Adams, Samuel Nicholas 'Nic' 1832-1924

ADAMS, SHOBART, HOWARD, DEBOW, PAUL, MOHN, WORMAN

Posted By: S. Ferrall - IAGenWeb volunteer
Date: 4/1/2015 at 16:55:21

One by one the surviving members of that Grand Army who answered to the call of the immortal Lincoln for the preservation of the Union, are passing from this life. The Death that could not daunt their spirits in '61 is winning the victory by the aid of his ally Time. But they have had the satisfaction of seeing the country for which they fought become truly re-united and the greatest country of the world today.

Saturday, February 16th, 1924, at six o'clock in the morning, the town clock sounded "Taps, Lights out" for another member of the G.A.R.; for at that very moment, Nic Adams, for many years a resident of our community and a familiar figure on our streets, answered the final "Roll Call," at the good old age of 91 years, 11 months and 5 days.

Samuel Nicholas Adams, son of Samuel Adams and his wife Susan, nee Shobart, was born March 11th, 1832, in Armstrong County, Pa. The first 25 years of his life were spent in the State of his birth. But when many settlers of the Eastern States began to think and speak of and to long for the "Young West," which was then struggling for a place on the map, young Adams bid farewell to his native State and came West, to Davenport, Iowa.

Here he did not remain very long, for in the fall of the same year (1855) he landed in Clayton County, Iowa, and found employment on the Jacob Howard farm, near Elkader.

On October 26th, 1858, he was married to Polly Maria Howard. for two years they lived on the Michael Uriell farm, then making their home on an 80 acre farm which they had bought from Jacob Howard.

As a patriotic citizen he responded to the country's call in 1862, and leaving his wife and two little children on the farm, he joined the army of the North, serving his country faithfully for three years and eleven months. Having received an honorable discharge at the close of the war, he returned home to family and friends.

He purchased the balance of the old Howard farm and later on also the Peter Miller farm. There the family lived until about 35 years ago, when they moved to Elkader, which has been their home ever since.

His faithful wife and companion of many years passed away March 24th, 1918.

Of the nine children born to them, two died in infancy, leaving four sons and three daughters to mourn the departure of the aged father: Orcames, of Arlington, Iowa; James of Volga, Iowa; Mrs. C.H. Debow, of Arlington, Iowa; Oren of Elkader, Iowa; Mrs. John Paul, of Redlands, Cal.; Henry, of Dubuque, Iowa and Mrs. George Mohn of Elkader, Iowa, where the departed had made his home the last years of his life.

He also leaves 34 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren, one sister, Mrs. Hanna Worman, 81 years old, of Warsaw, Mo., other relatives and a host of old time friends and neighbors.

Mr. Adams had a strong constitution and enjoyed comparatively good health, until of late years the infirmities of old age became visible, and during the last four weeks suffered intensely at times from the effects of Bright's Disease.

His daughter, Mrs. John Mohn, and the other children and relatives left nothing undone, to make his last days as comfortable as possible until he was called to enter into the rest for which he was longing.

Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon at 1:00 o'clock at the Evangelical church. Rev. C.H. Franke officiating. The local post of the American Legion turned out in a body and "Taps" was sounded as his remains were laid to rest in the East Side Cemetery.

~The Elkader Register, Thursday, February 21, 1924