White, Thomas D. 1826-1900

WHITE, CLARK, MILLER, BOCK, HERWIG, EVERALL, BAXTER

Posted By: Sharyl Ferrall - IAGenWeb volunteer
Date: 4/4/2011 at 14:00:22

Postville was shocked on Monday evening by a telephone message to the effect that Hon. Thomas D. White had just committed suicide by hanging, at his home near Volga City. At this writing we have no particulars as to the probable cause of the rash act. Mr. White was not of a despondent nature, always seeming to be in good spirits. We know [sic] him quite intimately during the years of his residence here, and were sorry to see him leave, and are more sorry to know that he left the world by his own hand at his advanced age. In a little while the course of nature would have done its work and his family and friends would have been spared this shock.

And so we bid adieu to another of our old friends, forgetting his faults and boibles which are common to us all, and wishing that peace may be his and that consolation may come to the bereaved. Something must have preyed upon his mind, unbalancing it, or he never would have ended his life in this manner. We may have further particulars before going to press. The funeral was held on Wednesday.

~Postville Review (Allamakee co. Iowa), Friday, July 27, 1900

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Hon. Thomas White, at one time Clayton county's representative in the legislature, was found dead in his barn, near Volga City.

~Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, July 28, 1900 (State News column)

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At his home, Volga City, Monday afternoon, July 23rd, 1900, occurred the death of Hon. Thos. D. White. "Wearied and tired of a life about to close," as he said, he sought means to releive his earthly sufferings. We are informed that he was in fear of paralysis, of which he had symptoms, and believed that he might be a burden to his family.

Born at South Hero, Vt., August 3, 1826, he received his primary education there, finished at the Lamoille County Institute, from which he graduated. He read law with a brother, but finding the profession too confining, he came to Iowa in 1859, settling on a farm near National in December of that year. In 1890 he sold his farm in National and bought one near Postville, which he yet owned. In March last he bought what is known as the Herwig farm near Volga City, where he resided at the time of his death.

On August 28, 1851, he was united in marriage with Lura Celinda Clark, a native of the Green Mountain State. To them were born eleven children, of whom, with the wife, six survive, being Wendell E. of Volga City; Mrs. Sumner Miller, of Guttenberg; Mrs. A.P. Bock, of Waukon; Dr. G.G., of Elkader; Royce D., of Postville; and Harley G., at home.

Being an old settler of the county, he was known by all. His love for argument and unusually quick wit made him a good conversationalist. The quickness with which he formed his perceptions and the soundness of his logic were faculties possessed by few of his age. The last ten years of his life he devoted mostly to reading, and was ever ready to discuss any subject brought up. Such books as written by Spinoza, Malebranche, John Stuart Mill, all point to the trend of thought he followed. His philosophy was Socratic and he often challenged modern thought to equal that of the ancient philosophers.

His politics were always democratic, and in 1876 he represented this county and his party in the general assembly. Since that time he has taken no active part in the issues. The platform adopted by the Chicago convention was not to his taste and he voted against it. His political wit, shown in our county conventions, is remembered by many.

His religion was his home. In belief he followed reason, yet as he said, he could not understand why the different translations of the original Hebrew Bible were not the same. Religion was to him a creed sectarianism selfishness. He believed in the immortality of the soul and reasoned that the mind, being immaterial, must also be indestructible; that our deeds are governed by conscience, and death differed little from creation. He showed no preference for the Bible, works of Confucious, Voltaire or Thos. Paine, when side by side. He accepted only what he could prove, believing that man was not supernatural, therefore could perceive only the natural. As he often said, Nature's laws alone showed the touch of a heaven-born finger. So he lived, so he died.

As a father, he believed in the education of his children to be men and women.

A few days before his death he said: "When I leave the earth, I leave it with friendship for all and malice toward none; my actions will speak for themselves and be judged by the people as best they may."

Mr. White was a member of the Masonic fraternity, having been made a Mason in Garnavillo. When National lodge No. 172 was instituted, he became its first master. Later he returned to Garnavillo lodge, and then became a member at Postville. Last December, probably contemplating his death, he again united with National lodge and wrote them requesting them to be present and officiate at his burial. Among the notes written just before the act that closed his life, was one to the National Lodge, saying, "Please remember my virtues and forget my faults. -T.D. White."

In accordance with his wish the funeral was held Wednesday afternoon at National, under the auspices of National Lodge No. 172, of Farmersburg. Senator John Everall, acting as master, Rev. G.W. Baxter, Grand Chaplain of the Grand Lodge of Iowa, assisted in the ceremonies and made a short address. Masons were present from Monona, McGregor, Clayton, Garnavillo, Elkader and Volga City.

Let us all, as he desired, remember his virtues and forget his faults. - Elkader Register

~Postville Review (Allamakee co. Iowa), August 3, 1900; republished from the obit that appeared in the Elkader Register