Waters, Samuel 1833-1926

WATERS, LYONS, OVERHOLT, MARSTON, MCKINLEY, PECK

Posted By: Bill Waters (deceased)
Date: 11/19/2003 at 11:52:54

Samuel Waters Passes at home in Decorah
The People of Postville were shocked and grieved on Tuesday forenoon when the news came in by phone from Decorah that Sam Waters had just passed away at his home in Decorah, his death following a paralytic stroke. Mr. Waters was well and widely known throughout this section and was well advanced in years and his passing removes one of the old landmarks. We hope to give a more extended notice of his death in our next issue.

©Postville Herald Thursday, April 22, 1926:

Samuel Waters, Sr., was born at Arklow county, Wicklow, Ireland, May 26, 1833. When 18 years of age he came to the United States, and with his father, mother and two brothers lived in Pennsylvania, where he worked in the coal mines till April 1856 he came to Iowa and located on the farm in Ludlow township, Allamakee county, where he resided with the exception of nine years spent in Clayton county, till he removed to Frankville in the spring of 1908. In the fall of 1920 he came to Decorah and for the past five years he has lived with his daughter, Mrs. J. A. Peck at 712 Washington St. On February 3rd this year, Mr. Waters fell ill but after several weeks recovered and had been quite well till Sunday afternoon April 18th he was stricken while asleep in his chair and without regaining consciousness he passed away at 4:30 P. M., April 20, 1926. Soon after coming to Iowa, Mr. Waters was married to Sarah Ann Overholt and to this union were born George, Elizabeth, William and Thomas. His wife died leaving the babe Thomas, but a week old George and Thomas preceded him in death seven years ago.

December 5, 1866, he married Mary Catherine Lyons, who died February 7, 1910. To this union were born Mrs. Susan Marston of Earlham, R. B. of Postville, Mrs. Jennie McKinley of Iowa City, Mrs. Kate Peck and Wallace of Decorah. Samuel, Chris and Calvin H. of Frankville. Mr. Waters was proud of his family, taking great pleasure in counting the number of grand children of whom there were thirty-seven, and great grand children, numbering twenty-five. Few men burdened with the care of motherless babes and an aged mother, kept pace with the times through the meager means of outside communication available in those early days, as did this man, storing up for future use a fund of useful knowledge we rarely find in the more modernly educated. Charitable in his views he made many friends who will miss him greatly.

About two years after coming to Frankville he united with the Presbyterian church which especially in later years became of deep interest to him and from this church home as by his request, his mortal remains were borne by his six stalwart sons to the little cemetery nearby on Thursday afternoon April 22, 1926.

Funeral services were held in the home at Decorah conducted by Rev. Burling at 12:30 and at the Community church at Frankville at 2 o'clock when Rev. J. C. Peck officiated and preached from Job 5-26. "Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in his season."

The sympathy of the community is extended to the bereaved ones in the loss of their beloved father and grandfather.

©Postville Herald April 29, 1926