DeLand, Edward 1828-1917

DELAND, MCCLOUD

Posted By: Geo Clinton (email)
Date: 4/18/2016 at 09:59:31

May 4, 1917 - Storm Lake Pilot Tribune - One of Storm Lake's oldest residents and best citizens was suddenly called by death on Tuesday afternoon when Edward DeLand was overcome by gas fumes and died at the home of his son James on Lake avenue.

Just how the accident happened will of course never be known. A.D. Wilson was painting at the house and at about two o'clock he smelled the fumes of escaping gas. He went into the house and found Mr. DeLand apparently dead on the floor of the kitchen. He immediately summoned Mrs. W.C. Edson who was passing and in an incredibly short time, Drs. Smith and Graves were on the scene and the lungmotor was used but to no avail as death had come before help arrived.

There is an extension pipe running out from the gas range at the DeLand home and the contrivance which is used to turn the gas on works very easily and it is believed that Mr. DeLand accidentally brushed against it. Mrs. Edson saw him start up town at about one o'clock and he had evidently returned to the house for some purpose as when he was found he still had his gloves, hat and coat on. It is supposed that he smelled the gas and had started to find out where the leak was and was overcome before he could locate the trouble.

His death came on one of the happiest days of his life. Just that morning he had expressed his great pleasure over the fact that his son James had been appointed judge of the district court, the appointment taking effect on May 1, and he had remarked concerning it to members of the local bar during the forenoon. Mrs. DeLand, who has been in Excelsior Springs, Mo., for several weeks was immediately notified as was the grandson Lael, at Ames and they arrived on Wednesday afternoon.

The other surviving son, W.D. DeLand was notified and word was received from him to the effect that he would arrive in Storm Lake on Friday morning. Mr. DeLand was unusually vigorous for a man of his years. Just this spring he had made the trip home from Texas alone and he went about continually and would have undoubtedly been spared many years but for the accident which caused his death.

For almost forty years Mr. DeLand has been more or less closely identified with Storm Lake. In his younger years he was one of the active, useful citizens of the city and in the vernacular of the day, he "did his bit" to forward the growth and development of Storm Lake and of this part of the state. He always enjoyed the confidence and esteem of all as the principals of honesty, fair dealing, charity and hospitality were parts of his very life. He lived a long and extremely useful life and his death will be a distinct shock to family and hosts of old friends in this city and this part of Iowa.

Edward DeLand was born at Rutland, Vermont, February 20, 1828. While a boy, he moved with his parents to Union county, Ohio, where they settled upon a farm, and where he grew to manhood.

On July 1, 1853, he was married at Marysville, Ohio, to Elizabeth McCloud, and immediately afterwards, the young couple traveled in the manner of those days, with a prairie schooner to Iowa and settled in Jasper county, near the present city of Newton, where they lived for two years, when, because of the illness of Mr. DeLand's father, they moved back to Ohio, and remained there until the summer of 1859, when they again journeyed into what was then the new west of central Illinois, and settled at Clinton, where they lived until the spring of 1877, at which time they moved to Storm Lake, Iowa.

In 1890 they moved to Sioux City, Iowa, where they lived until the death of Mrs. DeLand in October, 1904. After this, Mr. DeLand made his home for some time with his son James, in Storm Lake, until advancing years made the southern climate seem more desirable to him, and for the last few years he has made his home with his son W.B. DeLand at Alvin, Texas. He had recently returned for his annual visit with his son James, at whose home he died Wednesday, May 1, 1917.

To the union above mentioned, there were born seven sons, two of whom died in infancy, two lived only to the age of young manhood, the oldest died at Cainsville, Florida, several years ago, and the other two W.B. of Alvin, Texas, and James of Storm Lake, Iowa, are left surviving.

It is expected that funeral services will be held from the DeLand home at three o'clock on Friday afternoon although this depends somewhat upon the arrival of W.B. DeLand from Texas. Interment will be made at Storm Lake. This newspaper desires to extend the sympathy of the entire community to the bereaved family.