Forbes, Charles M. 1848-1895

FORBES, CAUFFMAN, BRADBURY, LEMON, PRICE, PLUM, LONG, ANDERSON, HICKS, REED, WHEELER, BREEDEN

Posted By: Ken Johnson (email)
Date: 9/26/2021 at 13:43:37

From the Thurs., 29 Aug. 1895 issue of "Lancaster Teller" (Lancaster, WI), page 8, column 2:

Death of C. M. Forbes in Oregon.

Mrs. M. A. Reed received a week ago the sad news of the death of her brother Charles at his home in Portland, Oregon. The daily Oregonian of that city contains a column biographical sketch. The deceased Charles was born at Garnavillo, Iowa in 1848. At the age of 13 years, his mother then being a widow, Charles went with others to Cherokee. The settlement there was raided the next summer by Indians and the people fled for their lives. Charles returned home and in an enfeebled condition from malaria remained for a short time in the care of his brother-in-law, Dr. D. W. [sic] Reed. When restored to health he went to Columbia, Mo., the home of his aunt, Mrs. Lemon, (formerly Mrs. Major Price.) He was a student at the university until war times. In ’62 Dr. Reed was a surgeon at Benton Barracks, St. Louis. He resigned on account of ill health and went to Washington county, Pa. Charles followed and while attending school made his home with his sister, in Cannonsburg. For a season he was employed on a line of steamers between Pittsburg and New Orleans, but quit on account of yellow fever. He returned to Iowa, then to Grant County. Clerked awhile in Mr. Hicks’s store in Bloomington. Had his home mostly with his sister, Mrs. J. C. Long, on the Price farm and with Mrs. Reed then residing in Cassville. In 1870 he was an attendant at the asylum in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, and becoming superintendent of that institution remained there until 1875. Married Miss Clara Cauffman there and removed to Stockton, Cal., where he had charge of the Howe Machine Co. business. His wife died there and he moved with his mother and little son Fred Forbes to Portland, Oregon. There he had fine success in the new plan of sales on installment. He was in the furniture business with a Mr. Wheeler which continued until the death of the latter. Then the firm of Forbes & Breeden became remarkably successful and popular and continued until the death of Mr. Forbes. He had been in poor health and recently returned from a resort on the sea shore seeking improvement. After return home he seemed to be growing better. Especially on the morning of his decease, cheerful and hopeful he bade his wife to get her some breakfast and then to bring him some. She went. Returning in fifteen minutes she found him lying apparently as she had left him, but he was dead.

Two brothers, Eugene and Ben, and four sisters, Mrs. Harrietee [sic] Plum, Mrs. J. C. Long of Tacoma, Mrs. Cecelia Anderson of Forbestown, Cal. and Mrs. M. A. Reed survive. Eugene is special deputy collector of in that district [sic: word apparently missing after “of”] and was at his brother’s house soon after his death. The surviving wife, nee Miss Bradbury, he married in Portland in 1889.

C. M. Forbes had served as a member of the city council of Portland for three years. Had he lived he was regarded as a possible successor as police commissioner. He was always a Republican.