Swan, Jonathan Winford 1815 - 1904

SWAN, MATHEWS, BURROUGHS, STALLINGS

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 5/14/2005 at 10:40:53

The Newton Journal June 1, 1904
Death of An Old Settler

Swan, Jonathan Winford

Died - At the residence of his son, S. B. Swan, in Newton, May 27, 1904, Jonathan Swan, aged 88 years, 6 months and 11 days.

Deceased was born in Rowan county, North Carolina, November 17, 1815, going to Overton, Tenn., when six years old, remaining there two years, returning to his parents and remaining five years, and then going back to Overton, and from there went to Morgan county, Illinois.

Here, on May 14, 1834, he married Nancy Mathews. In 1836, they emigrated to Van Buren county. In 1845, they came to Jasper county, located in Lynn Grove township, and on the farm where the funeral was held.

His wife died in 1892. Nine children was (sic) born to this union, five of whom are still living. They are S. B. Swan of this city, Mrs. J. W. Burroughs of Marshalltown, G. W. Swan of Lynnville, Iowa, S. P. Swan of Sully, Iowa, and Mrs. Mary E. Stallings of Milburn, Nebraska, all but the last named being present at the funeral.

He was the first treasurer of Jasper county, having been elected in April 1746 (sic). How long he held the office we cannot learn from the records. He lived a plain and wholesome farmers' life thereby keeping in close touch with nature and nature's God. He was a kind and loving father and leaves three sons and two daughters to mourn his loss. His end was peaceful and his life faded away slowly and gradually, like the setting of a summer's sun. His mind was clear up to the last moment when the spark of life began to grow dim. Each moment it became less bright when the darkness of death lowered over all and his spirit passed from time to eternity.

The body was taken to Lynnville on Saturday and buried in the Swan cemetery on Sunday, attended by one of the largest crowds that ever gathered in Lynn Grove on a like occasion.

Originally submitted on Sun May 19 10:47:54 2002 by Christy Jay, Jaygenie@aol.com