A GOOD MAN RESTS

SOLDIER, PHYSICIAN AND CHRISTIAN CITIZEN

For more than thirty years Dr. Curtis William Otwell has been a well-known resident of our city, but for the past few years has lived a rather retired life on account of the affliction of dropsy. He had kept up and around until recently and less than a week prior to death it was necessary to have watches. He was not apparently worse than usual Thursday but at about 3:05 o’clock he turned to his side in the bed and went to sleep.

He was born March 4, 1837, and at 15 entered Wesleyan University and spent four years there in completing his course.

For a few years he returned to the home of his father Dr. Curtis Otwell in Darke county, Ohio, where he studied medicine and then went to Ann Arbor, Mich., where he took a course in the Medical department. But, when President Lincoln made his first call for 75,000 three-months men to go to the front in 1861, the young Mr. Otwell went to the front, as a private in the Eleventh Ohio. On the expiration of that service he enlisted in the Fortieth Ohio volunteers, and on account of what he knew of medicine was detailed as assistant surgeon of is regiment where he remained at the front until mustered out.

July 14, 1867 he was married to Miss Sarah A. Hecker and located the following year at New Madison, Ohio, where he practiced medicine until 1881 when he removed to this city which has since been the family home. He continued his practice actively for years and then broke off gradually, until ten years ago, and has since enjoyed much of life, although suffering from a disease from which he knew there was no relief except in death, but never complaining. He was a stalwart, but opinions and expressed them, but always friendly, and for the betterment of social and civic conditions. He was long years a member of the Presbyterian church, of the Masonic order, of McPherson Post No. 4, G. A. R. and a prohibitionist, and had the confidence and respect of all who knew him.

He is survived by his aged widow, one daughter, Louella, the wife of B. J. Dalton, dean of civil engineering in Kansas university; two sons, Gerald A., county clerk and Major Curtis W. of the Engineer Corps, stationed at Washington, D. C.

Mr. B. J. Dalton and daughters, Misses Nellie and Beatrice and Son William were also present at the funeral.

The funeral was held on Saturday afternoon promptly after the arrival of Major Otwell. A quartet sang, “Lead, Kindly Light,” a prayer by Elder Charles H. Jones. His pastor, Rev. Floyd Poe read the scripture lesson and gave a sketch of the life of the deceased and of many of the wonderful events and improvements which have come to humanity in his life of seventy-six years and made a short address appropriate to the deceased and the occasion. Following this McPherson Post G. A. R., in charge of Commander P. S. Moore conducted the ritual service, as the weather was too chilly for the veterans to stand at the grave. The remains were escorted to Chestnut by the veterans, where they disbanded and the pall bears and the carriages accompanied the remains to Mt. Hope cemetery, and laid the remains there to rest.

Contributed by Mrs. Maryann Johnson a Civil war researcher and a volunteer in the Kansas Room of the Independence Public Library, Independence, Kansas