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NEELY, Frank 1844-1889

NEELY, SESSIONS, KNAPP

Posted By: S. Bell
Date: 10/25/2012 at 15:42:00

[Iowa State Reporter, Thursday, May 09, 1889]

Death of Frank Neely.

The death of Mr. Frank Neely, although not unexpected, is a peculiarly sad event and has caused a feeling of sorrow all over the city. After two months of suffering he died on Wednesday morning at 12:20.

He was born in Belvidere, Illinois, June 1, 1844. He went to Chicago in 1858, and in 1861 joined Battery I, 1st Illinois artillery and served in the ordnance department until honorably discharged in 1865. The same year he removed to Cedar Falls and two years later came to Waterloo, where he has since lived and where he has been so prominently identified with our business and social interests.

In February, 1871, he was married to Miss Mary E. Sessions, daughter of Col. W. H. Sessions, of Cedar Falls, and his wife and two children survive him.

Mr. Neely, almost from the beginning of his residence here, won an honorable place in the ranks of our business men. Genial, accommodating, sagacious, liberal-hearted, he won friends and retained them. Always progressive, he was a willing promoter and aided in enterprises calculated to enlarge the prosperity or growth of our city. He was a member of our city council for nearly ten years, and during that time helped in various ways the city's upbuilding. He was three times elected a member of the board of supervisors, entering upon his third term the first of the present year. A portion of the time he served as chairman or the board, and his death makes a vacancy hard to all.

Mr. Neely has had a peculiarly active business career. For several years past he has been secretary of the Neely-Bryant Lumber Co., with offices at Waterloo, Cedar Falls and Hudson. He was the president of the Waterloo Gas and Electric Light Co.; president of the Equitable Mutual Life and Endowment Association, and treasurer of the Peoples Building and Loan Association. He was a valuable man in all these organizations, and his long continuance in the varied positions attests the high esteem in which he was held by his associates.

Mr. Neely was always an active member of the Masonic order. He served several years as master of Waterloo Lodge, No. 105; was the first high priest of Tabernacle Chapter and the first commander of Ascalon Commandery— serving faithfully and well in all these positions., In 1879 he was elected grand commander of the state—a high honor coming to few, but which was most worthily borne by Mr. Neely. The termination of his career will be heard with sorrow by hundreds of fraters all over Iowa, who learned to know and love him while actively engraved in the Templar work.

Mr. Neely has left the impress of his energy arid business tact in many of our town enterprises.

He leaves a host of friends, drawn to him by his companionable qualities, and all who knew him personally and well will bear cheerful testimony to the excellence of his character and his worth as a man and citizen.

Mr. Neely's illness really began about a year ago, but nothing serious was apprehended until within the past two months. Since then he has suffered intensely.

He leaves surviving him, besides wife and children, his father and mother, three brother: John C., cashier of the Commercial National Bank, Chicago, Will J., also of Chicago, Charles, residing at Leaven worth, Kansas, and one sister, Mrs. Clarence Knapp, of Cedar Falls.

The funeral will be hold at the family residence on Sunday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock, Rev. J. 0. Stevenson, of the Congregational church, officiating. The members of Aucalon Commandery No. 25, Knights Templar, will act as an escort.

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Burial in Elmwood Cemetery, Waterloo.

Note: From History of Black Hawk County 1878:
Mary E. Sessions was born in Warren, Mass., in 1845. Frank B. is their only child.

Note: His wife's obit says there were two children.


 

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