Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1915-02-23
bUEL FENTON IS
CALLED BY DEATH
Passes Away at the Home of His
Daughter, Mrs. H. B. Mckee, on
Boone Street-In Eighty
Seventh Year.
PARALYSIS CAUSE OF DEATH
Came to Webster City in 1883-An
Upright Citizen and Man Of
High Qualities.
PARALYSIS CAUSE OF DEATH

Buel Fenton, father of Mrs. H. B
Mckee, passed away Sunday af
ternoon at the Mckee home on Boon,
street at five o'clock, after a ter
days illness resulting from severa
strokes of paralysis. He was eighty
six years of age and had made his
home with his daughter and family
since the death of his wife little
over q year ago.
Mr.. Fenton was born in Herkimel
county, N. Y, in 1928, and was mar.
ried to Miss Mary Ann Crossley
June Z, 1855, at Three Mile Bay
Jefferson county, N. Y. The cere-
mony was performed in a double
wedding which united Mr.. Fenton' :
sister and the man of her choice
This couple accompanied Mr.. and
Mrs. Fenton on their wedding trip
to their new home in Shellsburg,
Wis, coming as far west as Niagara
Falls and then returning to New
York.
Previous to his marriage, Mr.. Fen
ton went to California shortly after
the discovery of gold there in 1S49,
and had experiences exciting enough
to fill volume. He made the voyage
by water from New York to San
Francisco with the exception of cross
ing the isthmus Of Panama. His COM
panion, young man friend who
made. the trip Witf-shi1s, took the
fever shortly after their arrival in
California, as also did Mr.. Fenton,
but the companion died, leaving his
friend entirely alone in a strange
land three thousand miles from
home. Upon the return voyage, the
vessel was shipwrecked near an
island in the Pacific and Mr.. Fen
ton and one other man reached land
by means of a cabin door wrenched
from it's fastenings. Most Of the
thirteen hundred souls on board
lost the gold and valuables they had
accumulated while in the gold re-
gion, but Mr.. Fenton retained in a
belt around his body, the gold he
had made such sacrifices to obtain.
After days on this island, in which
the rations finally were doled out
with great exactness, having run
low, the refugees were sighted and
taken on board by passing ship
and safely reached their homes in
the east.
In 1888, Mr.. Fenton and his fam
lily OF a wife and four children came
from Shellsburg to Webster City, re-
siding in the house on Second street
which had been their home until
the death of Mrs. Fenton. He en-
gagged in the stock buying business
in this city, being actively interest
ed until about eight years ago.
The four children which are left
to mourn the death of their father
ale Byron, of Seattle, WASH; Will
liam c., of Bellingham, WASH; Mrs.
Chas. e. Tabott, OF Southerlin, Ore
gon, and Mrs. H. B. Mckee of this
city.
Mr.. Fenton was for fifty years or
over a member Of the Masonic Or
der, also a member of the Eastern
Star, and was a lifelong attendant
of the Congregational church, al
though never member Of any
church. He died as he had lived, at
peace with mankind, and those who
were associated with him testify to
his fine manly qualities, his high
sense of honor, and his gentleness
which never failed, even in his last
illness.
The funeral will be held at the
Mckee home on Boone street this
afternoon at 2:30 o'clock and
will be conducted under the auspices
of the Masons. Rev. Arthur Metcalf
will be the officiating clergyman.