The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1920-06-18
Death of Stephen Haight.

Mr. Stephen Haight of the town of
Christiana, Dane county, passed away
Friday, June IL, 1920, while undergo
ing an operation at the st. Augustine
hospital in Chicago. Mr.. Haight was
one of the few remaining pioneers of
Dane county, man widely known and
held in the highest esteem by all.
Stephen Haight was born of Wiscon-
sin pioneer parents at Koshkonong,
Wis. June %, 1843. His father, JON
athan Haight, and his mother, Eliza
beth Holmes Haight, came from Yer
mont, their native state, in an early
day. They first settled at Honey Greek,
Wis, where South Milwaukee now is.
Here two daughters, Mary and Julia,
were born. Then they removed to
Koshkonong, where they wrought out
the farm upon which the subject of
this sketch was born. In these early
days the Indians had not entirely re-
moved from this section of the coun-
try. They still visited Koshkonong at
times to gather wild rice in the fall
and to drink the healing waters of the
sulphur spring which still flows upon
this farm. It's supposed curative quail
tiles and the wild rice crop still brought
small bands to Mud Lake, as Koshko-
nong was first called.
Two more children were born at the
Haight place at electromagnetic wife
of George H. Founder Of Fort Atkin-
son, Wis, and John Thomas. Two of
the five offspring of this pioneer couple
survive - Mary and Thomas. Mrs.
Founder died about year ago; Julia,
several years ago; and Stephen on June
II, 1920. Jonathan, the father, died at
the early age of forty, when Stephen
was nine years old. In his youth, as
the eldest boy, he had charge of the
Koshkonong farm, and also of the
farms near the village of Clinton, as
Rockdale was then called. During
his early manhood, in addition to his
efforts in connection with the farms,
he was engaged in the making of brick
at Clinton. In October; 1874, he mar
ried. Elite Ives, the daughter of Gideon
Ives of Oakland, Wis. They took up
their residence on the Rockdale farm,
where each lived the remainder of the
allotted span. Mrs. Stephen Haight
died in 1907. The farm upon which
they passed their lives still bears many
evidences of their unremitting toll. The
orchard, part of which still stands, was
planted by them early in their married
life. The same is true of the older
trees about the farmhouse. Stephen
Haight was, at the time of his death,
the oldest in membership of the Bill
ings Lodge A. F. A. M. of Fort Atkin-
son, Wis, having been member for
over fifty-five years. He also belonged
to the Fort Atkinson Chapter.
The funeral services were held at the
Rockdale farm at 200 p. m. June IA,
1920. Rev. Hood of the Presbyterian
church of Cambridge officiated at these
ceremonies. The pallbearers were all
old friends and neighbors and members
of the Cambridge Masonic lodge. In
terment was made in Lake View ceme-
terry near Fort Atkinson, the services
at the grave being conducted by his
own Masonic lodge of Fort Atkinson.
The lot in which he is buried bears
tombstones whose inscriptions tell
something of the story of his people.
Here is his parental grandmother, who
came into the western wilderness from
Vermont searching for the body of her
son, William Harrison Haight, a broth
er of John Haight, who was killed dur
ing the Indian wars. She was taken
ill, her only medical attention being the
crude aid that the family itself was
able to give. She died and is there
buried. Also, in this lot are the re-
mains of his father, his mother, his
wife and his sisters, Anne and Julia.
Stephen Haight is survived by his
sister Mary, his brother John Thomas
and four sons, John, George, Harrison
and Bert.