Andrew Leslie Newton 1857-1915

NEWTON, PINGREY

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 7/3/2010 at 16:27:59

Andrew Leslie Newton was born in Pennsylvania, August 21, 1857, and died in St. Paul, Minn., at 5:00 a.m. May 27, 1915. His youthful days were spent in attending the public schools, where he acquired a good education and later taught school for a time. His parents decided to cast in their lot with the growing western country and moved to southern Minnesota, where he made his home for several years.

On the twentieth of May, 1886, he was married to Mary Pingrey of Estherville. They made their home in Iowa for some time, but about twenty-eight year ago they went to St. Paul, Minn. where they have since resided. Their two daughters have grown to womanhood, the one being a teacher in the public schools of St. Paul and the other one is to graduate next week from the University of Minnesota.

Mr. Newton was converted and united with the Methodist church at the age of fifteen, of which church he remained a member until after moving to St. Paul, where he later united with the First Baptist church. He has been a regular church attendant all his life and an active worker for the Lord’s cause. He has taken an active part in Sunday school work for many years being a Sunday school teacher. Having a good voice for singing he was often found in his own church choir, where he loved to assist in the musical part of the worship. His example has been the best wherever he has been. In the home the wife and children looked upon him as an ideal husband and father. In the neighborhood he was held in high esteem by all. In the church he was the kind of member that always pleases the pastor’s heart.

In his place of daily employment he lived the religion he professed. For more than twenty-five years he has been in the employ of express companies. For the past several years he has been employed in the express office of the Great Northern railroad at St. Paul He was held in the highest esteem by all his co-laborers and the agent under whom he worked said after his death that they could not find a man to fill his place, as there was not another like him in 10,000.

He leaves to mourn his departure, his loving wife, who so tenderly cared for him during his last sickness, and who has shared his joys and sorrows for the last twenty years, two daughters, one sister and five brothers.

The body was brought to Estherville, Saturday p.m., and taken to the home of Mr. Newton’s father-in-law, A.A. Pingrey, on North Eighth street. The funeral services were held in the Union Baptist church at 3:00 p.m., Sunday, being conducted by Rev. J. Frederick Catlin. The body was laid to rest in the Pingrey lot in Oak Hill cemetery.

Mrs. Newton and daughters were accompanied to Estherville by a brother, David Pingrey, and wife, of Wisconsin. (Estherville Enterprise, Estherville, IA, June 2, 1915; also The Vindicator and Republican, June 2, 1915)