Lawrence Alexander Wise (1934)

BARNES, DOANE, EASTER, FERNEAU, HUNT, JOHNSON, MADISON, MCCOY, WISE

Posted By: Linda Brittain
Date: 6/12/2007 at 18:56:01

The Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Thursday, April 19, 1934
Page 4

L. A. WISE COMMITS SUICIDE

Earlham, April 16th – Special: Friends of L. A. Wise were shocked to hear that he had taken his own life Wednesday morning by shooting and hanging in the garage at his home in Earlham. Mr. Wise has been in ill health for some time and this together with financial worries and also worry about his farm south of town are believed to be the cause of his act. Mrs. Wise was ill at the time and confined to her bed. Her sister Mrs. McCoy was staying with her and caring for her at the time of the tragedy. Besides the wife, four sons are left: Earl of Stuart, Lawrence M. of Los Angeles, California; J. Lloyd of Slater, Missouri and Carl of Duluth.

The funeral services were held at the house on Saturday afternoon, with Rev. Walls preaching the sermon. Mrs. Earl Schalkle and Mrs. Williams Stiles sang a duet number “Some Day We’ll Understand.” The body was taken Sunday to Illinois where burial was made in the family burial grounds.
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The Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Thursday, April 19, 1934
Page 8

Lawrence Alexander Wise

Lawrence Alexander Wise, son of Hugh Franklin and Narcissus Barnes Wise, was born in Highland county, Ohio, July 21, 1854, and died at his home in Earlham, Iowa, Apr 11, 1934, at the age of 79 years, 8 months and 20 days.

Mr. Wise was the eldest of a family of twelve children, and is survived by one brother, Clarence F. Wise, of Abingdon, Illinois, and the following sisters: Mrs. Grant Johnson of Abingdon, Illinois, Mrs. Josephine Doane, Pasadena, California, Mrs. Clinton Hunt, Troy, Pennsylvania, Mrs. Sarah Ferneau, Greenfield, Ohio, and Mrs. Lou Easter, Hillsborough, Ohio.

When a young man Mr. Wise moved to Knox county, Illinois. On November 14, 1880, he was united in marriage with Eliza Jane McCoy, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Madison McCoy, who were early settlers in that part of Illinois. For more than twenty years Mr. and Mrs. Wise lived in Knox county, where Mr. Wise engaged in farming. Here were born their five children, four sons and one daughter, Leota Pearl, who died in infancy. Mrs. Wise and the four sons survive, Carl T. of Duluth, Minnesota, H. Earl of Stuart, James Lloyd of Slater, Missouri, Lawrence M. of Los Angeles, California, and two grandchildren, Patricia Ann and Mary Jane, daughters of Mr. and Mrs. James Lloyd Wise, all of whom were present at the last rites. In 1902 the family moved to Adair county, Iowa, and four years later to their farm near Earlham in Madison county, where they resided until the spring of 1919, when they moved to Earlham.

He was a member of the Odd Fellow and Modern Woodman lodges. Funeral services were held, at the home, Saturday afternoon, conducted by Rev. James Walls. The remains were taken to the former home in Illinois, where services were conducted Sunday afternoon. Interment was made at the Haynes Chapel cemetery, beside the body of the infant daughter.
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Earlham Echo
Earlham, Iowa
Thursday, April 12, 1934

L. A. WISE TAKES OWN LIFE HERE

Retired Farmer 77 Years Old Dies by Shooting, Hanging Self in Garage at Home. Ascribe Ill Health, Despondency As Reasons for Act. Funeral Arrangements Not Complete.

L. A. Wise, a retired farmer who for many years has made his home in Earlham, committed suicide Wednesday morning in a garage at the rear of his residence lot. Mr. Wise had been in ill health for several months, and this, together with financial troubles and worry over his farm southwest of here, is believed to have induced despondency which led to the act.

After breakfast Wednesday Mr. Wise entered the chamber where his wife lay ill, and saying that he would place a bunch of keys where she could find them readily, picked up her purse which lay on the bureau. He closed the purse and went out after a time. Mrs. Wise thought nothing of the incident until about ten o’clock. She then called her sister, Mrs. Ed. McCoy of Greenfield who had been caring for her, and asked her to look in the purse and see what Mr. Wise had placed there. An examination of the purse revealed the keys and also a ring which Mr. Wise had always wore.

