SAMUEL E. BLACK                         

El Dorado Republican, Thursday, Sept. 28, 1916, Pg. 1

Vol. XXIV, No. 184

MESSAGE TELLS OF DEATH OF

JUDGE BLACK IN CALIFORNIA

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  A telegram this morning to several different friends from Miss Grace Black, Long Beach, Calif. stated that her father, Judge Samuel E. Black had suffered a third stroke of apoplexy, Wednesday, September 28, and had died at noon of that same day at their hotel, the Schuyler.

  On November 3, 1915, Judge Black had a second and severe stroke of apoplexy, which rendered him more or less helpless.  He gradually grew some better and on July 1 of the past summer Mrs. Black their daughter, Grace, and a trained nurse, Miss Burcham, took him to California in hopes of his receiving benefit, but if any result was felt it was but slight.  He was, however, perfectly comfortable and the last stroke came without any special warning.  The family will arrive here with the body on the Santa Fe Saturday, September 30, and the funeral will take place from the Presbyterian church, Rev. J. Q. Durfey, officiating.  Interment will be made in Belle Vista cemetery.

  Samuel E. Black was a native of Illinois, and was born in Greenville, Bond country, 74 years ago, where he was educated and reared.  In 1864 he enetered the army, serving until the close of the war.  He took up the study of law in his native town, and was admitted to the bar in Cowley county March 28, 1873.  He came to Kansas October 29, 1872, and his residence in El Dorado dates from October 29, 1872.  On April 30, 1874, he was appointed probate judge of Butler county by Governor Thomas A. Osborn, after which he was elected to the same office three consecutive terms.  Judge Black was numbered among the leading lights of the Butler county bar in the early days.  He was a member of the I. O. O. F.  He was married in Milwaukee, Wis., to Miss Fannie L. DeGrasse, a woman of rare musical talent and education.

  In the death of Judge Black the town that has known and loved him feels a real grief and while the end was ultimately expected yet it was hoped against hope that the change would restore him to his normal state.  For more that forty years the judge had lived among us a honorable upright Godfearing neighbor, loving life.  What more can be said of any man?  His life was an open book to be seen by all men.  He loved his family above all else and for them would sacrifice all of his own comforts.  He was a good business man as the comfortable income attests.  A man devoted to his church, never failing to go to the services, in fact one of the familiar pictures of the writer’s life is the often meeting of the judge and his well beloved wife going arm in arm to the church of their choice, many Wednesday evenings as well as to the Sunday services.  He has lived the good life and has gone to his reward well loved and sorely missed.