ALLEN, William Sylvester 1857-1925

ALLEN, JAY, HARPER, ALTON, NEWBOLD, MCCORMICK

Posted By: Richard K Thompson (email)
Date: 4/22/2010 at 22:44:26

The Fairfield Daily Ledger
Monday December 7, 1925
Front Page, Columns 4 and 5

W.S. ALLEN IS DEAD AFTER AN OPERATION
Funeral Services Will Be Held Tomorrow Afternoon at 3:00 O'clock From Presbyterian Church

William S. ALLEN, former secretary of state and one of the best known political figures in the state for years, died suddenly yesterday afternoon at 2:20 oclock at the Jefferson County hospital where he had undergone an emergency operation at 10 oclock Saturday night.

Funeral services will be held at the Presbyterian church at 3 oclock tomorrow afternoon and will be in charge of Dr. Gilbert Voorhies, the pastor. The home, 303 East Burlington street, will be opened to friends at 2:30 oclock who may wish to pay their respects to the dead there. Interment will be at Evergreen cemetery.

Senator ALLEN was in the best of health Saturday morning and went out happily to clear the walk in front of the home of snow. While he was engaged in that task he began to feel bad and had someone else finish the work. He continued to feel worse and did not go to his office at all, but later went to bed to rest. But his condition grew much worse and at 8 oclock a physician was called.

Rallied From Operation

He saw at once that Senator ALLEN was suffering from hernia and that the only hope was to operate quickly. He was rushed to the hospital and the operation performed. Senator ALLEN rallied from the effects of the operation and was in a cheerful frame of mind, talking to members of the family with twenty minutes before he passed away. He then began to sink peacefully into slumber, his heart giving way under the strain.

He leaves a wife, who was most devoted to him and his interests and who for the twenty years he was in public life was a most efficient aid to him in all his activities, a son Roy, who lives on a farm south of the city and a daughter, Mrs. George JAY, Jr. of Shenandoah. He has three sisters, Mrs. John HARPER of Fairfield, Mrs. E. H. ALTON of Birmingham and Mrs. Cyrus NEWBOLD of Hillsboro.

20 Years in Public Life

Dr. L. B. ALLEN, a brother, died under very similar circumstances at Mt. Pleasant only last summer, having had an emergency operation likewise and rallying well from the effects.

Senator ALLEN was a faithful member of the Prebyterian church and seldom missed a Sunday morning service.

He gave twenty years of his life to the service of the state. He had a constuctive genius and built his career into his life problems, meeting with unusual success. He had a deep knowledge of human nature, was sympathetic in his relationships with people, and made friends with happy facility. Floral tributes in beautiful profusion are a token of this fact. High and low today paid tribute to him.

Hammill To Come

Gov. John Hammill, close personal friend, expects to be here for the funeral, and other high officials may accompany him.

At Denmark Academy

His parents were American born, his father being of Scotch Irish (sic) lineage, and his mother of the Old Dutch stock of New Jersey. He received his early education in the graded schools of Hillsboro and then to prepare for college, entered Denmark Academy, the first institution of advanced learning founded in the state.

He attended the Liberay (sic. Liberal ?) Arts and Law departments of the State University at Iowa City, from which institution he was graduated in the year 1877 at the age of 19. Upon being admitted to the bar Senator ALLEN settled down in Van Buren county.

The first official position to which he was elected was that of president of the board of education, and then to the office of mayor, serving in these different places for several years.

Afterwards he was a member of the House of Representatives from Van Buren county in the 25th, 26th and 26th extra general assembly. He served on some of the most important committees of the House and was chairman of the second division of the code revision committee, having in charge the recodification of the laws of Iowa, the work of this session giving to the state the code of 1897.

To Fairfield in 1909

In 1903 he was a candidate for the State Senate, the first convention resulting in a deadlock and losing out in the second convention by one-half a vote.

He moved to Fairfield in Sept. 1909, where he had since been engaged in the practice of law. He was elected State Senator in 1908, from the Jefferson-Van Buren district, and served in the 33rd and 34th general assemblies. At the primary in 1912 he received the republican nomination for secretary of state and was elected to that position at the following fall election. He was re-elected in 1914 and 1916 and 1918, and resigned July 1, 1919.

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Added by Admin, April 2020 --

"The Fairfield Daily Ledger"
Tuesday, December 8, 1925
Front Page, Column 6

CITY PAUSES FOR FUNERALS OF 3

Senator ALLEN, Lt. Chester, Sam McNeese, All Buried This Afternoon

Fairfield devoted this afternoon to burying its dead, three funerals, one following the other being largely attended.

The first was that of Sam McNeese the victim of the tragedy at the Bruey home southeast of Fairfield Saturday morning. Hoskins funeral parlors were crowded at 1:30 oclock when the services began in charge of Rev. W. C. Monroe of the Baptist Church, and scores stood about outside waiting, unable to get in. A crowed of twenty-three old neighbors from their former home near Rubio came by train to the services.

Senator W. S. ALLEN's funeral was held at 3 oclock at the First Presbyterian church and was conducted by Dr. Gilbert Voorhies. It was largely attended and there were many floral tributes.

Rites for Lieut. S. J. Chester were held at the late home, 302 West Broadway at 2 oclock.

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"The Fairfield Ledger"
Wednesday, December 9, 1925
Page Eight, Column 1

JUST AMONG OURSELVES

… --The Jefferson County Bar association met this week and passed resolutions of respect to Senator W. S. ALLEN. …

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"The Fairfield Daily Ledger"
Monday, December 14, 1925
Front Page, Column 7

DAILY IOWAN IN TRIBUTE TO HIM
Says of W. S. ALLEN, "Of Such Graduated University Is Justly Proud"

The Daily Iowan, the University of Iowa's daily newspaper, pays the following editorial tribute to the late W. S. ALLEN:

"With the passing of William S. ALLEN, former Iowa secretary of state, the University has lost an eminent son.

"Mr. ALLEN was graduated from the college of law when he was but twenty years of age. Upon leaving the school he lost no time in getting himself established in the profession. He served four terms in the state legislature, as representative in the twenty-fifty and twenty-sixty general assemblies, and as senator in the thirty-third and thirty-fourth general assemblies. He held the office of secretary of state from 1913 to 1919 and since then has had a private law practice at Fairfield.

"Of such graduates as ALLEN the University is justly proud, and in it joins the state in mourning an accomplished son."

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"The Fairfield Daily Ledger"
Friday, December 18, 1925
Page Eight, Column 1

JUST AMONG OURSELVES

--Mrs. George JAY Jr., left this morning for her home in Shenandoah after having been called here by the death of her father, W. S. ALLEN. Mrs. ALLEN accompanied her daughter home and will remain until after the holidays. …

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Copied with permission from The Fairfield Ledger, Inc. IAGenWeb Bylaws PROHIBIT the COPYING AND RE-POSTING OF THIS MATERIAL IN ANY PUBLIC VENUE such as Ancestry or Find A Grave without WRITTEN permission from the poster ~ copyright restrictions apply.
*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.

Copied with permission from The Fairfield Ledger, Inc. IAGenWeb Bylaws PROHIBIT the COPYING AND RE-POSTING OF THIS MATERIAL IN ANY PUBLIC VENUE such as Ancestry or Find A Grave without WRITTEN permission from the poster ~ copyright restrictions apply.
*Transcribed for genealogy purposes. I am not related to these surnames.

Note: William Sylvester ALLEN is buried at Evergreen Cemetery, Fairfield, Iowa in 3rd.107 Wife Ella M. McCormick died in 1931 and is buried with him.