Alarmed at finding the ring, Mrs. Wise then directed her sister to look in the bureau drawer for a .38 caliber revolver which was kept there. The revolver was gone.

While searching the premises for Mr. Wise, Mrs. McCoy was joined by Mrs. Wm. Stiles, a neighbor. It was then they found him crouched on his knees in the garage, a bullet wound in his forehead. Dr. Taylor was immediately called and it was determined that Mr. Wise had been dead about 30 minutes. Frank Junkin, who was also summoned, assisted in removing the body to the Welch funeral home.

Evidently Mr. Wise had carefully planned the act and afterward it was remembered that he had acted strangely all morning. The aging man had left little to chance in his preparations. The rope had been carefully tied and adjusted, while the revolver, looped about his neck on a piece of wire, had evidently been kept available in event the first shot had not been effective. Under the circumstances a coroner’s inquest was not held, the necessary papers being signed by Justice of the Peace Scott Shifflett.

Besides his wife Mr. Wise is survived by four sons. They are Earl Wise of Stuart, Dr. Laurence M. Wise of Los Angeles, Dr. J. Lloyd Wise of Slater, Mo., and Carl Wise of Duluth. Carl is expected to arrive Friday and Laurence Saturday morning.

Funeral arrangements had not been completed.
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Earlham Echo
Earlham, Iowa
Thursday, April 19, 1934

L. A. WISE RITES ARE HELD HERE

Services Held at Home Here Saturday Afternoon; Burial at Abington, Ill.

Funeral services for Mr. L. A. Wise, highly esteemed Earlham man, who passed away last Wednesday at his home here, were held Saturday afternoon at the home. Rev. James Walls was in charge. The remains were then taken to Mr. Wise’s old home at Abington, Ill., where services Sunday afternoon were attended by a large gathering of relatives and friends. Burial was made in the Haynes Chapel Cemetery beside the daughter Leota Pearl who died in infancy.

Pallbearers were the deceased’s four sons, J. W. McCoy, a brother-in-law, and Arthur Marks, a nephew of Mrs. Wise.

Lawrence Alexander Wise, son of Hugh Franklin and Narcissus Barnes Wise was born in Highland County, Ohio, July 21, 1854 and died at his home in Earlham, Iowa, April 11, 1934 at the age of 79 years, 8 months and 20 days.

Mr. Wise was the eldest of a family of twelve children, and is survived by one brother, Clarence F. Wise, Abington, Illinois and the following sisters: Mrs. Grant Johnson, Abington, Illinois; Mrs. Josephine Doane, Pasadena, California; Mrs. Clinton Hunt, Troy, Pennsylvania; Mrs. Sarah Ferneau, Greenfield, Ohio, and Mrs. Lou Easter, Hillsborough, Ohio.

When a young man Mr. Wise moved to Knox County, Illinois. On November 14, 1880 he was united in marriage with Eliza Jane McCoy, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Madison McCoy, who were early settlers in that part of Illinois. For more than twenty years Mr. and Mrs. Wise lived in Knox County where Mr. Wise was engaged in farming. Here were born their five children, four sons and one daughter, Leota Pearl who died in infancy. Mrs. Wise and the four sons survive: Carl T. of Duluth, Minnesota; H. Earl of Stuart, Iowa; James Lloyd of Slater, Missouri; Lawrence M. of Los Angeles, California; and two grandchildren, Patricia Ann and Mary Jane, daughters of Mr. and Mrs. James Lloyd Wise, all of whom were present at the last rites.

In 1902 the family moved to Adair County, Iowa and four years later to their farm near Earlham in Madison County where they resided until the spring of 1919 when they moved to Earlham.

An outstanding characteristic of Mr. Wise was his loyal disposition which made of him a favorite of both old and young. The high esteem in which he and Mrs. Wise are held was shown on the occasion of their Golden Wedding anniversary when friends and relatives came from several states to do them honor. Mr. Wise was a kind husband and father and had a large circle of friends who were saddened to learn of his death. He united with the Methodist Church at Orange Chapel near DeLong, Illinois a few years before coming to Iowa, and in his more active years was a member of the Odd Fellows and Modern Woodman Lodges.

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