Isaac Reager (1917)

REAGER

Posted By: Pat Hochstetler
Date: 3/12/2006 at 10:00:41

Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Wednesday, December 26, 1917
Page 4

Early Pioneer Dies in Kansas
Isaac Reager Dies at Norcatur, Kans.

Came Here in 1853

Isaac Reager, that grand old pioneer Methodist of Walnut township, passed away on the 16th at Norcatur, Kansas.

His body was brought back to Peru for burial and on last Thursday was tenderly laid to rest by that of his beloved wife, who for so many years shared with her husband the vicissitudes of pioneer life.

He was born in Virginia in 1826 and when a young man, moved to eastern Iowa with his parents. In 1852 he married and came west, as he said, "to grow up with the country". He entered land in Walnut township in 1853 and here he reared his family, helped to organize the first church in that part of the county, and was actively identified with the development of that pioneer community.

Not until old age compelled, did he leave the old homestead, which was entered in 1853. Some years ago, he went to Norcatur, Kansas, to make his home with his daughter and here he spent a peaceful, serene old age made happy and joyous with the consciousness of a life well spent.

In his death the Madisonian feels a personal loss. He contributed to this paper several articles on the early affairs of this county that were rich in historical facts. He had the distinction of being the last survivor of the original subscribers who put their names on James Iler's subscription list, when he established the Madisonian in the fall of 1856.

(Picture in paper - caption under picture)

Pioneer settler of this county, who died at Norcatur, Kansas on Dec. 16th, aged 91 years. He was the last survivor of the Madisonian's original subscription list in 1856, and was a continuous subscriber for more than 61 years--a record that probably cannot be duplicated in the state.
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Newspaper Unknown
Decatur County, Kansas
December 1917

Isaac Reager Passes Away

The community was shocked and greatly surprised Sunday morning to hear that Isaac Reager had passed to the great beyond at seven o'clock that morning, following a very brief illness, of only a few hours.

He was taken on Saturday to the home of his daughter, Mrs. J. H. Ward, having been feeling quite feeble this two or three days previous at his old home, where he had been living with Ray Holainger and wife. Saturday afternoon towards night he went to bed and after medical attention was given it was thought he might be spared a severe attack of sickness, but bronchial pneumonia set in and he gradually grew worse and Sunday morning as the sun came over the eastern horizon he gently and calmly passed over Jordan to join the Son of Righteousness and dwell with him in the eternal city fair.

Grandpa Reager, as he was familiarly called, was a conspicuous figure about town, and friends everywhere greeted him on the street and in the shop and tho he was nearing his ninety-second year, he was always quite active, and was of a cheerful, optimistic disposition, and always looked on the bright side of everything.

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Madison Obituaries maintained by Linda Griffith Smith.
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