Hall, John Lindsay 1830-1903

ARNOLD, HALL, KESTER, LADRICK, NELSON, RIZER, SMOCK

Posted By: Jerry Hale (email)
Date: 8/23/2009 at 16:49:26

We are called upon this week to chronicle the death of one of the oldest settlers in Elk township, John Lindsay Hall, whose death occurred last Thursday morning, December 31, 1903, at his home in Hawkeye where he and his family moved from north of Wood only a few weeks ago. He has spent the greater part of his life in Elk Township where he could count his friends by the score. He was an honest, upright citizen, loyal to his country and to his flag as his war record will show, and the announcement to of his death is received with sadness by all who knew him.

JOHN LINDSAY HALL was born in Davie county, North Carolina, October 20th, 1830. When he was about three years old he moved with his parents to Jackson county Indiana, and lived there until he was seventeen years old when he moved to Iowa and settled in Clayton county. He served as a volunteer in the Civil war in Co. D. of the 27th Iowa, from October 12th, 1864 to May 30th, 1865.

He was married to Elizabeth Rizer July 28t, 1853. To them were born thirteen children, three boys and ten girls. Five of them, one boy and four girls, preceded him to the grave. His wife, who lived with him for more than fifty years, eight children, thirty-two grandchildren, one great-grandchild, two sisters, one brother, survive him.

The children living are John Hall, Margaret Nelson, Mary Ladrick, Luella Arnold, Effie Hall, Minnie Smock, Elmer Hall, Nellie Smock.

John Hall was a thoroughly Christian man. He was converted and joined the Methodist church when he was seventeen years of age and during the fifty-six years he held membership in that church, there was no time during that period that he could not get a church letter of good standing. He was an enthusiastic member of the G. A. R. and his comrades of Hawkeye and Edgewood acted as pall bearers at his funeral service.

Early in September be was taken with a violent bleeding at the nose caused by the bursting of an artery. In order to get better medical aid, he moved to Hawkeye Nov. 9, and it seemed that he would soon be well again. On Dec. 21 he was suddenly taken worse and his life was despaired of, but be rallied and seemed to be again on the road to recovery. But early Monday morning Dec. 28, he again took worse and it seemed he could only last a few hours. He lived, however till Thursday morning about 4 o'clock, when he fell asleep. He was conscious every moment of the time till the end and talked freely with those about him. He said, "It is not hard for me to die, I'm just waiting to go home."

At his request his pastor, Rev. H. S. Kester of Hawkeye preached the funeral sermon from Phil. 1:21 It was also his desire to be buried on the old homestead east of Edgewood where the funeral services were held on Saturday, Jan 2, 1904 and he was laid to rest beneath a large cedar tree planted by his own hands fifty years ago. He was 73 years, 2 months and 11 days old.

The Journal wishes to extend its deepest sympathy to the true and loving wife and her children in the dark hour of sorrow, and earnestly commends them unto God for peace and consolation. Father will be waiting for you on the other side.

(Source: Obituary was part of the pension file of John L. Hall obtained from NARA. Received 22 Aug 2009 by Gerald L. Hale, Gr Gr Grandson of John Lindsay Hall. )

PROBLEMS NOTED WITH ABOVE OBITUARY:

1) Davie Co., NC was formed from Rowan Co., NC in 1836.

2) 1850 Census: birth of children indicates that the family lived in Indiana in 1833 and Susanah Hall [Jr.] was born in Iowa in about 1836. [Ref: 1850 IA (Delaware) Dist. 7; Series: M432 Roll: 183 Pg: 349 Image 56]

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Added 4/28/2016 by S. Ferrall
The obit states he was buried on his homestead. There is a gravestone for him in the Elk Valley cemetery - it may be a cenotaph or perhaps he was reinterred at some time.