HORACE ALLEN BURNHAM 1844-1925

BURNHAM, THOMPSON, FINDLEY, JENKINS, WALTER

Posted By: Volunteer
Date: 6/30/2005 at 08:40:45

HORACE ALLEN BURNHAM 1844-1925

The funeral services of Mr. Horace Burnham were held from the Methodist Church on Tuesday afternoon, Rev. J. B. Ackman conducting the services, assisted by the Independent Order of Oddfellowship, of Monona. His body was laid to rest at the City Cemetery.

At the funeral services Mr. Acman read the following memoir in honor of Mr. Burnham:

"Someone has said, that life is like a school of probation in which character is moulded by experience and put to a test alike by joy and sorrow. But, for each of us an hour comes in which we pass from the schoolroom of life through the portal of death into the unfathomable beyond. Death is not an untoward accident, but as natural a phenomenon of life as is the transference of a child at school from a lower to a higher class, when it has proved itself ready for the change."

"Mr. Burnham, - the man in whose honor we are assembled here felt that he had come to the end of his journey of life on this earth, and that the time of his departure was at hand."

"On last Thanksgiving Day I stopped in his home for a few moments for an exchange of fellowship, and to extend a work of encouragement. And in the course of our conversation, he mentioned the fact that the time of his transference was at hand and that he might be called to the Great Beyond at any time; and asked me to jot down a few items about his life history. They were as follows:

"Horace Allen Burnham was born in St. Lawrence County, New York on April 3, 1844. He was the son of Josep and Maria Burnham. At the age of ten years he came with his parents from New York to Beloit, Wisconsin. And a year later he came with his parents in a Prairie Skooner, with five or six yokes of oxen, from Wisconsin to Iowa, locating at Dorchester, Allamakee county. Here he grew to manhood and received his elementary education, and in this vicinity he taught in the rural schools for six or seven years. In the year 1864 he was united in marriage to Miss Julia Thompson. They set up housekeeping near Volney. For a number of years Mr. Burnham taught school in the winter time and farmed in the summer season. On October 10, 1906 his wife and companion died. For a time his cousin, Alvin Findley, who now resided in the northern part of Wisconsin, had his home with Mr. Burnham. Etta Burnham became his daughter by adoption who preceded her father in death 32 years. John Burnham also found a home with Mr. Burnham and later became a son by adoption. On January 26, 1909, he was united in marriage with Mrs. Mary Jenkins, who survives to mourn his departure. On August 17, 1890, under pastorial oversight of the Rev. W. F. Albright, he joined the Methodist Church of which church he remained a member until his death. For many years he was a member of the Quarterly Conference and the Official Board. He was a member of the Building committee when the Volney church was built, and when he moved to Monona, he served as Official member for a number of years at Monona. He was a man who believed in using his influence in the building of upright citizenship. He was also a member of the I. O. O. F. For fifteen years he was the treasurer of this organization. Mr. Burnham passed to the Great Beyond on January 31, 1923 having reached the good old age of 80 years, 9 months and 28 days. He leaves to mourn his departure his bereaved wife, Mrs. Burnham, his son John Allen Burnham, of Washington, D. C., and one sister Mrs. Mary Walter of Rice Lake, Wisconsin; two brothers, Cyrus Burnham of Rossville and Charley Burnham of Forest Mills, as well as other relatives and friends."

Monona Leader, 2/5/1925 - contributed by Mike Birkett