Evans, Joseph S (1841-1933)

EVANS, LOWRIE, JACOBSON, HINMAN, DEO, HAKES, ALDERSON

Posted By: Debbie Greenfield (email)
Date: 4/17/2017 at 07:39:29

Webster City Freeman, Webster City, Iowa, Monday, December 13, 1933

J.S. EVANS, 92, DIES AT HOME IN STRATFORD

Was Last Civil War Veteran in County Outside Webster City

FUNERAL SUNDAY

Had Been Long Time Resident of Stratford Community

Joseph S. Evans, 92, of Stratford, better known to his many friends there as "Uncle Joe", died at his home Thursday morning, following a long illness. He had been in very poor health for the past four or five years and the last few weeks had found him gradually growing weaker. Death was caused by ailments incident to old age.

Mr. Evans was one of three Civil war veterans in Hamilton county. The other two are Wesley Martin and E.N. Lee, both of Webster City.

He is survived by three daughters - Miss Belle Evans and Mrs. Josie Lowrie, at home, and Mrs. Albert Jacobson, who lives on a farm near Stanhope. He also leaves three sisters, Mrs. S.M. Hinman, of Sheridan, Wyo, Mrs. Carrie Deo of Chicago, "Aunt Mollie" Evans, of Webster City, and a brother, Tom S. Evans, of Montour. There are also several nieces and nephews.

Mrs. Evans died in 1924 and five children have also preceded him in death.

Joseph Evans was born in Salisbury, N.Y., June 8, 1841, his parents being Mr. and Mrs. Robert Evans. He was one of a family of 12 children. The family went to Illinois from where Mr. Evans enlisted in the Union army, during the Civil war, in 1861. He was in the army during practically all of the war, being in Co. E, 39th Illinois volunteer infantry.

During one of the battles he was shot through the throat and at the same time the captain of his company had one of his legs shot off. Mr. Evans carried his captain from the field before receiving medical attention himself, and later, after being dismissed from the hospital, he reentered the army.

At the conclusion of the war in 1865 he returned to Illinois and in 1900 [newspaper a little smeared so not sure of the year] the Evans family came to Iowa, settling on a farm near Stanhope. They made the trip in a covered wagon, Mr. Evans driving 40 head of cattle.

For several years before his marriage he was foreman of the Theyck farm - a large stock farm near Hook's point - and after his marriage to Miss Celestia Hakes, March 29, 1869, he lived on a farm near what is now Stratford, and later moved to a farm in the Lake Center community.

With the exception of two years spent in Montana about 13 years ago, Mr. Evans and his wife had always made their home in the Stanhope-Stratford community where they were widely known, Mrs. Evans died in 1924.

He retired from active farming to carry mail in the country and he was in this work for about 14 years. Following that he retired and had spent most of the time at his home in Stratford.

He was a member of the Methodist church and for many years of the G.A.R. posts at Stratford and Webster City. He often attended functions of the Winfield Scott post of Webster City, where he was widely known and only yesterday the family received an invitation for him to attend one of the Christmas affairs for the old soldiers, being planned in Webster City.

His poor health made it impossible for him to make the drive to Webster City to attend any of these functions in later years, but local women who were sponsoring them always remembered him with an invitation.

He took a prominent part in the affairs of Stratford for many years and had a host of friends there, at Stanhope and Webster City who will remember him for his prominence in the circles in which he once took such an active part.

[according to Find A Grave for Lawn Hill Cemetery, rural Stanhope, Iowa where he is buried - his parents were Robert Owen and Isabella Louise Alderson Evans]