Skinner, William

SKINNER, ALEXANDER

Posted By: NettieMae
Date: 1/8/2017 at 08:41:30

The Clinton Weekly News Saturday, January 23, 1886

ANOTHER PIONEER GONE.
Mr. William Skinner Lays Down the Burden of Life.

Clinton county loses another of her oldest and most respected citizens in the death of Mr. William Skinner, who died at his home on the corner of Fourth street and Eighth avenue, at five minutes before 10 o'clock Wednesday night, after a long and painful illness from that dread disease, dropsy. For the past three years the deceased has been a sufferrer from the disease and for upwards of a week previous to his death he sat in an easy chair and could not be moved in the least. What he suffered during that time no pen can tell and death was a relief.

Mr. Skinner was born in Portsmouth, England, on March 25, 1815, and spent the earlier years of his life in the city of London, where he learned the business of furrier. In 1850 he emigrated to America and immediately upon his arrival in this country purchased land in this county, although he remained in New York, where he worked at his business. In 1856 he married Miss Belinda Alexander, a native of England. In 1857 he came as far West as Chicago, where he remained one year and removed to his farm in Clinton county, and for several years followed the life of a farmer. In 1866 he again determined to open the furrier business and did so in Lyons, afterwards removing to this city, where he built up a large and lucrative business. A number of years ago the deceased erected the fine block on the corner of Fourth street and Eighth avenue, in which he conducted his business until his retirement, about two years since. The deceased was prominently identified with the spiritulists of this vicinity, in which faith he died. He was the Secretary of the Mt. Pleasant Park Spiritualist Association since its organization, and formerly owned the land upon which the Park is situated.

Mr. Skinner was well known throughout this and Jackson counties as an honest, conscientious man, and his death will be regretted by many. His aged wife and an adopted son, Daniel, are left to mourn the loss of a loving husband and a kind father.

Thus, one by one the old settlers of the county are passing away. Gone, but not forgotten.