Cating, Morris 1821-1908

CATING, WOODWORTH

Posted By: volunteer (email)
Date: 10/19/2005 at 21:57:01

Morris Cating died yesterday at the age of eighty-six years. With his death there passes from Jasper County a man who always exerted an influence for good, who was honored and respected by kindred, neighbors and friends, and who in a quiet unostentatious way made much of his long life.

Mr. Cating was born in the year 1821 in Jackson Co., Ohio. In his boyhood he moved to Warren County, Indiana, where he married in 1840 Miss Melissa Woodworth. Two children, his son, C. M. Cating, whose home is near Galesburg, and Mrs. Mary Snodgrass, were born of this union.

This wife died and he then married her sister, Miss Ezrelda Woodworth. To them was born one daughter, Mrs. Martha Butin, of Des Moines.

In 1852, fifty-five years ago, Mr. Cating came to Monroe, Iowa, with a sister-in-law and child, where the husband was already located. While here on this trip he purchased of M. Dearinger two hundred acres of land just below Galesburg for $1,300. That was a big sum of money at that time and bought a pretty good-sized farm at $6.50 per acre. In 1864 Mr. Cating sold that farm at $84.00 per acre and bought a fine farm just north of Galesburg, which he owned at the time of his death. Forty-two years was spent in that locality. Then thirteen years ago with his third wife, to whom he was married about thirty-one years ago, he moved to Newton and purchased the home at 218 East North Street, where his death occurred.

During the Civil War Mr. Cating was a father to the whole neighborhood where he resided. His son, C. M. Cating, and many other husbands, who went into service left their affairs in his hands, sent him money for their families and depended on him seeing that they were provided for and they all went to him for counsel.

He was a worker in the Christian Church since his early manhood. Having joined while still living in Indiana, and when he came to Galesburg became a charter member of the Christian Church when it was organized in 1859. He is the last charter member of that organization to pass away.

Before the war he was a Douglas Democrat, but since the close of that strife has always been a Republican. The only time he has been down town in one or two years was when taken to the poles to vote.

When he celebrated his eighty-sixth birthday, only fifteen days before his death, in a conversation with his son, he made the remark that he wondered why he was still left to live on when there was nothing more for him to do. Death came to him in a beautiful way at last. For a number of weeks and even months he had been in momre comfortable health than usual and yesterday morning after breakfast he went to the wood house to chop some kindling. He had returned to the house once, but had again gone out into the yard, where he was found by those who were always watchful of him, lying with his head resting on an arm sleeping his last sleep.

He is survived by his wife and his three children. The son arrived at the home yesterday and the daughters, Mrs. M. E. Butin, of Des Moines, and Mrs. Mary Snodgrass, of Delta, came last night.

The funeral was held this afternoon from the Christian Church, Rev. W. W. Hess, of the Presbyterian Church officiating.

The Newton Daily News, Thursday, January 2, 1908

Mr. and Mrs. C. L. Cating and Mrs. M. E. Butin left this morning via Monroe for Williamsport, Indiana, with the body of their father, Morris Cating, whose death occurred New Year’s Day. The interment will be made near their old home in Indiana.

The Newton Daily News, Friday, January 3, 1908