The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-06-05
SAMUEL WAKEFIELD
ANSWERS LAST CALL
Old keokuk Resident Passed Away at
st. Jcseph's Hospital
on Sunday
Morning.
AILING SEVERAL YEARS
Came to keokuk in the Year Eighteen
Fifty-seven-Was Many Years
in the Employ Of the
Railroads.

1t has been with sincere regret that
the many Keokuk friends Of Samuel
w. Wakefield have heard of his
DEATH which occurred at st. Joseph's
hospital at 500 o'clock on Sunday
morning. Mr. Wakefield was past
eighty-four years of age and death
was the result of general breaking
down of health, incident to his ad-
vanced age.
He had only been at the hospital
for the past ten days, but his health
had been failing for the past three
years. In Mr.. Wakefield. Keokuk has
lost one of her most highly esteemed
citizens. A resident of this city for
nearly sixty years. he won host
Of warm friends and the death
of this old railroad man has called
forth many expressions of sympathy.
The decedent first. came to keokuk
in 1857 and worked as an engineer on
the old Keokuk, Fort Des Moines and
Minnesota railroad. Later he was
promoted to the position of master
mechanic, and when the road became
the Rock Island he continued in its
employ until some fifteen years ago
when he retired.
Born In New Hampshire.
Mr.. Wakefield was born on April
30 1892 in Sullivan county, New
Hampshire, near Newport. After be-
ing employed as an engineer on east
ern railroads, he came to Keokuk May
81, 1857 and had resided here since
that time. He was the son of Mr.. and
Mrs Clark Wakefield, early settlers
in Sullivan county. He was married
to Miss Carrie Odds, shortly before
coming to Keokuk. Mrs. Wakefield
passed away about twenty years ago.
The only survivor is a daughter
Miss Nell Wakefield of Chicago. She
will arrive here tomorrow to arrange
for the funeral services. Distant
relatives still reside in the east.
According to Mr.. wakefelds last
instructions, the body was taken to
Davenport yesterday for crema ton.
The ashes will probably arrive here
tonight. There will be no funeral
services other than those to be con-
Quoted by the Masonic lodge, Of
which decedent was an old member.
The ashes will be laid to rest in the
family lot in Oakland cemetery. The
details OF the burial have not been ar
ranged as yet.
Before he passed away, Mr.. Wake
field arranged all the details for his
cremation and burial.
Was Prominent Mason.
Mr.. Wakefield was active in the
Masonic fraternity. He was made
Mason in the year 1858 in the old
building at Seventh and Main streets.
and has affiliated with that fraternity
all the succeeding years of his life.
The splendid principles of the order
had always been upperrlost in his
social and business associations. On
his birthday anniversary two years
ago the members of the Masonic fra
ternity presented Mr.. Wakefield with
a handsome ebony cane as an appre-
citation Of his many years OF service
in the order.
Among the many incidents con-
nected with his life in Keokuk is the
fact that he was at the throttle of the
engine which pulled the first train
of cars out Of Keokuk to Bentons-
port, on the old Keokuk, Fort Des
Monies and Minnesota railroad. Three
years later he took a train through
on the same road to Mount Zion,
few miles belond Bentonsport, 70
which point the building of the road
had been completed. This was on
August 1, 1860.
When he first came here he worked
as an engineer under Morris Sellers.
then master mechanic. Later ne was
promoted to this position himself and
served in that capacity until he re-
tired from railroad life. In early
days he met and associated with
many of the pioneer railroad men Of
Iowa, some of whom we're later called
back east to prominent positions.