Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1921-09-14
OBITUARY

Thomas ]. Decker was born at Sun
beam, Mercer county, Illinois, March
IA, 1887. He was but a child when
his parents moved to Viroqua, Wiscon-
sin, where he grew to manhood. When
the Civil War began he volunteered
for service, enlisting in Co. c., 18th
Reg, Wis. Vol. Inf, on November 25,
1861, and serving until the close of
the war.
He was promoted to First Lieuten-
ant which rank he held until he was
mustered out of service at Milwaukee,
on August 4th, 1865. During his long
service he took part in nineteen bat
ties, among them Shiloh, Vicksburg,
and Atlanta, but was never wounded
or captured by the enemy. On Febru-
airy A, 1862, he was married at Viro-
qua, to Helen Longmire, who for more
than ffty-nine years has Travelled
life's. journey with him. Three chill
dren' were born to them, Harry E.,
who died few years ago; Edna NJ,
and Mrs. Bess E. Potter, both of Tu-
ron.
The family came to Reno county,
to what is now the city of Hutchin-
son, in May, 1871, and homesteaded
the farm that is now known as the
Perry Rowland place. Later they
moved to Hutchinson which was their
home for twenty-eight years. For
four years they lived near Langdon
and in 1902 they came to Turon, which
has since been their home and where
| he died at the advanced age of eighty
four years, one month and twelve days,
after an illness of nearly year, dur
ling the last weeks of which he was
very feeble and helpless.-Turon
Weekly Press.
While going through some old pa
pers at his home, Al Stout, chief OF
the fire department, run across clip
ping containing an account of the mar
riage of Mr.. and Mrs. Thos. j. Decker
| fifty-nine years ago at Viroqua, Wis.
The clipping was from the Viroqua
Register of Feb. %, 1862, which said
| Married. at the North Star Hotel,
Wednesday evening, Feb. 10, 1862, by
the Hon. j. E. Newell, Mr.. Thos. Deck
er and Miss Helen Longmire, all OF
| Viroqua. We acknowledge the receipt
of bountiful supply of wedding cake.
Our best wishes will follow the happy
couple through the voyage of life.
Mr.. and Mrs. Decker came to Reno
county, Kansas, nine years later, In
1871, fifty years ago next month. and
Mr.. Decker filed on homestead claim
on section 8, just northwest of Hutch
inson, up Cow Greek about where the
| Ploughe place is now.
Yesterday afternoon, almost sixty
years after the wedding above men,
toned, the remains of Mr.. Decker We're
brought to Hutchinson from Turon
where he died at a ripe old age. his
wife, the bride of So years ago, sur
wives him. The Decker family came
to Hutchinson overland from Wiscon-
sin, together with the Burrelis, Stouts
Meads and Newt Myers families, five
| families in all, making a caravan OF
nine teams of covered wagons. They
all came from the same town, Viroqua
Wisconsin. They started on May IL
1871, half century ago next month
drove overland direct to Hutchinson
stopping a day or two at Sedgwick
| All took claims around the townsite OF
Hutchinson fifty years ago this sum-
mer.-Hutchinson News.
Louise Henderson, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs.Bert Henderson, passed away
at the home of her grandmother, Mrs
III. Henderson, at Monument Rock
| Sunday night, September 4, 1921, al
/ the age of three years. Little Louise
was a sweet and loving child, loved
and petted by all who knew her. She
was sick only a week. All was done