Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1916-02-24
Obituary.

Thomas James, son of William
Whitehead, was born in Burford, On
tario, November u, 1887. His grand
father, Rev. Thomas Whitehead, was
among the very early Methodist
preachers of the United States, and by
the conference was sent to Nova
Scotia, where he united with the
Wesleyan Methodists. At sixteen
years of age the subject of this sketch
entered the railroad service, and in
1863 was sent to Chicago, later on to
Oden, and still later to Centralia. In
1879 he came to st. Louis, where his
children were principally reared.
In 1864, he married Miss Elmira En-
lily Skinner, who preceded her hus-
band to the ''better country" by
seventeen years. The union proved a
happy one, and to them three children
were born, to wit: Rev. Harry White
head, at one time pastor of Fort Hill
church, but now business manager of
the Christian Advocate at Birming-
ham, Ala; Anna L., wife of DR.. G. W.
Farrar of lronton, and Mrs. Jessie A
Calki1s of California. Besides these
ten grandchildren, two sisters, one
brother and friends innumerable sur
vive him.
After the translation of his noble wife,
brother Whitehead made his home with
son Harry, and worked with him in
the office of the Alabama Advocate
until he lastfNovember came to spend
the winter with his daughter, Mrs.
DR.. Farrar.
In his boyhood our brother felt his
call to the ministry and was making
preparations to enter college and pre-.
pare himself for his calling; but fin
ancial reverses coming unexpectedly
to his father at this time, he threw
himself under the falling fortune and
saved it. The effect of this was to turn
his mind away from his call to preach,
a fact of which he sometimes spoke
with regret, regarding it as a great
mistake of his life. AS a matter OF
course, he lost his religious ferver, and
permitted his membership to lapse.
However, after his marriage, he re-
turned to his first love, and later or
he and his wife united with the Epis-
copal Church.
Brother Whitehead was q man of
strong intellect, a constant reader of
books covering a wide range of sub
jects, and was therefore possessed of
a great store of information. 1t was
not until late years that he read just
for recreation. He travelled extern
sively, was a good observer, had the
rare qualities of collecting and collat-
ing kindred subjects, and therefore
he became a sort of reference book
easily consulted by the multitudes less
fortunate than he in making such ac-
QUESTIONS. He was a natural leader,
yet withal a very modest man, es-
pecially in the bestowment of his
charities which we're not withheld.
He was a member of the X. p, an
Odd Fellow, and rose to the capstone
of Free Masonry, being not only a
Knight Templar, but a deputy Crane
Lecturer for the Sir Knights.
His going away was just rs he de-
sired it should be. Some time before
he came to I~ronton, he had suffered 8
light stroke of paralysis, which wa
gradually progressive. When the fin.
al summons came, it was in the form
of another stroke, at ten O'Clock p. M
the 16th'inst,, and at twelve, the sum
mons was answered. His last hours
we're unusually bright and CHEEKY. He
found the way home without any suf.
fering. NELSON b. HENRY.