The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-07-01
STRICKEN WITH HEART DISEASE
Was One of the Earlier Residents of the
Town of Somers and Took Great In
terest in the Development of Keno
sha City and County.

Peter Shearer, aged seventy-fve
father of Alderman Conrad Shearer
and one of the best known of the older
residents of Kenosha county, died at
the home of his son on Sheridan road
at five O'Clock Monday afternoon.
Death, which was due to heart disease,
came very suddenly and the announce
ment of it was a great shock to his
many friends. Mr.. Shearer for the
past two weeks had suffered from at
tacks of heart disease but these had
not been such as to cause grave alarm
among the members of his family On
Monday morning he had walked down
town as had been his custom for years
and he had chatted pleasantly with his
friends as he returned home. Just be-
fore noon he went to the city fountain
at BAN Park to get a bottle of water
and while he was returning he was
stricken with the attack which brought
his death He had sat down on a porch
step near his home to rest when he
was found by his son Conrad who took
him tenderly to the family home and
DIR. Windesheim was called to attend
him. An hour before his death he
appreciated that the end was near and
he called the members of his family
to his bedside and babe them farewell.
A few minutes later he dropped into
dreamless sleep that knows no awaking.
Mr.. Shearer was Scotch, man of
wonderful strength of character,
kindly man who took an interest in
everything that had tendency to bet
ter his neighbors and the world at
large. His cheerful disposition won
for him friends in all walks Of life and
the people who knew him as a friend
and father will have in his death an
intense personal sorrow.
Mr.. Shearer was born on March 4,
1910, at Holm, Orkney Islands, north
of Scotland. At the age Of nineteen
he went to sea and for fourteen years
followed this seafaring life. Was cap
tain Of different boats, on several vow
ages which took him to ports in all |
parts of the world In May 1871, he |
was married to Miss Margaret Brot-
chic at Thurso, Scotland, and in 1873 |
they decided to come to America. |
Mr.. and Mrs. Shearer landed in New |
York on July 4th, 1873, and came di- |
rectly to Kenosha. That summer they |
spent in the township of Salem, but
when winter came they moved to Ra-
cine where Mr.. Shearer secured en-
ploy with Thomas Driver & Sons
Sash, Doors and Blinds Co. The fol |
lowing spring they returned to Keno |
sha and purchased the farm in Som
ers now known as the Shearer home |
stead. The land was unimproved and I
Mr.. Shearer planted trees and erected |
buildings, all with his own hand. Here
he and his wife toiled for years
against many adverse circumstances /
while raising their family. Their
chief aim was to give the children a
thorough education, and this was ac-
complished when each member was
graduated from the high school.
Mr.. Shearer, while in no sense a
politician, seldom missed attending the
town meeting, and served one term as
treasurer of Somers township. He al
ways took a deep interest in school
affairs and was for over thirty years
district school treasurer. In December
1901, Mrs. Shearer was called from life
and the eldest daughter, Amy, gave up
the school she was teaching and came
home to keep house for her father. /
This continued until the autumn of i
1911 when the farm was rented and L
Mr.. Shearer came to Kenosha to make 4
his home with his son, Conrad. He \
had been familiar figure on the
streets since coming to the city. Every
morning regularly it had been his Gus
tom to come up town for the morning
paper and he always had good word
for friends he CHANGED to meet His H
health had been remarkably good up II
to about two weeks ago when he be
gun to complain of pain over the re-
gion of the heart.
He is survived by three sons,< and
two daughters. Elga NJ, member of
the faculty of the State Normal at
Superior, Wis, Herbert L., with the
Winchester Repeating Arms Co., and
DR.. Norman, Amy and Conrad of this
city.
The funeral will be held from the
residence on Sheridan Road at two p
m. Thursday and interment will be at
lakewood cemetery in Somers.