John McIlwraith 1845-1928

MCILWRAITH, GIBB, MUTCH

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 4/27/2014 at 15:20:44

Was 83 Years
John McIlwraith of Dolliver died at the age of 83 Friday afternoon. A week ago Monday he suffered a stroke and soon lapsed into unconsciousness. He had been retired from active work 12 years.

Funeral services were held Monday at the church in Dolliver by the Rev. O.P. Mueller and burial was made in the Dolliver cemetery. Pall bearers were W.C. Olson, Wm. Maron, Olaf Twedt, Ed Stannerson, I.J. Fowler, and H.O. Burdette. A mixed quartet was composed of Mrs. Eckhart, Mrs. Olaf Twedt, Mrs. Oatts and O.J. Olson, with Mrs. Flun at the piano.

John McIlwraith was born March 5, 1845, in Girvan, Scotland. At the age of 19 he came to the United States. He lived in Illinois 7 years and in 1871 came to Tama county, Iowa. He was married to Jean Gibb Sept. 11, 1883, at Traer. Mrs. McIlwraith did in 1926. He is survived by a son, William Gibb McIlwraith of Dolliver, and Mrs. Jeanette Mutch of Detroit, Mich.

More than 50 years ago he helped in building of the Amity Presbyterian church near Reinbeck and he always helped support the church at Dolliver. (Estherville News, Estherville, IA, March 28, 1928)

John McIllwraith was born in Girvan, Scotland on March 5th, 1845.

At the age of 19 years he came to the United States, living the first seven years in Illinois. In 1871 he came to Tama county, Iowa. It was in this county at Traer he was married to Jean Gibb, on September 11th, 1883. This lady died on July 4th, 1926.

A son and a daughter remain; they are William Gibb McIlwraith of Dolliver and Mrs. Jeanette Mutch of Detroit, Mich.

Mr. McIlwraith retired from real active life about 12 years ago. On Monday, March 19th, he became the victim of a stroke and soon lapsed into unconsciousness lingering however until Friday, March 23, when he passed away at 3:30 in the afternoon.

True to Scotch ancestry his church preference was the Presbyterian church, and true to honored pioneer principles he was interested in maintaining a church and so, more than 50 years ago he helped prominently in building the first building of the Amity Presbyterian church near Reinbeck, Iowa, and he always responded to the financial call of the church at Dolliver.

Mr. McIlwraith was too retiring to take part in public life. Hard work were both his notion and experience. None but the characteristic Scotch constitution could have endured the four score and there years of stress and strain to which he subjected himself.

He became truly a ripened stalk for the reaper and sickle of him we call “death.”

The course of his long life has reached, at last, the common harbor. He belonged to a type

“Oft, did the harvest to their sickle yield,
Their furrow oft the stubborn glebe has broke;
How jocund did they drive their team afield!
How bowed the woods beneath their sturdy stroke.”

Funeral services were held at the church in Dolliver at 2:00 o’clock on Monday, March 26th conducted by Rev. O.P. Mueller of the church.

The body was interred at the Dolliver cemetery.

The pallbearers were W.C. Olson, Wm. Maron, Olaf Twedt, Ed Stannerson, I.J. Fowler and H.O. Burdette.

A mixed quartet composed of Mrs. Eckhart and Mrs. Olaf Twedt, and Messrs. Oatts and O.J. Olson were the singers with Mrs. Finn at the piano. (Vindicator and Republican, Estherville, IA, March 28, 1928 / Estherville Enterprise, Estherville, IA, March 28, 1928)