MICKEY, John H.

MICKEY, JAMISON, BLAKE, SHAW, SHALLENBERGER, MCCRAY, SMITH, CAMPBELL

Posted By: Patricia Baker (email)
Date: 10/11/2012 at 12:52:26

Obituary and Sketch ran together on Page 1 of newspaper.

Morning Sun News Herald, June 9, 1910, Page 1.

DEATH OF EX-GOVERNOR JOHN
MICKEY OF NEBRASKA.
Ex-Governor John Mickey, a
former resident of this part of the
state, died at his home in Osceola,
Neb., Thursday of last week. He
was a brother of Mrs. I. M. Jamison
of Morning Sun, and Mrs. L.
P. Blake of Mediapolis. The following
sketch of Mr. Mickey is
taken from an Osceola, Neb.,
paper:
John Hopwood Mickey, twice
governor of Nebraska from 1902
to 1906, died here at his home at
1:10 o'clock this Thursday morning,
after an illness of several
years, from hardening of the
arteries.
The death of ex-Governor Mickey
has been expected since Sunday,
when he became unconscious and
remained in that condition until he
died, suffering a sinking spell about
midnight last night.
Within the last year his disease
became' aggravated, causing reports
twice that he was dying, but
he rallied until the last ten days,
when he was again confined to his
bed.
At the bedside of the former
governor when death came was his
family and physician, Dr. L. M.
Shaw, who has been in attendance
almost constantly.
Out of respect to ex-Governor
Mickey, the flag over the state
house, was flown at half staff and
state officers discussed the work of
the former executive. Governor
Shallenberger sent the following
telegram:
Mrs. J. H. Mickey, Osceola, June
2 — Please accept my profound
sympathy for yourself and family
in your great grief. Nebraska
mourns with you in the loss of
your distinguished husband.

One son, James, graduated at Osceola
high school this year and the other,
Benjamin, at the Nebraska Wesleyan
university.

The funeral services will be held Sunday
afternoon at 3 o'clock at the Oscela (sic)
Methodist Episcopal church. Rev. A. A.
Randell will officiate.

SKETCH OF HIS LIFE.
• John Hopwood Mickey, twice
governor of Nebraska, was born
in 1845 near Burlington, Iowa. His
father was a farmer and he was
reared on a farm. He was educated
in the public schools of the town
and finished after he had returned
from the war by attending Wes
leyan college at Mt. Pleasant for
two years. Although not of age
he enlisted in August, 1863, in
Company B, Eighth Iowa cavalry,
in which he served until mustered
out under a general order of
August, 1865.
His .career in the army was active.
His first assignment as scout
was in Central Tennessee. In the
spring of 1864 he went with the
Sherman campaigners from Chattanooga
to Atlanta, laying the foundation
for Sherman's famous march
to the sea. In the fall of that year
he was prominent in -opposing
Hood's expedition to Nashville,
engaging the enemy at Frankville
and Nashville.
After the war he returned to Iowa,
remaining until 1868 when he came to
Nebraska, settling on the homestead
in Polk county. Before
leaving Iowa in September,
1867, he was married to Miss
Miranda McCray of Des Moines
county.
The children to this union are,
O. E. Mickey, cashier state bank,
of Osceola; E. S. Mickey, bank examiner
and executive clerk to his
father while governor; Mrs. Bertha
Smith of Denver; H. A. Mickey,
farmer on the old homestead at
Osceola; Marie Nain Mickey of
Lincoln. Mrs. Mickey died in 1886
and about twenty years ago in
Keya Paha county, where the governor
had large ranch interests, he
married Miss Flora Campbell who
with these children survive him:
Benjamin Mickey, student at Wesleyan
university; James, Elizabeth
and Flora, students in the Osceola
high school. O£ the latter union
two children, John and Warren,
are dead.
Mr. Mickey lived on his Polk
county homestead until 1872, when
he moved to Osceola, having been
elected county treasurer, which office
he held ten years.
IN NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE.
He served in the Nebraska legislature
of 1881, but never held any
other public position except that
of governor of the state. He was
president of the Osceola bank.
He farmed a tract of 240 acres
engaged in stock raising, making
a specialty of thorough-bred Short-
Horns. Governor Mickey was born
and reared a Methodist and was
always identified with that church,
active more especially in promoting
its educational work. He was
president of the board, of trustees
of the Wesleyan university, University
Place. He believed in
broad and liberal education for all
the people and would have no
sectarianism in any public institution,
although he believed there
was work for the sectarian college
outside of and in addition to
that of the state university.
In politics he was always a republican
and in his speech before
the convention that nominated him
governor he recalled voting for
Abraham Lincoln when only 19
years of age, which was under a
special act of the legislature of
Iowa, providing that all soldiers in
the field be allowed to vote without
regard to age and their ballotts (sic)
sent home.
Mr. Mickey was first nominated
by the republicans for governor in
the spring of 1902.
In 1904 his party again nominated
Governor Mickey, and again,
after a fierce campaign, he was
successful.
In both campaigns Governor
Mickey made a complete canvass
of the state, speaking in large and
small places and doing a vast
amount of private work among
the voters.