Ward, Edwin R. d. 1906

WARD

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 2/4/2005 at 08:41:02

Edwin R. Ward, of 1017 West Ninth Street, died yesterday afternoon at 4 o’clock, after an illness of several months. A few days ago, seemingly convalescent, he was able to be up, but the revival was but temporary, and soon his strength began rapidly to fail, until yesterday afternoon when it became apparent that he would not survive the day, and friends were summoned to his bedside.

His brother, Hon. B. C. Ward, and the widow are the only members of the immediately family who reside here. A nephew in Vermont will probably attend the funeral, but two sisters who live at Underhill, Vermont, will be unable to come from that distance. The time for the funeral has not been fixed.

In 1869 he came west with his family and located at Prairie City in Jasper County, in this state. He engaged in business extensively there and for fifteen years was prominent in the affairs of that thriving community. He was always a republican and was elected Mayor and served several terms as a magistrate and was always among the first in movements for the public good and up building of the town. In 1894 he moved to Ottumwa to engage in more extensive business, and there broke down in health, coming to Des Moines where he since lived.

In Iowa, especially at Prairie City, and back in Vermont, he was noted for his vigorous insistence upon the strict enforcement of the law, and he engaged frequently in personally bearing the burden of compelling the enforcement particularly of liquor laws, aiding the duty of prosecuting violators of law in both states.

Mr. Ward was a member of Crocker Post, Grand Army of the Republic and of the Masonic Order, and in Prairie City became a member of the Congregational Church. ~ The Newton Daily News, Wednesday, May 9, 1906, Page 1, Column 5