John Milton Holaday (1926)

BROWN, DABNEY, HOLADAY, MURRAY

Posted By: Kent Transier
Date: 11/8/2023 at 18:03:25

Transcriber's note: This "obituary" appeared in the Winterset News in March of 1923, documenting the death of one of Madison County's earliest pioneers. But, John Milton Holaday whose full name was taken from his gravestone actually died in Colorado Springs, Colorado on January 3, 1926 at the "Printer's Home" according to his Civil War Pension Index Card. He is buried in the "Union Printer's Home" section of the Evergreen Cemetery in Colorado Springs.

Research has shown that the deceased did live in Council Bluffs from at least 1895 through 1920. A search of Iowa Death Certificates did not reveal anyone whose name was remotely close to the deceased's name in 1923. Further research into why this partially false story was published should be conducted when Council Bluffs newspapers of that era become available.
________________________

The Winterset News
Winterset, Iowa
Thursday, March 1, 1923
Page 1, Column 4

MILTON HOLIDAY IS FOUND DEAD

Old Time Publisher and Founder of this Paper Drops Dead in Council Bluffs

Milt Holiday, one of the founders of the Winterset Sun in 1868, fell dead on the streets of Council Bluffs. He was buried by the city.

Milt Holiday learned the printing trade in Winterset. His father ran the old Fremont (St. Nicholas) house for several years after the war. When Talbot owned the Madisonian Holiday worked in the office. He bought the Madisonian and ran it for a year or two, selling it to Henry Ewing, Milt Holiday was a good typesetter, a good writer and a great reader.

At the commencement of the Civil war he enlisted with Company F, Fourth Iowa.

With C. S. Wilson, who afterward was city editor of the register for many years, Holiday founded the Winterset Sun. He sold out to Andrew Hoisington who sold out to William Newlon. Morgan bought the paper and changed the name to the Winterset News.

Holiday was a member of a large old time Winterset family. His sister, Mrs. Brown, deceased, of Adair county, Mrs. Murray of California, and Mrs. A. R. Dabney of California are yet alive. His brothers, William and Henry (Cub and Buckshot) lived in Cass county after leaving Winterset.
________________________

Coordinator's note: The following article, appearing in the Madisonian in late 1926 is a letter from the deceased's sister in which she states that her brother had died recently.
________________________

The Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Thursday, November 04, 1926
Page 8, Column 5

GREETINGS

In reply to a request for an article for the 70th anniversary of The Madisonian brings to my mind the list of editors during that time. I find that out of the ten fine men, only three are now living.

In my earliest acquaintance with The Madisonian it was under the management of J. J. Davies, who has a son living here. In all of my knowledge of the paper, it has been a clean, helpful publication. It has always born the present name except during short period that my brother, J. M. Holaday, edited it during the Civil war or soon after it, when he changed it to "The Hawkeye Flag." He recently died at the printers’ home in Colorado Springs.

My son, Nicholas, who learned his trade in The Madisonian office, is with the Herald here.

I wish to emphasize the fact of the high standards the paper has always stood for and in the early days, when we had no telegraphic news, no daily papers, we gained our knowledge of
world affairs from our home paper. May it live long and prosper is the wish of its sincere friend.

Caroline Murray,
Los Angeles, California

Link to Gravestone Photo
 

Madison Obituaries maintained by Linda Griffith Smith.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen