Sweetser, William H 1836-1883

SWEETSER

Posted By: Geo Clinton (email)
Date: 7/2/2016 at 14:15:26

STORM LAKE PILOT - Thu, Aug 16, 1883 - Died at his residence in Storm Lake, Iowa Friday Aug 10, 1883, W.W. Sweetser, aged 57 years, 3 months, and 18 days.

The deceased came to Storm Lake early in the spring of 1870 and this city has been his residence from that time until death brought an end to his mortal life.

He was born in Portsmouth, NH and received a liberal education at Bangor, Maine. He then engaged in the drug business in Syracuse, NY for some years and finally removed to Dubuque a short time before the war of the Rebellion. During that struggle for nation existence he rendered valuable service in the Provost Marshall's office. His delicate health and frail constitution alone prevented him from active duty in the tented field. His heart and soul was wholly with the Union cause and its defenders and the writer hereof has often heard him talk fondly of the achievements of the Federal Army.

As an entertaining conversationalist no man in Storm Lake excelled the subject of this sketch. His memory of men and authors was wonderful and his power to tell of them and quote from them bordered on the marvelous. His liberal education, extensive ready excellent memory, and good command of language made his a most entertaining companion. Had fortune dealt with him more lavishly he would have been a prince among men and a scholar among scholars.

Buffeted by misfortune he was a times melancholy, while the slightest smile of the treacherous goddess would raise his spirits and animate his entire nature. His hope was always large but fruition rarely if ever came. But he did not despair even when disease fastened its fangs upon him. His time to die, however, had come and peacefully he entered the Great Hereafter. He had his faults, and who among the living, is without imperfections?

A few years ago the deceased passed several months in Washington City and many of our readers will remember the exceedingly entertaining letters which he wrote to The Pilot. Had he applied his talents in that direction he would have gained renouwn as a correspondent of some great metropolitan daily newspaper.

He has paid the debt of Nature and the grave contains all that was mortal of W.W. Sweetser. Let us remember his virtues and forget his imperfections.

He leaves a wife and two children to mourn his loss.

The funeral took place on Saturday from the family residence and was largely attended. The day was one of exceeding beauty and, as the long cortege wended its way to Storm Lake's beautiful "City of the Dead" to bury one of the first settlers, many asked themselves "Who Next" shall take his place in the universal "Windowless Palace." Vestal