The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1915-10-28
DEATH OF THOMAS ALTON

Thomas Alton died at his home at
GIT VIM. st. in Brookings last Friday
noon following a long illness. He had
been in failing health for six months
but not until recently was it discover
ed that his case was hopeless. Mr..
Alton was one of the successful bust
ness men of Brookings and had lived
in this county over thirty years.
The deceased was born at Benton,
Lafayette county, Wisconsin, on June
%, 1849, and was s~iXty-six years, three
months and twenty-four days Of age at
the time of death. He spent most of
his boyhood on the farm of his father
in Iowa county, Wisconsin, attending
ter. At the age of nine years he be-
gan to assist his father in a meat
market, and in 1876 purchased a gen.
eral store at Mifflin and operated 1t
for six years. Previously he had oper-
ated a meat market at Mifflin for
about five years. In 1884 he sold his
general store and came to Brookings
county, South Dakota, and purchased
three hundred twenty acres Of land in
Trenton township, near Aurora. This
he cultivated for a few years and in
1886 moved to Brookings and engaged
in the meat market business. He was
actively in charge of the business until
1902 when he retired.
Mr.. Alton was married on December
26, 1871, to Miss Elizabeth Arthur of
Linden, Wisconsin, who died on Febru-
airy 20, 1891. On February %, 1893, he
was united in marriage to Miss Ma
tilda Korte Of Plymouth, Wisconsin,
who survives him. There are also
seven children surviving their father:
George w. of Pipestone, Mimi; Ar
thur of B~rookings; Frank of Augusta,
Mont; Beulah Of Bookings and Ben
jamin II. of Boston, and Geo. and
Harry who are still at home. The de-
ceased also leaves four brothers and
three sisters. The brothers are John
Of Brookings, James of Livingston,
Wis; George of Mineral Point, Wis,
and William of River Falls, Wis. The
sisters are Mrs. Mary Nicholson Of
Yale, S. d.; Mrs. James Miller of
Mifflin, Wis, and Mrs. Phil Baxter of
Cobb, Wis.
For a number Of years Mr.. Alton was
a member of the city council Of Brook
ings and was always interested in the
welfare of the city and worked toward
the betterment Of the community. He
was a man who went quietly about his
business, holding his opinions without
any display and doing his work with
marked fidelity. Those who have
done business with him and those who
have known him intimately in life re-
call many evidences of his integrity.
During a conversation a few days be-
fore his death he said, 81 have always
tried to do right" This sentence sun
med up the expression of his life.
Whatever mistakes he may have made
were made in the sincere conviction
that he was doing the right thing. Be-
sides his immediate family he leaves
a large circle of friends and acquaint-
ances who deeply sympathize with the
widow and children in this hour of
their great sorrow.
The funeral services were held
Sunday afternoon from the home, con-
Quoted by Rev. VIM. A. Mast of the
First Presbyterian church. Interment
was made in the Greenwood cemetery.
Those from a distance who attended
the services were: Mr.. and Mrs. G..
w. Alton and two sons, Edward and
Howard, of Pipestone, Mimi; William
Alton of River Falls, Wis; James AL
ton and Mrs. VIM. Alton of Livingston,
Wis; William Baton of Hudson,
Wis; Frank Alton Of Augusta, Mont;
Mrs. Mary Nicholsos and Mrs. Guy Abb
bott of Yale, S. D.; Mr.. and Mrs. G.. A.
Korte, Mr.. and Mrs. Ed. Korte, Mr..
and Mrs. E. G. Southland Of Aurora, S.
D., and Mrs. Albert Vergote of Mar