James D. Sidles 1850-1909

SIDLES

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 2/19/2012 at 01:11:42

Obituary – Sidles
J.D. Sidles was born May 8th, 1850, in Somerset County, Tenn. When he was five years of age his parents came to Illinois, locating in Stevenson County. On the 24th day of March, 1864, at 14 years of age he at length was sworn into service as a drummer to the 93 Illinois Regiment. He soon threw away his drum and took a gun. The regiment, to which he was attached was assigned to duty at Camp Fry, Chicago, guarding prisoners, and at the end of four months it was sent to Camp Butler, Springfield, Ill., where it remained in the same duty. Mr. Sidles received an honorable discharge, being mustered out on the 26th of March, 1865.

Mr. Sidles came to Emmet Co., Iowa, settling on a farm one mile east of Huntington, where he has lived for 17 years. He leaves a wife and four sons: John H. Sidles and Jesse Sidles of Huntington; George B. Sidles, of Oakes, N.D., and H. W. Sidles, of Minnesota.

Mr. Sidles had gone to Iowa City to undergo a surgical operation for hernia, which proved a success, but in a few days later pneumonia set in, of which he died on Thursday evening, April 8. His two sons were with him and brought the remains to his home. The funeral services were conducted by his pastor, Rev. Fred Grantham, at Huntington on Sunday morning, April 11. The large number attending the funeral attested the esteem in which he was held by his friends and neighbors. Interment was made in the East Side cemetery at Estherville. Mr. Sidles was a Christian since early manhood and will be missed from his place in church where he was class-leader and teacher of the Bible classes in Sunday school.

Farewell dear husband and father sweet thy rest
Weary with years and worn with pain.
Farewell ‘till in some happy place
We shall see thy dear face again.

‘Tis ours to miss thee all these years,
And tender memories of thee keep.
Thine in the Lord to rest
For so he giveth his beloved sleep.

We shall meet, but we shall miss him,
There will be one vacant chair.
Lord to thee we humbly bow,
Knowing thou doest all things well.

Mary J. Sidles
(Vindicator and Republican, Estherville, IA, April 21, 1909)

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J. D. SIDLES OF HUNTINGTON DIED AT IOWA CITY LAST FRIDAY

FUNERAL HELD AT HUNTINGTON

A telephone message was received in Huntington last Friday morning announcing the death, at Iowa City Thursday night [April 7, 1909] of Mr. J. D. Sidles, for many years well known and highly respected citizen of Emmet county who lived within one mile of Huntington.

He was taken seriously ill with pneumonia and his two sons, John and Harry were summoned to Iowa City, where, as was stated last week, Mr. Sidles had gone to undergo an operation, and were with him when he passed away.

The operation [for hernia] was successful and he was thought to be out of danger when pneumonia set in resulting in his immediate death.

The funeral services were held at the M. E. church at Huntington Sunday morning at 10 o'clock, and the remains were brought to Estherville for interment in East Side cemetery.

J. D. Sidles was born May 3, 1850 in Illinois. About 43 years ago Mr. and Mrs. Sidles were married in Illinois. The family came to Iowa 17 years ago and settled in Emmet county near Huntington. Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Sidles, John, Bert, Harry and Jessie.

Mr. Sidles was a zealous worker in the church whose members will feel their loss keenly in the death of so worthy a member. He was a man beloved by all who knew him, always having a kind and cheering word for everyone he met. If there was sickness in the community Mr. Sidles was always the first to administer to both their physical and spiritual wants. At the death bed it was he who spoke words of comfort to the sorrowing and prayed with the departing and helped the dying sinner to make his peace with God. He was a kind father and loving husband, and the Sidles family know the people of the community so well that no additional words from us are necessary in the way of assurance to them that they have the sympathy of all.

Contributed by: Ruth Hackett. Source: Northern Vindicator and Republican, Estherville, Emmet County, Iowa; April 14, 1909.