The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1918-01-10
DEATH OF PIONEER
PASSING or WILLIAM n. BROWN
AT HOME IN ROSE HILL

The death of William II. Brown at
his Rose Hill home last Sunday adds
another departure of one Of Mahaska's
pioneer representative citizens. He
was more than pioneer in that so
far as his life was projected over into
these later stirring times, and all
along that life he was a moving figure
in the constructive progress of his
community. His father, William
Brown, a Virginian, was living in
Morrow county, Ohio when the son
was born April 6, 1910. Twelve years
later the parents with seven children
came to Mahaska county and entered
the farm in Monroe township from the
government, and it has never left the
family being today owned and occupi-
ed by w. o. Brown, youngest son OF
the subject of this sketch. For fifty
lseven years William ii. Brown resided
On the same homestead until he moved
to Rose Hill in 1909. There his wife
whom he married as Margaret c.
Ayers, native of Ohio in 1863 was
his cherished companion until her
death seven years ago. Mr.. Brown
was a civil war soldier, enlisting at
Oskaloosa at the age of twenty-one in
Company c, 18th Iowa Infantry, par,
lticipating under Grant at Pittsburg
Landing, at Cornith and at Shiloh,
where he was disabled by shot thru
the hand. He was honorably discharg-
ed in November 1862. la was joyous
experience in his long life to go, in
burg Semi-C entmary in 1918. While on
the trip he visited Washington. Phil.
adelphia and New York. Most un-
expectedly to him he found himself
one day moving on Riverside Drive,
New York, and was piloted to the
great mausoleum overlooking the Hud
son river where Grant, his war chief
lay buried. He was all but overcome
in the presence of the ashes of the
great conqueror whose catafalque lay
enshrined under shimmers of purple
lights before him all but buried with
wreaths placed there by kings and
common men.
A family of eight children was shell
tered in the Brown home, three OF
whom with the mother preceded him
to world beyond, Winifred, with a
legal career in bright prospect died
after a lingering illness of several
years in 1899, Anna died a student at
Oskaloosa college in 1889, and Ester
NJ. Garrett missionary to China pass
ed away after a years illness in Oct
ober 1913 Two sons Will and Writ,
own farms near to and at the ola
homestead; Cora is Mrs Dr. E. NJ
Haggard, of Indianapolis, Ind, Lena
is Mrs. Charles A. Kent Of Chicago;
Justin a missionary at Luchesfre,
China.
Mr.. Brown was early and always a
man of action, and his good judgment
was constantly sought by his commun-
ity. Since the organization of the
Prairie Farmers Mutual Insurance Co.,
in 1890 he has been its secretary. In
1900 he with others organized the
Rose Hill Savings Bank and he was
president of its board of directors at
the time of his death. He has filed
linnumerable township and school Off
ces among his neighbors. Such act
Iivities came natural for his as he was
always found on the side of good
government and the betterment of the
public schools. He was a member
of the Christian church and that body
had frequent occasion to call on him
for help and counsel. Two children
chose the foreign missionary field in
far away China. He lived to see
every child married and each set up
in a home. 1t was said of Williams
college in Massachusetts, that no
Freshman class was at all certain of
| its opening membership until Moses
Hllock's school at Plainfield was heard
from, since his boys" formed a vast
part of the membership. For ten years
and more the same could have been
said of Oskaloosa college and the
family of William H. Brown, for all
eight of the children passed through
the institution with records that not
without honor. His political affilia-
| lions for most of his life were with
the republican party, although he was
loyal supporter of Weedrow Wilson.
1t was one of the greatest privileges
of Mr.. Brown to hear the President
on the Fourth of July, 1913, on Gettys-
burg battlefield. OF late years as
younger children and grandchildren
came to attend Penn college he sub
scribed generously to it's rebuilding,
and thus has always showed an abid-
ing interest in the church at large and
his faith in higher education that
knew no narrow limits 1t is such
lives that move on after death in years
of increasing influence and power,
carrying with them fine spirit OF
sacrifice, of service and of duty to the
future "The Master of the House is
gone"-but the nalo of his memory
yet lives and bears us hopefully on.
The funeral was held Wednesday,
January End with short service at
the home in Rose Hill and an impress
sive funeral in the Indianapolis Christ
Ton church by Rev. B. w. Pettitt. a
fo,.,,oar no ctor pf tho family assisted