Brock, John S. 1823-1897

BROCK, CRAWFORD

Posted By: S. Ferrall - IAGenWeb volunteer
Date: 2/17/2019 at 14:24:30

Death of an Early Settler
John S. Brock was born at Terra Haute, Ind., Feb. 14, 1823. While still a child he removed with his parents to Galena, Ill., where his boyhood and early youth was spent attending school and helping his father on the farm.

In 1847 he was married to Miss Sarah Crawford, of Galena. Ten children were born to them, all of whom are living but one, a little daughter which died in infancy.

In 1850 he came to Iowa, this country being still a wilderness, he returned to Galena where he farmed for two years, when he again moved to Iowa and bought a farm near Guttenberg where he lived until 1893 when he sold out and moved to Clayton.

In the spring of 1894 he moved to a farm near North McGregor where he lived at the time of his death.

John S. Brock died on Aug. 20, 1897, at the age of seventy four years, six months and five days.

His illness was long and painful but he bore it with a patient and heroic fortitude, and, "died as calmly as if going to sleep."

He was a warm friend, a kind husband and indulgent father, a law abiding and an honest man, and it would afford us a melancholy gratification to detail the difficulties and privations he encountered in the early settlement of this country, and the energy and manliness with which he met the responsibilities of pioneer life; but we are not furnished with the data, and hence this sketch can not be historical though the subject of it eminently merits, and invites a biographic article knowing our deceased friend to have been a man of unquestioned integrity averse to the application or the reception of flattery, we dare not insuit his memory by the smooth terms exclusive praise.

He leaves to mourn this great loss an aged widow who has shared his joys and sorrows for nearly half a century. He leaves three sons and five daughters, all of whom were present but one who was detained by sickness in her family.

Another good man has passed away but it is consoling to know, that he left no enemies, but all who knew him were his friends.

Funeral services were held at his residence, Sunday morning, after which the remains were taken to Garnavillo, where the Masons of Guttenberg of which order he had been an honored member for a number of years, took charge of the remains.

The bereaved widow and orphans have the sympathy of a large number of relatives and friends who mourn with them in their affliction.

~McGregor News, Wednesday, August 25, 1897

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Word was received here Friday morning by telephone, from McGregor, announcing the death of John Brock, Sr., who resided near North McGregor. Deceased was past 74 years of age and an old settler of this county, coming here some thirty years, and purchasing a farm on Buck Creek, where he lived until an little over two years ago when he sold his farm and purchased another at Pleasant Ridge, about two and a half miles north-west of North McGregor, where he resided at the time of his demise. Mr. Brock was a man of sterling character, stead, sober and honest. He was a member of the Prairie la Port lodge, A.F. & A.M. of this city, who took charge of the remains and interred them in Garnavillo. He was the father of eight children, John, Hirma, William, Lizzie, Isabell, ,Edith, Delia and Laura, some of which with his wife, are left to mourn his loss.

~Guttenberg Press, Wednesday, August 25, 1897 (Local notes column)

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John Brock, of Pleasant Ridge, after a protracted illness of many years, died Thursday and was buried Sunday at Garnavillo under the auspices of the Masonic Fraternity, of which order he had always been a devoted member.

~Guttenberg Press, Wednesday, August 25, 1897 (McGregor news column)