William Randolph Danforth (1918)

DANFORTH, BENGE, MCCLEARY, WOODWARD

Posted By: Mary Welty Hart (email)
Date: 11/22/2010 at 19:02:50

Winterset Madisonian, Winterset, Iowa
May 8, 1918, page 6

WILLIAM R. DANFORTH

William Randolph Danforth, born Feb. 14, 1840, at LaPorte, Ind., died April 30, 1918, at his home south of Winterset.

He came to Madison county with his mother and younger brother in 1849 and has lived here continuously for almost three quarters of a century. He learned the tinner's trade at an early age and through diligence and honesty, successfully conducted a hardware business in Winterset for 25 years, then retiring to his farm, where he has lived for the last 30 years. In 1860 he was united in marriage to Miss Lydia A. Benge, who with six of their nine children: A. E., G. J., Frank, Charles D., Mrs. Stella McCleary and Mrs. June Woodward were at his bedside.

He united with the Church of Christ during Rev. Davis' ministry. He passed the 78th milestone on life's journey, through its joys and hardships and earned the love and respect of all who knew him for his sterling qualities.

His mother, Mary A. Danforth, who was a widow, came to Madison County with her two sons from Illinois with an ox team driven by the owner. They came to the “Narrows” now Tileville, where A. D. Jones kept a general store. His mother was the first teacher in Madison county. Their home was a log house of two rooms, one block south of the southeast corner of the square. Nine families lived in Winterset at this time.

Funeral services were held from the Church of Christ Thursday afternoon at 2:30 in charge of the pastor, Rev. B. B. Burton.