-.
The funeral services will be held
Monday afternoon at 2:30 in Trinity
Episcopal church On account of the
illness of the rector, Rev. w. c. Hen
gen, the Right Rev. Theodore N. Nor.
rison of Davenport, bishop Of Iowa. will
he In charge. He will be assisted by
Rev. John G. Sage of Keokuk. The
burial will be made In Ottumwa ceme'
terry. Friends may view the remains at
the Mahon home, 140 East Court, on
Sunday afternoon after 2:S0 aud dur.
ing Monday morning.
Born in ireland.
Samuel Mahon was born at Tyrells
Pass, in County Westmeath, Ireland,
August 81, 1910, his ancestry being
traced back to Daniel Mahon, who was
born in 1870. The line Is traced down
through Edward Mahon, born in 1865.
to John Mahon, who was born in 1893
and welded to Sarah Ann Keith in
1922. In 1849 he sailed from his ma
tive land for the new world, becoming
a resident of Xenia, Ohio.
In the public schools Samuel Mahon
who was a lad of about nine years
when he came to America, pursued his
education. He remained on the homo
farm from 1S49 until 1855 at which
time he was placed in store, thus EN-.
.ployed until 1861, except for an inter.
wal of four months devoted to teaching
lin the country schools. Following the
outbreak Of the civil war. however, he
regarded his duty to his country as
paramount and responded to the call
for troops. He enlisted in July, 1851.
as first lieutenant OF the Seventh Iowa
Infantry, where he served for four
years and one month, or until after the
close of the war. His fidelity to duty
was acknowledged by promotion to the
of his company in June,
1862, and 1864 he became major on
the reorganization of the Seventh Iowa
Veteran Volunteer Infantry. He
served in all the campaigns under
Grant and Sherman in the west, par
ticipating in the battles Of Fort |
Donelson, Fort Henry, Shiloh, Corinth,
[uka, Chattanooga and Atlanta. He
was also with Sherman on his march |
to the sea, participating In the cap /
ture Of Savannah and in the campaign |
through the Carolinas. He was in
the battles of Bentonville, Goldsboro,
Raleigh and Durham Station and was
present at the surrender Of Johnson
He then proceeded to Washington
with his regiment by way Of Rich
nond, participated in the grand re- |
view Of Sherman's army and in due
lime was mustered out. He had all
he experiences which fall to the lot
If the soldier and returned home with
most creditable military record, hav-
ng done his full duty to the union.
Embarks in Business.
Following the close Of the war, Mr..
Mahon embarked in business, becom-
ng a partner in the firm of ]. II. Mer-
ill & Co. From the beginning the en-
.erprtse prospered and year after
year was successfully conducted. IN
300 the business was Incorporated
md has since been continued as the
!. H. Merrill Co., incorporated. Their
patronage has grown yearly and Is to-
law one Of the most important COM
nercial establishments of the state.
Mr.. Mahon was connected continu-
,usly with business since 1865, and
vas president of the j. Fl. Merrill Co.
md of the Mercy Clay Products Co.
extending his efforts In other fields, A.,
"a became a leading financial figure
n Iowa, being vice president OF the
owa National bank president OF the
Agency Savings bank, and OF the Chill .
'cofhe Savings bank. He brought to
lis official duties in connection with
,ank management, the same sound
Judgment and spirit of enterprise
which always characterized his COM
nercial connections.
In Ottumwa, on July 9, 1872, he was
married to Miss Helen Theresa Lang,
laughter of Prof. and Mrs. B. l.. Lang, .
If Gambler. Ohio, and she, with four |