River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1918-05-23
DEATH OF FRANK
D. ENSIGN

known lIOLu TIC S1CdICA OAHhO"A'
For two years ne had maintained an
unequal battle with perhaps the
greatest scourge of modern man,
the cancer. At times he and his
friends thought the fee was van
ouished, but it only appeared again
and resumed the attack in another
form. He made brave fight and
was hopeful and cheerful to the
end. His death came unexpectedly
at last. During his illness of over
two years he never suffered much
pain and this has been of great
comfort to his family and friends.
During the greater part of this time
he was able to go about his bus1-
ness and said that were it not tor
the decision of the medical men he
would not know that anything was
the matter with him. 1t was only
few months ago that, weakened by
the effects of repeated operations
and the incursion of the dread dis
ease, he was confined to the house
and it was only during the last two
or three months that he was unable
to see his friends. But his last
DAYS were greatly cheered by the
constant attendance of his Oldest
son, Raymond, and by the first re-
union of his family in ten years.
His daughter, Mildred, now a Red
Cross nurse in the United States
army hospital, and his other son,
Wilbur, now in the marines, were
able to come home for a few days.
When he was informed by the
specialists at Rochester, Minnesota,
that he was afflicted with a cancer,
he knew at once that his hope of
overcoming the disease was only
the slightest and he said to Mrs.
Ensign, 1--WE have had So years of
happiness together and if die, |
can feel that we have had our fill of
happiness" Soon after this she
found the following lines that have
been a source of cheer to them
both:
There is no more Lucilian feast
than this
At which l daily sit;
Laughter and sunshine, love, and
tender kiss,
These are the sweets of it.
If, by some chance, black storm
clouds lowly bend
My unresisting head,
It is no symbol that my JOY shall
end,
For still my feast is spread.
A day will come with laughter just
as sweet
The sun will fill the air,
Love still be young, but other lips
will meet;
l shall have had my share"
Mr.. Ensign was born sixty years
ago last Christmas at Warsaw,
New York. His parents moved to
Hudson, Wisconsin, when he was
four months old. When he was ten
years old, his family moved to Riv-
er Falls. When the Normal school
was opened here in 1875, he joined
the school and was graduated from
it in the first class in the advanced
course, in 1879. In this class was
also Miss Hattie Powell who be-
came Mr.. Ensign's wife in July,
1880. Thus they have had nearly
thirty-eight years of welded life to-
gether. Mr.. Ensign's career as a
teacher was not an extended one.
He was principal of the Rice Lake,
Wis, schools for one year and then
served as principal of the schools at
River Falls for short time. Mr..
Ensign was never drawn to the
teachers profession. He disliked
the publicity and public criticism
to which the teacher is subjected
and desired to be in the thick OF
business. So leaving the educa-
tional career, he engaged in bust
ness for three years in Minnesota
and then moved to Dakota to en-
gage in farming. After ten years
of pioneer life in Dakota he return.
ed TO River Falls to engage in the
lumber business with his father in
1898. He maintained the lumber
yard in River Falls until about four
months before his death. Mr.. En-
sign made good in whatever he at
tempted. He was a successful