John Aronson Woolman 1835 - 1922

WOOLMAN, BALDWIN, SMITH

Posted By: A.M.W. (email)
Date: 2/12/2006 at 20:22:22

Salem Weekly News – March 16, 1922

Death has again entered our community and claimed as its own one of our most highly respected citizens in the person of Mr. John Aronson Woolman, for many years a resident of Iowa and much of this time a fellow citizen of Salem.

John Aronson Woolman was born in Columbiana County, Ohio, March 24, 1835. In the spring of 1842 he came with his parents to Iowa and settled on a farm east of Salem where he grew to manhood. Here he was married to Elizabeth C. Baldwin May 25, 1864.

Immediately after this, he located on a farm in Lee County and in 1906, he moved to the village of Salem where he lived continuously until his death which occurred Monday evening, March 16, 1922 after a long illness, at the advanced age of 86 years, 11 months, and 10 days.

March 7, 1880,. Mr. Woolman united on confession of faith with the Concord Cumberland Presbyterian Church (now Mt. Hamill). In this church he served as an elder from 1887 and as clerk of the session from 1892 until he moved from that community. In all these relationships he was true and faithful, doing his work with a keen sense of his personal responsibility.

After moving to Salem, Mr. Woolman transferred his membership, by letter, to the Congregational Church of which he remained a true and loyal member until he passed to the Great Beyond. Until his last illness, he was very seldom absent from the Sunday School and from the morning preaching service where his soul delighted to worship.

Having lived in the community so many years and having multiplied his points of contact with the people in so many ways, he had so clearly revealed the real spirit of his life in all his relationships, that his character stands forth in definite outlines as an Epistle known and read of all men.

The end has now come. He has come down to the closing event of this earthly life full of years and rich in Christian experience----like the well ripened grain ready for the harvest.

He leaves to mourn his departure his faithful and devoted, aged wife who now sits in loneliness in her home. He also leaves two sisters, Mrs. Martha Smith of Spokane, Washington, and Mrs. Charlotte Smith of Sibley, Iowa, and many other relatives and numerous friends who will long cherish his memory.

The funeral service was held at the Congregational Church at 2:30 Wednesday afternoon, March 8th conducted by his pastor Rev. C. Vincent, assisted by Rev. Mr. Minear of Mt. Pleasant.