Fuller Bond Curtis 1843-1925

CURTIS, WICKWIRE, AGNEW, SKINNER, KITTS

Posted By: Sharon Elijah (email)
Date: 4/12/2017 at 08:40:14

19 March 1925 - The Tipton Advertiser

Fuller Bond Curtis, aged pioneer of Cedar County, Iowa, and for the past eight years a resident of Wheatland, Iowa, passed away at his home here Friday, March 13th, 1925, at the age of 81 years, 7 months and 1 day.

Fuller Bond Curtis, son of Ephraim J. and Sarah Wickwire Curtis, was born August 12th, 1843, in Lee Center, N.Y. At the age of ten years he moved with his parents to Aurora, Illinois, from which place they came on west to Iowa in 1856, settling first at York Prairie, near Tipton. A few years later they bought the farm between Wheatland and Lowden where he lived with his family until retiring, when he became a resident of Tipton, Iowa, for eight years, finally settling again in the town of Wheatland to be near the daughter, Mrs. C. E. Agnew, who resides on the home farm.

He was united in marriage to Susie Skinner, of near Massillon, Ia., on January 31, 1880. To them were born five daughters, Alice the eldest passing away five years ago; four of them survive, namely: Mrs. Mabel Agnew, Lucy E., Mrs. Grace Kitts, and Ruth O., all of Wheatland and vicinity. Besides his wife and daughters herein mentioned he also leaves two brothers, David, and George, of San Diego, Calif., at which place his sister Lucy, noted educator of Iowa, died several years ago. He also leaves four grandchildren.

This man came of a family of American pioneers, some of his ancestors serving on the American side during the Revolutionary War, and again in the noted Battle of Lundy's Lane in the War of 1812. Coming to Iowa as he did, in the early days, he saw this part of Iowa develop out of the wild into the most prosperous state of the union, and his early youth saw many stirring adventures during the time of the conflicts between the Vigilantes and the horse-thieves. At the time his parents settled on the farm here, there was no town here, the nearest one being Davenport, to which town he transported wheat over the prairies, the only highway being a rough trail. He saw the first rails of the Chicago & Northwestern railway laid thru here, and witnessed its development into a double-track system, becoming the main line from Chicago to Omaha.

Mr. Curtis became a member of Zeredatha Lodge No. 184 A.F. & A.M. in 1875, and at the time of his death was the oldest Mason in the local organization, and on the fiftieth anniversary of his initiation this order presented him a neat reminder of the occasion.

The family of the deceased is held in high esteem by all of our citizens and the sympathy of all friends goes out to them in their time of loss, for they have lost a husband and father who was a man of square dealing and sincere convictions, and loyalty in his friendships.

The funeral services were conducted by Zeredatha Lodge under Masonic rites, at the home Sunday afternoon at two o'clock, the Reverend Mr. Cass of Calamus, officiating. Burial was made at Lowden in the family lot. -- Wheatland Gazette.