Jacob M. Gideon (1921)

BENNETT, GIDEON, STUMP

Posted By: Kent Transier
Date: 11/8/2023 at 18:02:51

The Winterset News
Winterset, Iowa
Wednesday May 4, 1921
Page 1, Column 6

Jacob M. Gideon

Jacob M. Gideon was born at Pickaway, Champaign county, Ohio, May 26, 1824, and passed away at his home in Doniphan, Nebraska, April 24, 1921, aged 96 years, 10 months and 28 days, death being due to old age. The grain was ripe and the harvest had come.

Mr. Gideon was the eldest of eleven children, nine brothers and two sisters. One brother died in youth, two died in middle life, three brothers and one sister lived to an advanced age, and two brothers, Joseph and Volney and one sister, Mrs. Mary Bennett, are now living and reside in Iowa.

In 1849 he was married to Aurelia Stump near Springfield, Illinois. They were acquainted with Abraham Lincoln and had often bought groceries of him when he was proprietor of a small grocery store near Springfield. In the early fifties they moved to Iowa and settled at Winterset, where Mr. Gideon worked at his trade as a blacksmith. At that time the state was very new. During the first few years meat for the family was provided by shooting deer and wild turkey, Des Moines was a small village.

When Mr. Gideon made his first visit here he was compelled to walk the distance from Grand Island to Doniphan. He came to visit his wife’s twin brother Marcellus Stump, who had been here a few years, and also his son, William Gideon, who came to Nebraska in 1874. He was well pleased with the country and in the fall of 1877 moved his family here, making the trip overland in a covered wagon, and located on the farm, where he and his wife lived the remainder of their lives.

The site where Doniphan now stands was then a bare prairie land. Together they endured all the hardships of pioneer life. Mr. Gideon and his eldest son, William, helped to build the railroad through Doniphan, then watched improvements come and prairie land grow into a prosperous country.

He leaves to mourn their loss, two sons, Charles and Clark, his wife having passed away on April 8, 1916, at nearly 94 years of age. Two sons, William and James, have also preceded him in death. He also leaves 9 grandchildren, 9 great-grandchildren and 5 great-great-grandchildren.

Grandpa Gideon or Uncle Jake as he was commonly called, was especially kind and good to all. Many have been helped thru hardships by his quiet acts of kindness. He will be sorely missed in both the home and the community. Until the last few months he had been able to go down town each day and visit with friends and neighbors. On March 1 he was taken sick and has been confined to his bed since that time until the end came Sunday evening.

The sympathy of the entire community goes out to the bereaved ones in this their sad hour.

The funeral services were held at 2 o’clock Wednesday afternoon at the Congregational church, Rev. J. E. Craig being in charge, and burial was made beside his wife in the Cedar View cemetery. – Doniphan (Neb.) Enterprise

Link to Gravestone Photo
 

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