Woodward, Silas T. 1828 - 1883

WOODWARD, SMITH

Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 6/30/2016 at 01:13:46

Elkader Register, Fri., 4 Jan. 1884.

On Monday the sad news reached Elkader, of the death of Silas T. Woodward, one of the early settlers of Clayton county, which occurred on Sunday evening last, at Independence, after a long sickness. For a long time he has been a patient sufferer, and has gone to his reward.

Mr. Woodward was a native of Vermont, in which state he was born Jan. 23rd, 1828, thus lacking only a few days of being 56 years of age, at the time of his death. He resided with his parents in Grand Isle county, Vt., and removed with them to Clinton county, N.Y., and afterward to Farmersburg township, this county, where they settled in 1848. While residing in New York he taught school for a short time and on his arrival in Iowa, taught a select school in Garnavillo. In 1854 he returned to Clinton county, New York, where he was married to Esther A. Smith, whom with two children, Charles H., and Frances Emma, are left to mourn the loss of a kind husband and indulgent parent.

After his marriage Mr. Woodward again returned to Clayton county, and located at National, where he resided until 1858, when he received the appointment of deputy clerk, and removed to Guttenberg, then the county seat. He served as deputy clerk for two terms, during which time he read law, and was admitted to the bar in March 1860. When the county seat was removed to Elkader in 1860, he moved here, and has since been identified with the growth of Elkader. He was one of the prime movers in the establishment of the First National Bank, of this place, and for several years was one of the directors. In 1881 he purchased a coal mine at Knoxville and removed to that place in 1882, but with his family returned to Elkader early in 1883.

The funeral occurred on Thursday at 10 o'clock. Services being held at the M.E. church by Rev. Whitford and his remains laid to their final rest in the cemetery on the east side.