JOHN WILSON SMALLEY
Goodland Republic, Friday, July 10, 1914
Died: July 2, 1914
JOHN
W. SMALLEY DEAD.
Passed
Away at Home of Son
On
Thursday Evening July 2.
John W. Smalley, an aged veteran of the civil war and an early settler of
Sherman county, died at the home of his son, L. F. Smalley, living eight miles
southeast of Goodland, Thursday evening at about 6:00 o’clock p. m. of
hemorrhage of the brain, which caused fatal paralysis. This was the forth
stroke, which proves his remarkable constitution.
His beloved wife preceded him
about six years ago to the spirit world, when the family resided on their home
one-half mile east of Goodland, now owned by S. O. Gibbs.
Since her death the deceased had
resided with his sons.
There was a very large turnout at
the funeral services which were held at the Christian church Saturday afternoon.
The W. S. Robinson post and the Woman’s Relief Corps were in attendance, and
the beautiful ritual of the Relief Corps was read in the funeral and burial of
the decedent. There was a beautiful and profuse floral display.
Appropriate hymns and music was rendered and a large cortege followed his
remains to the grave.
Rev. Channer preached an
appropriate sermon, the text taken was fitting to the occasion, and were the
words of Paul, found in II Tim. 4:7: “I have fought a good fight, I have
finished my course, I have kept the faith.” He expatiated upon the
heroism, patriotism and devotion of the father, in leaving his young wife and
little children to fight the battles of the nation and to preserve the integrity
of the union. He was among those that answered the call in the words of
the song: “We are coming, Father Abraham, three hundred thousand
more.”
There are other members of W. S.
Robinson Post in this city who did the same, and one such was a pall bearer on
this occasion. Tell these things to your children!
“Open the gates that
the righteous nation may come in!”
John
Wilson Smalley was born in Adams county, Ohio, January 26, 1832, and died in
Sherman county, Kansas, July 2, 1914. He was 82 years, 5 months and 6 days
old. On April 26, 1856, he was married to Rachael A. Hemphill. To
this union thirteen children were born, ten of whom survive their parents.
Of these nine were permitted to be at the bedside of their father when he
passed.
Mr. Smalley was a veteran of the
civil war. He enlisted as a private in company C, 70th Ohio infantry, on
the 14th day of October, 1861, in which he served three years. He was
discharged October 28, 1864, at Chattanooga, Tenn. by reason of expiration of
term of service. He was 27 years of age at the time of enlistment and 30
years old at the time of his discharge.
In 1872 he moved from Ohio to
Illinois, in 1879 to Nebraska and in 1887 to Kansas, where he settled on a
homestead in Sherman county, remaining a resident of this county to the time of
his death. He was an honored member of W. S. Robinson Post, G. A. R., the
members of whom were present to pay the last tribute of respect to a fallen
comrade.
Thus has passed from among us a kind husband and father, a good neighbor and citizen, and an honored soldier of his country.