WHITE, John 1851-1926

WHITE, GILLESPIE

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 3/30/2015 at 22:04:11

John White Passes Away Monday Afternoon

Was A Well Known Resident Of Grundy County For Nearly Fifty Years

County Treasurer 4 Years

Ailment That Would Not Yield to Treatment Started About Two Years Ago

After an illness of nearly two years duration, John White passed away at his home in this city at about four o'clock Monday afternoon, August 16, 1926, aged 75 years, 1 month and 10 days.

Born in Pleasant Valley, Jo Daviess county, Ill., July 6th, 1851, he was one of a family of nine children, three of whom are still living. They are: Mrs. Ada Weldon, of Grand Junction, Colorado ; Mrs. Martha Ritchie, of Savannah, Ill., and Thomas White, of Mt. Carroll, Ill.

Mr. White was married in February, 1879, to Miss Mary Gillespie, and during the following month moved to Grundy county, Iowa, locating on a farm near Conrad. Two children were born to them: Ada, now Mrs. Harry Wilhelm, living near this city, and Bess, at home. An adopted daughter, Lillie, came to live with them when six years of age and there remained until her marriage to E. O. Slifer.

In the fall of 1900 Mr. White was elected County Treasurer of Grundy county and moved from his farm near Conrad to Grundy Center and this city has been his home since.

As a county official he served his terms with credit to himself and most acceptably to those who elected him to office. He was an honest, upright man in all his dealings with his fellowmen and always had the confidence and respect of everyone who ever had dealings with him. He was a kind husband and father, a good neighbor and friend, and as such his memory will linger long in the memory of those who knew him.

For almost two years now, Mr. White had been failing very rapidly and particularly during the past three or four months he suffered several rather serious strokes. Late in the afternoon of Monday, as the shadows of eventide lengthened toward the west, tired and weary in the struggle against pain, the spirit took its departure and we are left behind, for a little season, in company with memory and with tears, looking wistfully in that direction from whence no traveler ever returns. May the great God of all comfort wipe away the tears and soothe the aching hearts in this lonely hour.

The funeral services were held Wednesday afternoon from the home and were largely attended by friends and neighbors . Out of respect for the departed all offices in the court house were closed during the funeral hour, Rev. Dr. H. C. Chambers of the First Presbyterian church, assisted by Rev. David Alexander, of the first Baptist church officiated. Two beautiful and appropriate selections were sung by Mrs. Howard L. Nickerson, accompanied by Miss Emma Kliebenstein. Interment was made in the Grundy Center cemetery.

Those attending the funeral from a distance were Mrs. Martha Ritchie (sister), Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Miller, Mr. Isaac Gillespie of Savanna, Ill., J. F. Black and daughters, Alice and Elizabeth, Waterloo, W. H. Stark and E. F. Hawbecker, Minneapolis, M. B. Coolidge, Albion, Iowa.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 19 August 1926, pg 1