Vaughan, William, Jr. 1817-1891

VAUGHAN, SEYMOUR, EBERHART

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 1/22/2012 at 15:06:43

An Old and respected Citizen Gone

Death of William Vaughan

Died – At his house in Newton, Friday, August 14, 1891, Mr. William Vaughan in the 74th year of his age.

The funeral services were held at the family home in this city, on Monday, at 4:30 p.m. conducted by Rev. C. C. Harrah. The attendance was very large. It is deeply impressive to see such a multitude of strong business men as were present on that occasion so manifestly conscious of the loss they had sustained by the death of Mr. Vaughan. For 35 years he has been a representative business man here and a leader in the enterprises of the community. He was known by everybody and as universally respected as he was known. Many came in from the country to show their respect for the man by attendance at the funeral services. It is unusual to see so many good men and women at a funeral and all there as sincere mourners. Life is, not a failure when one can pursue a business for 35 years in one community and while diligent in it, win the confidence of the whole community. William Vaughan was born near Buffalo, N. Y., and would have been 74 years old had he lived until the 30th of this month. He went to Michigan when 21 years of age, where he continued to live until he moved to Newton in 1858, where he engaged in the hardware business, the firm being Vaughan & Seymour. He was married to Miss Almyra Seymour in 1846. Five children were born to the, three of whom are now living; Fred, the oldest son, is engaged in a successful business in California; Henry for sometime has been in partnership with his father here in the hardware and agricultural implement business, Ella is the wife of one of our good business men, D. J. Eberhart. Mrs. Vaughan and all the family and relatives, have the sympathy of the entire community.

Few men have lived, labored and died in our community whose influence for good has been greater than that of Mr. Vaughan. As a business man he was honest, straight forward and manly. In his domestic relations he was all that was desirable, a kind husband and an indulgent father. As a neighbor he was held in the highest estimation. And citizen, he was wide awake, enterprising and progressive. In all relations of life, he was one whose epitath is written by kindly acts on the hearts of all who knew him.

One of his great characteristics was that of charity, the charity that “thinketh no evil,” the charity that “covereth a multitude of sins,” the charity that gives with a liberal hand to all worthy objects. In his private life he was quiet, gentle, unobtrusive, never seeking public honors.

As a token of the respect he was held by our citizens all places of business in our city were closed during the time of the funeral and the beautiful floral offerings that surrounded the casket attested how loving a place he held in the hearts of our people.
At about 6 o'clock, followed by a long line of relatives and friends, his body was conveyed to our beautiful cemetery and laid to rest, where he sleeps in the honor of his long adopted home and among the friends he loved so well. The sod, green under the smile of a laughing, summer, lies lightly on his breast and the native forest dewey with nature's tear drops mourns a requiem over his grave.

He rests now; quietly sleeps. ~ The Newton (IA) Journal 03 Feb 1881.

Transcriber note: The following is from Newton Union Cemetery Records; Vaughan William Jr. 73 Friday, August 14, 1891 born 10/30/1817