Hicks, John Appleton, Jr. (1887-1920)
HICKS, SMITH, LANCELOT, PLEASANT, SELDOMRIDGE, MCCOY, BEATTY, NICHOLSON, ERNST, TOOTHAKER, DIETRICKSEN, KOBEY, NICHOLS, RICHARDS, WALKER, WILD, KRIEGER, DIESEL
Posted By: Ken Akers (email)
Date: 2/19/2018 at 10:28:04
Craig Empire (CO)
Number 52, January 21, 1920
DISEASE CLAIMS BELOVED CITIZENS
DEATH COMES TO SIX MOFFAT COUNTY RESIDENTS--MRS. PLEASANT AND JOHN HICKS ARE SUDDENLY STRICKEN--------
Five residents of Moffat county were claimed by a wave of death which overtook this section this week. Mrs. F. M. Pleasant, wife of the vice president of the Craig National bank, and one of the community’s best beloved women, was called Sunday morning. John Hicks, one of the most widely known farmers in Northwestern Colorado, was taken yesterday afternoon after an illness of only three days. Io, the 14-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. L. Seldomridge, a student in the Craig schools, died at the family home in Craig last night. Lester McCoy died in Craig Monday. John Beatty, 83, a homesteader in the Great Divide country, died Monday. Alvin Nicholson, well known Craig young man, died this afternoon.
Frances Mae Pleasant
Frances Mae Ernst was born near Overbrook, Kan., May 29, 1884. Her young life was spent in Overbrook and she was a graduate of the Overbrook High school and business college at Topeka.
She was married to Floyd M. Pleasant, vice president of the Craig National bank, Nov. 25, 1905. To this union there were born three children. Sidney, 12 years old; Rexford. 10 years old. and Floyd M. Jr.. 16 months old. Her father, mother and three sisters live at Overbrook.
Mr. and Mrs. Pleasant came to Craig about seven years ago and have since been most prominent in business, social and church circles. Mrs. Pleasant was a staunch Christian and one of the most active workers in the Congregational church. She was the founder of the local chapter of the P. E. O. sisterhood in Craig and its first president.
Funeral services were held at the Pleasant home in Craig yesterday, and the body taken to Kansas this morning for interment in the family burial ground at Overton. Mr. Pleasant and Sidney and Rexford went with the body.
The P. E. O. Sisterhood had charge of the services here and sang "Lead Kindly Light" and "Abide With Me." The Rev. A. Toothaker preached a short sermon. Miss Dagny Dietricksen played and Mrs. H. B. Kobey sang a solo.
John Hicks
Never has Craig been more shocked than it was yesterday at the sudden death of Johnny Hicks, known all over Northwestern Colorado as "Colorado’s champion dry farmer." Mr. Hicks and his wife were brought to Dr. Nichols’ hospital Sunday. Both were suffering with double pneumonia. Johnny grew steadily worse and the end came yesterday. Mrs. Hicks has passed the critical stage and it is now thought that she will recover.
Never has a man had more friends or enjoyed greater respect of an entire community than has Johnny Hicks. He and his bride came to Craig eleven years ago from Exira, lowa, to make a home in the Great West. Neither had ever had any farming experience but they had intense ambition and a clear faith in the future.
John Hicks’ 160 acre original homestead on the plateau west of Craig has always been an object lesson to the fainthearted and the doubters. With little capital other than their own strong bodies Mr. and Mrs. Hicks, in the face of ridicule from almost the entire community, have turned what was only a desert into a garden spot. John Hicks’ original homestead has steadily grown until at the time of his death he owned 500 acres of the best farming land in Colorado. Next spring he planned to erect a $10,000 dairy.
John Hicks has always been generous and openhearted in the extreme. During the war his efforts were the means of securing thousands of dollars for the Red Cross and other worthy enterprises. He prided in his strength and was always foremost in athletics, both in Craig and in his old home in Iowa.
His mother, Mrs. John Hicks Sr., lives in Exira, as do two brothers, Clarence, formerly of Craig, and James. Another brother is Samuel Hicks of Vetter. Iowa. Arrangements for the funeral have not yet been made, but it is thought that the body will be taken to Exira.
No arrangements will be made until Mrs. Hicks has improved and word is received from Iowa.
Io Seldomridge
One of the most popular girls in the Craig schools was Miss Io Seldomridge, who died in Craig last night of pneumonia, after an illness of one week. The girl was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. L. Seldomridge and had lived most of her life in Craig. She was 14 years old and in the eighth grade.
Her father and mother survive her as do four brothers, Shirley, Dewey and Hugh of Craig and Lonnie, who lives in Texas. Tola and Ada Seldomridge, sisters, attend Craig High school. Another sister, Mrs. Bert Richards, lives in Los Angeles, Calif., and is herself very sick. Still another sister, Mrs. J. O. Walker, lives in West Virginia and is endeavoring to reach Craig before the funeral, arrangements for which have not yet been made. The Rev. Carl Wild will be in charge of the funeral and burial will be at the Craig cemetery.
Lester Wilson McCoy
Lester Wilson McCoy died at the home of his parents in Craig Monday night, just one day after he had reached his 28th birthday. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Edmund McCoy and was born in Keokuk, Iowa. He has been in poor health since coming to Craig some years ago. One sister, Mrs. George Krieger, lives in Craig and two others, who live in Iowa, are coming for the funeral which will be at the residence in South Craig tomorrow afternoon at 3 o'clock.
John Harry Beatty
Fighting to the last with the same gameness that has characterized his battle with life, John Harry Beatty passed away Monday at the age of 83 years and 2 months. Mr. Beatty was born in Ohio in 1836 and for many years held a good position as traveling salesman. Recently he came to Moffat county in an endeavor to recoup his fortunes on a homestead in the Great Divide neighborhood. A son, William S. Beatty, survives him. The funeral was held from C. S. Diesel's undertaking parlors this afternoon ami the body laid to rest at the Craig cemetery.
Alvin Nicholson
Less than twenty-four hours after he had taken to his bed, Alvin Nicholson passed away at 1:30 o’clock this afternoon. He has been a sufferer from tuberculosis, contracted after an attack of influenza last year.
Alva, as he is generally known, has lived in Craig for about twelve years, at one time being in the livery stable buslnes with his brothers. He was 26 years old. He was married some years ago to Miss Ruby Smith and his wife was at his bedside when the end came.
His father, a sister and Robert, a brother, live in Pittsburg, Pa. Two other brothers, Andy and John, live in Seattle and Boston respectively, and another sister is in Illinois. Wallace and Frank Nicholson, Craig men, are now in Texas and up to a late hour this afternoon had not been located.
Note: Parents of John Appleton Hicks, Jr. were John A. Hicks, Sr. and Mary Belle Smith. John Jr. was married to Winifred Beatrice Mae "Bea" Lancelot.
Craig Empire (CO), January 21, 1920
Audubon Obituaries maintained by Cheryl Siebrass.
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