Thomas Rae

RAE

Posted By: Rebecca Foster (email)
Date: 8/20/2015 at 18:35:59

DEATH VISITED UPON THOS. RAE.

Early Settler and Prominent Farmer Answers Death's Call Thursday, November 23 After Brief Illness.

NEPHRITIS IS THE CAUSE OF DEATH.

Funeral Held Saturday Afternoon and Interment Made in Dow City Cemetery--Many Attend Funeral.

Thomas Rae, an early settler and a prominent farmer and business man of the county, died at his home near Dow City on November 23rd, after an illness so brief that that many of his friends did not know of his sickness until notified of his death. It was but a few days ago that he was upon the streets of Denison looking as hale and hearty as at any time within the last ten years. The cause of his death is said to have been nephritis. This is of such an insidious character that he had probably been afflicted unconsciously for some time and the fatal result came when but recently he was attacked by a severe cold and the disease assumed an acute form.

The deceased was born at Kettle Bridge, King's Kettle, Fifshire, Scotland, on September 30, 1841, being just a little past his seventieth birthday at the time of his death. He came to this country in 1863 when but a little past twenty-one years of age, and worked for a number of years in the cotton mills at Biddleford, Maine. He was united in marriage to Miss Jennie Allen on April 10, 1865, who has been, during all these years, his faithful companion and helpmeet, and still survives him. To them were born six children: Mary, now deceased; Thomas, at home; Nettie living in Des Moines, Willie, deceased; Allen, living in Chicago, and James, at Iowa City. Mr. and Mrs. Rae moved to Crawford county and located on a 60 acre farm, which he had previously occurred and which has continued to be his home ever since. He had a successful career and added largely to his original purchase, until now his land, holdings amount to several hundred acres. Both he and his wife were charter member of the Methodist Episcopal church at Dow City and have been consistent and devoted members ever since its organization.

Thomas Rae was a man possessed of more than ordinary ability and it was but natural that his life should have been impressed upon the community in which he lived. He was physically a vigorous man and displayed unusual energy. He was ambitious to be a leader among his fellowmen and to master problems affecting the welfare of the state. There were few, if any, people in this county who were better posted on the matters pertaining to the welfare, not only of the farmers, but people generally, than Mr. Rae. He was the firstman in the tenth congressional district to write his congressman urging him to favor the passage of a rate law, which afterwards passed during the Roosevelt administration. He had firm convictions on public questions and wherever a moral issue was involved he sought to throw his influence on the side of right. While it cannot be said that Mr. Rae was without faults, it must be said that his virtues far outweighed them and when his character is analyzed, one discovers that his errors could be largely charged to over-enthusiasm for what he thought was right, and perhaps for want of diplomacy at times in meeting and dealing with people. No foreign-born citizen ever took more interest in his adopted country and was a better friend and more devoted to its interest than Mr. Rae toward this country.

The funeral service were held on Saturday afternoon at the Methodist Episcopal church at Dow City, the pastor of the church, Rev. Joseph Stephen and J.M. Boyd, a former pastor of the church at Dow City, officiating. An unusually large attendance was present, not only of his neighbors and immediate friends, but people from every part of the county attended the services after which the body was taken to Dow City cemetery for burial.

Source: The Denison Review, Denison, Crawford, IA., 29 Nov 1911.