The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1916-08-03


The death of Mr.. W., E. Cannon
broke a remarkable family record.
married for more than 67 years, and
daughters and one son, all living. 1t
w. Il. Cannon.
William Eaton Cannon was born
near Knoxville, Tennessee, April 90,
1927, and died at his home in Leon,
Iowa, July 26, 1916, at the age of SO
years, 2 months and 81 days His
parents moved from Tennessee to
Putnam county, Indiana, when he
was one year old. Here he grew to
manhood, obtaining what education
the country schools offered in the
settlement of a new country. On
April 26, 1S49, he was united in mar
riage to Caroline Jenkins. Their five
daughters and one son are all living,
sand with their mother, his beloved
wife and lifelong companion, were
all at his bedside when he passed
away. The children are Mrs. 0. E.
Bassett of Farnhamville, Iowa, Mrs.
Ellen E. Long, Mrs. w. A. Although
and Mrs. j. l.. Mitchell and Mr.. Roy
H. Cannon of Leon, Iowa, and Mrs.
H. E. DAVIDSON of Chicago, ILL., Be-
sides his wife and children he leaves
eleven grandchildren, and ten great
grandchildren. With his wife he
moved from Indiana to Iowa in the
fall of 1850 and spent the winter in
Monroe county, and the following
spring moved to Decatur county, and
settled on the farm four miles south
east of Leon where they lived until
the summer of 1909, when they NOV
ed to Leon where they have lived
since that time.
They celebrated their golden we'd
ding anniversary April 26, 1899, and
on April 26, 1916, they celebrated
their sixty-seventh anniversary at
the home of Mrs. w. A. Allbaugh.
But few people, comparatively pass
SO many happy years of married life
together. His aim in life was to
make comfortable and happy home
for his family and give them the
best advantages within his power.
HIS home was always hospitable
one, and in an earlier day when the
country was new, many traveller, or
people driving stock to market found
accommodations and entertainment
in his home, never turning any one
away were it possible to accommodate
them.
He was ever ready in time of need
or misfortune and the poor were
never turned away unaided. He was
always ready to do his part in advance
ing the best interests of the commun-
ity in which he lived. He was close
student of political economy and al
ways worked to help secure laws that
appealed to him to be for the best in
terest of the common people. lie
was bitterly opposed to corporations,
trusts and class legislation, which ia
yored the rich and oppressed the
poor. AS long as he was abe to
read and converse he was as much
interested in the current events, the
legislation and government OF our
country, as he was in his more active
years, reading his newspapers with a
second eyesight seldom using glass
es.
In belief he was Free-Thinker,
never having been connected With
any church. He did right for the
sake of right. This motto could we'll
be applied to his life-"The world is
my country, to do good my religion.
He was an exemplary husband and
father and taught his children by pre-
cept and example.
He had been reader of the lead
ing Free-Thought papers, first the
Boston Investigator, later the Truth
Seeker, for sixty years or more and
was a great admirer of Paine's and
IngersolIs writings.
Sometime before his death and be-
fore sickness came on he made the
following selection as expressing his
views of life and death to be read
over his remains when he was ready
to be laid to rest:
We this day consign to the earth !,
the body of our departed friend. For
him lifes fitful dream is over with its
tolls and sufferings and disappoint-
ments. He derived his being from
the bountiful mother of all; he re-
turns to her capacious bosom, to
again mingle with the elements. He
basked in life's sunshine for his allot-
ted time, and has passed into the
shadow of death, where sorrow and
pain are unknown. Nobly he perform
ed life's duties on the stage OF earth;
the impenetrable curtain OF futurlty
has fallen, and we see him no more.
But he leaves to his sorrowing friends
and relatives legacy in the remem-
brance of his virtues, his services, his
honor and truth. He fought the good
fight of free inquiry, and triumphed
over prejudice and the results OF
misdirected education. His voyage
through life was not always on tran
quil seas, but his strong Judgment
steered him clear of the rocks and
auicksands of ignorance, and for
years he rested placidly in the haven
Of self-knowledge. He had long been
free from the fears and misgivings OF