John Leonard, Judge (1900)

BEST, DENMAN, LEONARD, MOTT

Posted By: Kent Transier
Date: 7/23/2007 at 23:03:03

The Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Thursday, March 29, 1900
Page 1

An Old Citizen Gone

Last Friday morning, March 23, 1900, Judge John Leonard died at his residence on this city, in the seventy-fifth year of his age. His health had been failing for several years and the end was for some months seen to be not far off. Mr. Leonard was from Ohio, and came to Winterset about 1853, where he was ever since engaged in the practice of law, except the years 1875-1878, inclusive, when he was upon the bench of this district.
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Winterset Reporter
Winterset, Iowa
Thursday, March 29, 1900
Page 5

Death of Judge Leonard

John Leonard, after being confined to his bed since Thursday, March 15th, died Friday, March 23d, 1900 at 6:30 in the morning.

The Judge has not been in the best of health for several months, and at intervals was unable to be about. He would rally and occasionally would be seen on our streets. The principal cause of his sudden demise was a paralytic stroke which affected his left side and also his organs of speech. It was with great difficulty that he could swallow anything. His left lung was also effected, but nevertheless he passed away quietly. He was conscious to the last but unable to speak. A few moments before he passed away he demonstrated to his son, Fred, that he wished to write something. He was handed a slate and pencil and wrote these words, “Just Gone,: meaning that life was almost extinct.

The funeral occurred from the residence at 10:30 Sunday morning, conducted by Rev. Dr. Murphy whom the deceased had known for almost a half a century, assisted by Rev. Jacobs.

His remains were conveyed to Rock City cemetery, followed by a large number of relatives and friends.

John Leonard was born in Knox county, Ohio, August 30th, 1825. He was raised on a farm, had the usual common school education of that day, and supplemented the same by attending Granville College, now Denison University, for two or three years. At twenty-three years of age he was elected surveyor of Morrow county. While holding this office, he devoted his leisure hours to legal studies, and in the spring of 1852, was admitted to the bar at Wooster, Wayne county.

After practicing a year at Mount Gilead, he left his native state and settled at Winterset, in the fall of 1853. Here he opened a law office and gradually built up a remunerative practice.

He was a great reader, and had a tenacious memory and accumulated the largest library of any lawyer in the southwestern quarter of the state. He was elected district attorney in 1862, but was compelled to resign the office in 1864, his former partner having entered the service of the United States. In the fall of 1873 he was elected judge of the district court of the fifth judicial district. The large docket of Polk county was soon cleared up through his indefatigable labors.

In his earlier years Judge Leonard was a democrat, but when the republican party came into existence he gave to it his allegiance from that time to the present.

He was a member of the First Baptist church of Winterset, Iowa, for some forty years. He gave liberally to its support.

After leaving the bench he re-entered the practice of law, and followed his chosen profession until a slight stroke of paralysis some four years ago warned him to get his house in order. He at once left his office and gave his time to the care of his family and his private affairs.

John Leonard was very retiring in his disposition: he never put himself to the front. He was a wise and prudent counselor. True to the truth as he saw it, and devoted to his friends, and to Him who ruleth over all.

The wife of Judge Leonard was Mrs. Minerva-Denman Best, of Morrow county, Ohio, the widow of Sheldon Best, by whom she had one child, Mary J. who is now the wife of Frederick Mott. They were married in Oct. 1848 and had two children Byram, who died Nov. 6, 1879 and John Frederick who is still practicing law in this city.

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