Benjamin Pitcher, 1836 - 1920

PITCHER, BARNHARD, WALKER, CLAYPOOL

Posted By: Clay County IAGenWeb Coordinator (email)
Date: 1/26/2012 at 16:22:24

BENJ. PITCHER EARLY SETTLER DEAD AT 83
Bedfast Two Years; a Republican and Mason 50 Years

Benjamin Pitcher aged nearly 84 years, and a resident of the city of Spencer for over a quarter of a century, died at his home on East Fifth street on Friday evening at about 8 o'clock. Death came as the result of complications due to old age. For the past two years the aged man had been bedfast and death came as a relief from weary months of pain and patient suffering.

The death of Benjamin Pitcher is the loss of one more of the county's pioneers, the sturdy founders of the prosperous country we now enjoy. During a period of nearly fifty years he has watched and shared in the struggles of a country yielding its fertility to the care of the thrifty and careful builders.

Native of Great Britain

Benjamin Pitcher was horn in Lincolnshire, England, August 29, 1836. At the age of ten he came with his father having lost his mother, who died in England in 1844, to the United States. Until 1855 the family lived in the state of New York. They then migrated farther westward, pausing in Winnebago county, Illinois, where Benjamin grew to manhood. Here, on August 2, 1863, he offered his services in defense of the Union and became a member of Company B, 74th Illinois Volunteer infantry, with which he served faithfully until he was mustered out on June 10, 1865. During the war he participated in eighteen hard-fought battles, leaving the army with the rank of sergeant. He was three times wounded during his military career; in the leg at the battle of Missionary Ridge; at Kenesaw Mountain he had part of his left heel shot away, and at __las was slightly wounded in the hand.

After his discharge from the army he returned to Illinois and engaged in farming. On November 29, 1857, Mr. Pitcher had been united in marriage with Miss Mary W. Barnard. A few years after the war they decided on a change of location, choosing Iowa as the new home. Mr. Pitcher first located in an eighty acre homestead in Dickinson county and shortly afterwards acquired 80 acres of Clay.

Father of Six

Mr. and Mrs. Pitcher became the parents of six children. Ten years ago Mrs. Pitcher preceded her husband in death. The surviving children are: John L. of East Sixth street; Homer E., county treasurer of Clay county; Dolly, the wife of George Walker of Spencer; Agnes, the wife of Chas. A. Claypool of Minneapolis; Benjamin of Spencer; and Miss Belle, who has lived at home, faithfully administering to the wants of the invalid as he grew old and more feeble.

Nearly twenty-seven years ago the family came to Spencer, living first on East Third street. When the M. & St. L. railway came to Spencer, the property was on the surveyed right-of-way and sold. Mr. Pitcher then purchased the modern and comfortable home on East Fifth street, where the last years of his life were spent.

A staunch and fearless Republican, Mr. Pitcher never wavered from the principals of his party. Since casting his first vote he never missed an election. Two years ago, when he was unable to go to the polls, A. W. Chamberlain, county auditor, went to his home and secured his ballot, both for the primary and the general elections.

Over Fifty Years a Mason

Faithful in his political principles he was equally so in his fraternal relation and was a Mason for over fifty years. At the laying of the corner stone of the Masonic Temple he served as chaplain, but at the dedication of the temple he was unable, to take part in the ceremonies, his active career being broken by the last long illness. Mr. Pitcher was also a long-time member of the G.A.R. During these years of illness, Mr. Pitcher has lacked nothing in the way of care and comfort, his children doing all they could to relieve the burden of suffering, and skilled medical aid being constantly employed.

The funeral services were held from the home on Wednesday afternoon at 4:30 o'clock. In charge of the Rev. E. Merle Adams. At Riverside the ceremonies were conducted according to the Masonic ritual. The pall bearers were the intimate friends of the deceased, Noah Davis, H.H. Hoberg, B.F. Felt, Ross Free, D.C. Gillespie and A.C. Perine.

Source: Spencer News-Herald, Spencer, Clay County, Iowa; February 19, 1920.

Interment in Riverside cemetery
 

Clay Obituaries maintained by Kris Meyer.
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