Frederic Southwell Burling 1848-1920

BURLING, KETCHUM, MARQUIS, STOWE

Posted By: Sharyl Ferrall (email)
Date: 7/15/2008 at 23:06:38

FREDERIC S. BURLING; 1848-1920

Frederic Southwell Burling, son of William and Elizabeth Burling, was born in Cambridgeshire, England, on August 28, 1848, and died at Postville, Iowa, on July 21, 1920.

The family removed from England to the United States when Frederic was about one year old, and resided at Chicago and Freeport, Illinois, for a time, and then located on a farm in Fayette County, near the town of Hawkeye, where Frederic grew to manhood.

He was essentially a self-made man. He worked on a farm, taught school, and labored in a mine in
Colorado to earn the funds with which to secure an education. He was a student in Upper Iowa University and graduated from the Law Department of the State University of Iowa in 1872.

For ten years he practiced as a partner of H. A. Stowe under the firm name of Burling & Stowe. After the dissolution of this firm Mr. Burling practiced alone until the year 1909, when he entered into partnership with W. H. Burling, his younger son, which partnership continued until the time of his death. He was engaged in the practice of his profession at Postville continuously for forty-eight years with the exception of six winters spent in California, after he had entered into the partnership of Burling & Burling.

In practicing his profession he maintained its highest ideals and his best efforts were always at the command of the deserving and worthy, regardless of their ability to pay. He devoted himself exclusively to the practice of his profession and for many years was a familiar figure in the courts of Northeastern Iowa, where his fine legal ability and tireless efforts received the success which they so richly deserved.

He was always active in the life of Postville, and as a member of the Town Council, Mayor, member of the School Board, and President of the School Board, gave his best efforts for the betterment of the community. He was identified with every movement for the advancement of community interests, and for the enoblement of the citizens of his beloved town. He was a man of deep and strong convictions, and had the courage of his convictions. He was loyal to every trust reposed in him.

On June 10, 1874, Mr. Burling was united in marriage with Flora Ketchum of Windsor, Fayette County, Iowa. To this union four children were born, Charles G. of Clarksville, Iowa; Josephine Marquis of Waterloo, Iowa; Genevieve E. of Chicago; and W. H. of Postville. He is survived by his widow and children, by seven grand-children and by two sisters. He was a member of the Methodist Church, and was for twenty years a trustee of that church.

~source: Proceedings of the Twenty-Seventh Annual Session of the Iowa State Bar Association; published by the association, 1921; Report of Committee on Legal Biography, memorials, pg 37-38

~Note: contributor has no further information!