James Simpson Hurley 1829-1891

HURLEY, GARRETT

Posted By: Beverly Gerdts (email)
Date: 11/2/2020 at 12:00:44

Columbus Gazette, Columbus Junction, Iowa Friday, October 23, 1891 page 4

OBITUARY.

From the Wapello Record - James Simpson Hurley was born near Urbana, Campaign county, Ohio, May 18th, 1829, and died at Wapello, Iowa, October 13th, 1891. Great was the shock to all our citizens early Tuesday morning to learn the above fact, but it was only too true, the grim messenger had called and all that was mortal of Hon. J. S. Hurley lay calm and silent in death and the spirit had returned to its author. It was well know to all that he had been feeble from repeated attacks of paralysis, but recently he had been much better and only last Friday, he rode forty-five miles in a buggy. Monday, the day before his death, he was doing business down town and remarked that he felt better than for months before. He was married to Miss Martha Garrett, of Garrettsville, Ohio, May 26, 1857, and to bless this union, nine children were born. five of whom, four daughters and one son, with the devoted mother, survive to mourn the loss of a husband and father, who was such in every sense of the words and who mourn only as a true wife and children mourn for their best earthly friend.

In the death of Hon. J. S. Hurley, Wapello, Louisa county and the entire state of Iowa, lose one of God's true noblemen, a man whom all delighted to honor, a man who was trusted by all and loved for his honest and upright life and example, and whose place in the formation and history of Louisa county and the state of Iowa, will be hard to fill. The county and state have many times honored him and in doing so have honored themselves. He was a lawyer of considerable ability and as such, served the county several terms in the capacity of prosecuting attorney. He was also state senator two terms and while serving the state in this capacity, he was a member of the judiciary committee that prepared the Iowa Code of Laws of 1873. Aside from these offices, he has held many minor offices of honor and trust, in fact, he has held more offices than any other man in the county and was postmaster at the time of his death. He was a warm-hearted, true and generous friend with positive convictions on all questions of public policy as well as home and political economy, and pronounced his views with no uncertain sound. He lived the honorable, upright man and has gone to receive the rewards of the just. The funeral obsequies occur from the residence to day, Thursday, and will be conducted under the direction of the masonic lodge, of this city, to which he belonged. To the family and relatives, the deepest sympathy of all is extended and the record voices the sentiments of all when it says that Hon. James Simpson Hurley was a true man in the highest signification of the word.