Thomas Bulman, Sr. 1828-1915

BULMAN, STOCKS, BEARDMORE, HARTLEY, GREEN, REBURN, SADLER, GOOSE

Posted By: Errin Wilker (email)
Date: 3/9/2011 at 14:05:03

Thomas Bulman was born in Thetford, Cambridgeshire, England, on the 6th of April, 1828, and died Nov. 21st, 1915, being eighty-seven years, seven months and fifteen days of age.

He spent his boyhood and youth in England and there was engaged at farm and railroad work. On Oct. 6th, 1848, he married Miss Phoebe Stocks, also a native of Cambridgeshire and the 31st of the same month they sailed for America on the W.V. Kent, a sailing vessel which arrived at New Orleans on Dec. 9th, it requiring five weeks and four days to make the voyage.

After remaining in that city a short time they went to Evansville, Indiana, in the spring of 1849, and there he served an apprenticeship as a bricklayer and plasterer, at which occupation he worked until Oct. 6th, 1854, when he started for Iowa, driving overland by team and arriving in Union City township, Allamakee county, on the last day of October.

Here he entered land and at once began the construction of a log cabin, which was his first humble but happy pioneer home. He continued to live on his farm until he retired from active business life in 1888 and removed to Waukon.

His wife passed away May 18th, 1892. He continued to live in Waukon (with the exception of two years spent in Howard county) until last May, since which time he has made his home with his daughter, Mrs. Benjamin Hartley.

As a boy he was confirmed in the Episcopal faith at Ely Cathedral, England. He united with the Mt. Hope Presbyterian church in 1872, and with the Waukon M.E. church after removing to that place, and continued a loyal member of that church until death.

He was a man of sterling character and high morals, wielding a forceful influence in community life, winning and holding the confidence and esteem of all who knew him and died at peace with God and man.

He leaves to mourn his departure eight children; James T., Jason C., Mrs. Alfred E. Beardmore and Mrs. Benjamin Hartley, all of this community, Thomas S. of Pawnee, Okla., Walter W. of Chariton, Iowa, and Mrs. W.W. Reburn residing at McMinnville, Oregon. Two sons and two daughters preceded him in death. There is also one brother and two sisters, namely, Geo. W. and Mrs. Wm. Sadler of Union City township and Mrs. Ann Goose of Soham, England, and thirty-one grandchildren and nineteen great-grandchildren surviving him.

The funeral was held on Wednesday, Nov. 24th, from the Ben Hartley home, and in spite of the bad condition of the roads, over sixty teams and a dozen autos were in the procession to the Mt. Hope Presbyterian Church, where services were held at 1 o'clock p.m. Rev. Young of the Waukon M.E. Church preached an eloquent and consoling funeral sermon, Rev. H.L. Smith, the local pastor, having charge of the obsequies. Six grandsons of the deceased, Frank, Leonard and Fred Bulman and Thomas John and Earl Beardmore, acted as pall bearers.

My race is run, I've won my crown
Let me lie down to rest;
The twilight falls but in the morn
I'll wake to meet my Savior blest.
――――――
A strong man has passed into glory
And though we take leave of him here,
We ne'er can forget the good story
Of the strong and the brave pioneer.

He sought out the forest primeval,
Where the redskin was master of all,
Undaunted by hardship or evil
He conquered where others would fall.

We know it is well with him yonder
And though from our midst he has gone
Still we his example may ponder;
His power for good shall live on.

CARD OF THANKS
We wish to express our sincere thanks and appreciation to all who have in various ways assisted during the illness, death and burial of our beloved father.
THE FAMILY

~newspaper clipping from a scrapbook

Allamakee Obituaries maintained by Sharyl Ferrall.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen