James Le Gassick 1830-1903

LE GASSICK, HAYES, SUPER

Posted By: Cheryl Locher Moonen (email)
Date: 4/3/2017 at 18:32:24

James Le Gassick

James Le Gassick died at his home in Bremen township on 17th, 1903. Mr. Le Gassick was born in London, England, on July 19th 1830, and came to this country with his parents in 1841. The family first settled in Ohio, but moved from there to Cook County, Illinois, in 1848 and from there to the farm on which he died, in 1852.

He was married in 1857 to Miss Sophia Hayes, who survives him. They had but one child, John Le Gassick, who with his wife and four children will continue to live on the farm which was occupied by his father for more than half a century.

Last spring the deceased suffered for several weeks from a sever bronchial difficulty, accompanied by a weak heart; but he recovered from that attack and it was thought that his recovery was complete, until four weeks ago past Sunday when premonitory symptoms of a return of his previous illness made their appearance. At no time however was he considered dangerously sick. He was not
confined to his bed until the day before he died, and his last hours were so peaceful that his family thought the he was enjoying a peaceful sleep.

No man in Delaware county enjoyed the confidence and respect of the people to a greater extent than James Le Gassick, and he deserved all that he enjoyed.

No man's bond was any better than James Le Gassick's word. Incapable of duplicity or falsehood, he could be depended upon to stand for what he believed to be right.

He served the people of his township as assessor for three years, as township clerk for four years, as secretary of the school board for sixteen years, and as justice of the peace for sixteen years. He also held the office of county supervisor under the former system for nine years, and when the law was changed and this county had but three supervisors, he was elected on the democratic ticket as one of the three. A year ago last fall he was again nominated by the democrats for the office of county supervisor and elected to that position,
running upwards of a 1000 votes ahead of the other candidates on the ticket.

The deceased was a member of Oneida Lodge, I.O.O.F., and his brother Odd Fellows had charge of the funeral.

Rev. R. F. Super, past of the M.E.church at Earlville, preached the funeral sermon, and spoke feelingly of Mr. Le Gassick's kindness and generosity. His years, the speaker said, were filled with deeds and words, and that to his personal knowledge several poor persons would miss their kind-hearted benefactor.

The funeral was held at the family residence and was very largely attended. The procession that escorted the remains to the cemetery in Earlville was upwards of a mile in length.

Manchester Democrat, Manchester, Iowa, December 23, 1903