Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-08-22

RESIDENTS DEAD
Anson VI. Hubbard, 81 Years Old, Pass
es During Night at His Home
On Seventh Avenue.
DEATH is FASTENED BY HEAT
Patriarch Had Hoped to Round Out
Century of Life-Many Years
Active in Church Work.

Rock Island county's Oldest citizen,
Arson NJ Hubbard, died in his home,
1920 Seventh avenue. at 1890 last
night. Had he lived until Oct. 10 he
would have been 9S years old. Death
was due to infirmities of age. but was
FASTENED by the terrific heat Of the last
few months.
Mr. Hubbard had often declared he
expected to live to be 100 years of
age. Had this summer been normal
one he might well have seen the CEN
fury mark roll around.
While bent and slender, Deacon
Hubbard was until a few weeks ago
far more rugged than many men OF
fewer years. II was but a short time
ago that he walked from his home on
Seventh avenue to Help chapel, now
known as the Gordon Memorial
church, and back again to his home.
The heat was extreme and soon after
the aged pioneer became i'll. He never
recovered.
Deacon Hubbard was a patriot He
saw the United States struggle for
ward from smallness to greatness. AS
a boy he saw the great west opened to
the white man, developed and made
mighty part of a mighty nation. He did
his part in this development
He shared the vicissitudes of the
early settlers of the Mississippi val
lev. watched the nation struggle up
ward, felt fears for its safety when at
times during the early days the ship
of state appeared to falter But always
he believed in its ultimate greatness.
He was past 40 when the country
was rent asunder by the struggle be
tween north and south. His work here
in Moline during the hard days of the
war is still remembered by the mem
bers of the G. A r.. OF which he was
practically an honorary member H
lived 10 see the nation again united,
saw it steadily grow in greatness un.
til it attained the place where il
stands today.
And because he saw all this, felt al!
this, he was real American. with the
true American ideals of the early pion.
eer.
He retained those ideals to the end
unaffected by the subtle changes which
patriots are now saying have beer
wrought in our national life by the
great influx Of emigrants and by other
causes The new Americanism
which is now being preached from one
end Of the country TO the other, was
nothing new to Deacon Hubbard. He
had always known it. 1t was as old
of him.
And he never failed to pay tribute
TO the men who had builded on Amer
icanism, had perpetuated it and en-
shrined it in the pages of history. No
national holiday found the Hubbard
home without the stars and stripes in
evidence
On Memorial day Deacon Hubbard
was ever TO be seen in the parade,
Il; g -
the G.. A. r. And for days before Mem
orial day his neighbors knew of what
the aged patriot was thinking, for
through the neighborhood would stea;
the clear, true notes of his fife. Then
they knew Memorial day was near. The
deacon was practicing for the great
occasion-for the hour when he could
again pay tribute TO the men who had
made the America Of today possible.
Arson NJ Hubbard was born in Ber-
gen, Genesee county, \. Y, Oct. 10,
1918. The boy lived on his fathers
place till IS years Of age. In the year
1885, when Arson was still youth,
the family came west, settling In
Adams county, III. From that time
until his death. period of so years,
Arson NJ. Hubbard was a resident Of
this portion of Illinois.
Arriving in Adams county, the FAM
fly settled with a colony from its old
home on the spot where Geneseo is
now located This was before that
portion of Adams county became a
portion of Henry county. Mr.. Hub
bard made his home in Geneseo until
1874, when he came to Moline. He
spent 10 years in this city, then re-
turning to Geneseo and taking up
farming. Once more, in 1852, Mr.
Hubbard came to Moline. this time TO
remain.
Leader I'm Music
The early education OF Mr.. Hubbard
was obtained in the common schools
OF his native town but later he at
tended an academic school who~e he
took a special course in surveying and
civil engineering. Although Mr.. Tub
bard's education was along the line OF
surveying. he never devoted any time
10 this profession, as the people OF his
locality desired instruction IN music
and he was induced TO take up that
employment, which proved to be
life work in which he succeeded
so well. Even while engaged in other
lines Of endeavor he continued TO fol-
low this work. It was Deacon Hub
bard who organized the first brass
band IN Moline. which played in public
for the first time in Rock Island, and
for the last time at the banquet in
celebration of arrival OF the first pas
senger train on the banks OF the Mis-
sissippi river.
Before coming west, Deacon Hub
bard turned his attention 10 music and
was at one time a pupil of Lowell
Mason. He afterward taught vocal
classes IN the counties of Rock Is
land. Henry and Whiteside for a num-
Der OF years.
Saakfpu v,rbffc ~ l,,+ he
ing content with the even tenor OF
home life, Deacon Hubbard several
times found Offices thrust upon him.
At various times he was justice of the
peace and police magistrate.
Active I'm Church Work.
Almost from the time OF organiza-
ton of First Conversational church