John Leech 1840-1914

LEECH, WALKER, HAWLEY, GRAY, HOBSON, SLEMONS

Posted By: Sharon Elijah (email)
Date: 8/2/2018 at 08:33:32

12 March 1914 - West Branch Times

John Leech, after a lingering illness, died at his home in West Branch Wednesday morning, March 11, at 3:00 o'clock, aged 73 years. The funeral will take place tomorrow, March 13th, at 2:00 o'clock from the home. There will be an obituary next week.

19 March 1914 - West Branch Times

John Leech was born near Fairfield, Columbiana county, Ohio, November 5, 1840, and died at his home at West Branch, Iowa, March 11, 1914, aged 73 years, 4 months and 6 days. He came with his parents to Iowa in the fall of 1853, driving a team overland in company with other emigrants, while the rest of the family came by railroad.

He enlisted in Company B, 2nd Iowa cavalry, March 21, 1864, and served until the close of the war, a term of service of 1 year, 5 months and 19 days, receiving an honorable discharge, September 19, 1865.

After his return to civil life he engaged in farming, which he continued until the fall of 1902, when he sold his farm, and in the spring of 1903 he removed to West Branch, where he resided until the time of his death.

He was married to Miriam Walker, Jan. 31, 1867. From this union eight children were born, Louis E. of Luverne, Minn.; Martha L. Hawley of Albert Lea, Minn.; Thomas I., who died Oct. 17, 1892, Alva of Canada; J. Adna of Frederick, S. D.; Elma Gray and Lydia Hobson of West Branch and Mary B. Slemons of near Iowa City. These children, together with the mother, are left to mourn the loss of a kind husband and indulgent father. He is also survived by three brothers and one sister and a number of other relatives and a host of friends.

Being an early settler he enjoyed a wide acquaintance and was universally respected as an honorable man. His death is a loss to his family, his friends and the community.

The funeral took place Friday afternoon at 2:00 o'clock from the home in West Branch after the manner of Friends. The G.A.R. Post of West Branch and other visiting comrades attended in a body, and of this number four were of his own regiment. Among those from a distance, beside the near relatives, who attended the funeral were: W. E. Leech of Marshalltown, Robert B. Smith and wife of Montezuma, Barclay Embree and wife of Atalissa, Chas. Cope, George James, Mattie Tomlinson, E. Fogg and wife, W. B. Elyson and wife of West Liberty, Wm. S. and J. A. Bye of Cedar Rapids, Isaac Santee and Jabez Coulson of What Cheer, Harper W. Wilson of Audubon and others. The interment was in West Branch cemetery.