Sylvester Renshaw (1921)

ANGLER, BRIDGES, BUNNELL, GILMORE, HAZEN, MCDANIEL, RENSHAW

Posted By: Mary Welty Hart (email)
Date: 2/26/2008 at 15:25:58

Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Wednesday, June 8, 1921

Death of SYLVESTER RENSHAW

Sylvester Renshaw died on Monday morning at his home in Earlham at the age of 76.

His health was permanently injured some years ago in a runaway accident. However he continued to enjoy a degree of health until about three weeks ago.

He was one of the Clayton county colony who located in Jefferson township and had an important part in the affairs of that community. He came to this county in 1870 and in 1902 retired from the farm to reside in Earlham.

Four children survive him: Alfred of Los Angeles, Mrs. Mabel Gilmore of Vinton, Mrs. Edith Bunnell and Jos. C. of Earlham.
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Winterset Madisonian
Wednesday, June 15, 1921
Page 7

Earlham

Sylvester Renshaw, who died at his home Sunday morning, was buried on Wednesday afternoon, the funeral being held in the Methodist church. Rev. Watson, who was pastor of the M.E. church here before the war, but now of Ankeny, had charge of the service. Interment was made in the Earlham cemetery.

Mr. Renshaw had been in very poor health for some time and his condition had been serious for a few weeks. Mr. Renshaw left a wife and four children to mourn his loss. Mrs. John Bunnell of Earlham, Mrs. Gilmore of Vinton and his two sons, Alfred and Clyde of Los Angeles, are the children, who with the wife, have the sympathy of their friends in their sorrow.
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Earlham Echo
Earlham, Iowa
Thursday, June 9, 1921

Well-Respected Citizen Passes On

Mr. Sylvester Renshaw, Madison County Resident for 50 Years is Called by Death Sunday. Was Jefferson Twp., Farmer.

Not unexpected, but attended by the shock which death always imparts came the news Sunday morning that Mr. Sylvester Renshaw was gone. He was a man with whom it was hard to associate dissolution. His feeble body housed an indomitable spirit and his interests were lively and manifold. The writer was associated with Mr. Renshaw on a number of journeys, in which he took a keen interest hardly compatible with his years. Now he has started on the most wonderful journey of them all. It was Rev. Watson who, in the remarkably cheering concluding paragraphs of the funeral sermon told of another former Earlham pastor and his outlook upon the mystery which lies beyond the grave. Standing upon the threshold of eternity, his days numbered, he yet looked forward with an exquisite faith and a striking curiosity to the future. He had ever chosen to be a pioneer, he said (we believe Rev. Pike was the minister referred to, although unnamed) to journey into far places, and it was thus he looked upon the unknown existence which lay ahead. So we must think of Sylvester Renshaw, whose trust was ever in God, and who passed out with a serene confidence in his future welfare.

Funeral services were held at the Methodist Church Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 o’clock, following a short service at the home. Rev. Louis Watson, of Ankeny, a great favorite of Mr. Renshaw’s conducted the rite. His sermon glorified the Christian religion, the sublime faith in a Creator and eternal life which is freely given to humanity to arm them against the terror of death. Interment was in Earlham Cemetery. A large gathering of relatives and friends was present to honor the memory of a man who has made his home near Earlham for many years. The following biography of his life was read at the service:

Sylvester Renshaw, son of George S. and Martha Renshaw, was born on the 23rd of August, 1845 in Fayette County, Penn., which was his home until 1852, when at the age of seven he removed with his parents to Clayton County, Iowa.

Practically all of the subsequent years of his life were spent in Iowa, his education being received in the Clayton County schools. In 1867 he began farming for himself in Missouri, but returned to Iowa a year later and in 1870 purchased land in Jefferson Township, Madison county and pursued the profession of farming until 1902, when he removed to Earlham, erecting a home in which he has since resided. He was actively interested in the milling business sonn after moving to town, but the last 17 years of his life were years of retirement and the enjoyment of the fruits of earlier industry. Mr. Renshaw was the possessor of a naturally robust constitution, but in 1912 a runaway accident sustained by himself and wife almost cost them their lives and permanently affected his health. His native vitality stood him in good stead, however, and no serious illness affected the even tenor of his life until May 2 of the present year when a paralytic stroke weakened his hold upon life. He failed gradually until the morning of Sunday, June 5th, when his tired spirit took its flight to the eternal kingdom just as the radiant dawn of another Lord’s day.

Mr. Renshaw was married in March 1868 to Miss Sarah Hazen, a daughter of S. I. and Maria Hazen, Clayton County pioneers. To this union six children were born: Clarence L., who died March 20, 1880; Alfred S., a resident of Los Angeles, Cal.; Mabel L., the wife of Harry Gilmore, a druggist of Hazelton, Iowa; Edith E., who gave her hand in marriage to John Bunnell, a farmer of this county; Sarah R., who died on the 16th of January, 1892, and James C., now a resident of Los Angeles, Cal.

Mrs. Renshaw died on the 23rd of February, 1883. On the 9th of January 1884, Mr. Renshaw married Miss Serena Bridges, a daughter of Lamson Bridges. This union was ------ by the wife’s death in 1907. On the 2nd of June 1910, Mr. Renshaw was married to Mrs. Jennie McDaniel, of Ft. Wayne, Ind. who survives him. It is to her gentle ministering care that he owes a greatness of his comfort during these constant declining years of his life.

Sylvester Renshaw was a man of the most exemplary, honesty and no highest esteem of dishonor ever marked his life. He early affiliated with the Methodist Church and lived a consistent Christian life, attending the services of his church as long as his health would permit. ---------------------------- and the memory of a life ----- and untouched by evil promptings.

The following relatives were present from a distance: Mr. and Mrs. -. W. Angler, of Des Moines, the latter a sister of the deceased, and their daughter Jennie; Dr. and Mrs. Goodrich and son, of Des Moines; Mr. and Mrs. Al Fox, of Indianola; Chas. Carty, of Des Moines; Mr. and Mrs. Merrill Carty, Ed Carty and children, and Raymond Carty, of DeSoto; Mr. and Mrs. Lou Angevine and Merrill Angevine and Mr. and Mrs. Wyman Knight of Dexter; also the daughter Mrs. Harry Gilmore, of Hazelton, Iowa, who has been here for some time.

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