WILEY, James Franklin

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Death of James F. Wiley.

James Franklin Wiley was born in Lewis County, Ky., January 25, 1823. Died in east Greenwood, Ind. June 9, 1899; age 76 years, 4 months and 14 days.

He was married to Miss Drusilla Myers, February 24, 1842, in Rush County, Ind., and in 1856 they moved to Johnson County, residing near Salem school house, east of Greenwood, until some eight years ago, when they left their elegant farm home for a home in town where they could spend their days without much labor and enjoy their church—the Christian—and rest they had so well earned in together.

At the age of about 16 years, near Flat Rock, Ind., the boy, Frank, made the good confession and from youth to good old age he was a Christian not simply in name but in words and deeds. Uncle Frank, as he was familiarly called, leaves a wife and five children: three sons—Mark, Will and Friend—and two daughters—Mrs. Wm. A. Peggs and Mrs. Sarah J. Blake. Two children years ago passed into glory. Two brothers survive him out of a family of 12 children, all of whom obtained to woman and manhood before a death occurred. There are twelve grand­children living.

The writer has known Uncle Frank for over 40 years and no part of this country ever had a better neighbor, friend and citizen. Always kind, cheer­ful, generous to a fault; a man of convictions yet tolerant; high regard for the opinions and lives of all. He clung to his church and profession but with a high sense of the rights of others in the same field. He was a well posted man on current events, a good reasoner and his life was not based on what others thought and spoke but upon what James F. Wiley was.

He was a true democrat. Away back in ’62 he was elected by his party and friends as one of the commissioners of our County, and was one of the early promoters of good gravel roads and bridges. For twelve years he was a consistent, conservative public servant as commissioner—the only man that ever served so long consecutively or otherwise.

Such a man as Uncle Frank Wiley cannot be fully measured in words. Frequent association, daily observation, his words of kindness, deeds of mercy and unceasing adherence to uprightness got for him what Bro. Conner in the funeral discourse called a good name. Old Salem is better by far today by having so much of Uncle Frank’s life spent therein.

Last Sabbath afternoon his remains were laid in the grave in our beautiful city of the dead to await the resurrec­tion morn. Peace to his ashes.

Link to James F. Wiley’s grave

Submitted by Mark McCrady and Cathea Curry