Matthew Miller McGee (1895)

KALE, MCGEE, PEED, PERKINS

Posted By: Mary Welty Hart
Date: 12/17/2005 at 11:23:47

The Winterset Review
Winterset, Iowa
Tuesday, September 3, 1895

Death of M. M. McGee

Matthew Miller McGee died in this city, Friday August 30, 1895 at about 9 o'clock p.m. being confined to his bed only one week.

Mc. McGee was born in County Donegal Ireland in 1829. He came with his parents to Ohio in 1831, and removed to this state in 1853, and to Madison County in 1854.

His funeral was held last Sunday at 2 o'clock p.m. conducted by the Rev. Fred Harris. The attendance of old time friends and neighbors was enormous, the funeral cortege being the largest ever seen in Winterset. Mr. McGee was married to Miss Caroline Kale in 1852. She died in Feb. 1889. Surviving him are four children, John M., Iver Lee Mrs. C. F. Perkins and Mrs. F. M. Peed.

Living here so long, Mr. McGee was known by every old resident of the county. None knew him but to respect and honor him for his sterling qualities of mind and heart. The honest Scotch-Irish blood that flowed through his veins made him and outspoken and straightforward man, hating sham and hypocrisy and loving truth and virtue. He was very independent in his nature, yet with a heart full of charity and good will towards his fellow man. Of a very active industrious and frugal nature he accumulated a comfortable fortune but was at the same time the true friend of the unfortunate and distressed. Every one honored and respected him and his death is a great loss to humanity.
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Winterset Reporter
Winterset, Iowa
Thursday, September 5, 1895
Page 5

M. M. McGee Dead

Last Friday at about 9 o’clock p.m., M. M. McGee died at his home in this place after an illness of a little more than one week. The funeral was conducted at the house by Rev. Harris at 2 o’clock Sunday, and was one of the largest funerals ever held in Winterset.

Deceased was born in County Donegal, Ireland, in 1829, and came with his parents to this country in 1831, settling in Ohio. In 1852 he was married to Miss Caroline Kale, who preceded him to the grave six years. Four children blessed their union, and still survive their parents. The family moved to Madison county in 1854, and for many years Mr. McGee was one of the most prosperous farmers in the county, becoming quite well-to-do as a result of untiring energy and watchful frugality. He served one term as member of the board of county commissioners, and always took an active part in the interests of the community and country, in politics as well as social life. He was widely known and respected, and his death brings sadness to the whole county.
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Semi Weekly Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Tuesday, September 3, 1895
Page 2, Columns 1 & 2

IN MEMORIAM

Notes of the Life and Character of M. M. McGee

Mention was made in this paper the last two issues of the serious and probably fatal sickness of Mr. Matthew M. McGee, the well known resident of Douglas township. The end came at a little past nine o’clock Friday evening, August 30, after a sickness of but nine days, and of confinement to his bed of eight days.

It is difficult to point out a citizen of Madison county whose death would cause a greater break in the daily life and experience of so many people, as that of M. M. McGee. His extensive operations as a builder, farmer, stock raiser and general trader, at first in Jackson township, then in Douglas and later in Winterset, his activity extending many miles in every direction, are fresh in the memory of the whole community. The large place he held in the thought and esteem of the community was well witnessed by the unusually large attendance at the funeral services at the residence of his son, I. L. McGee, in Winterset, Sunday afternoon, September 1. About one hundred carriages were in the procession to the cemetery, besides a great many that went down ahead of the procession, and a large number on foot. The funeral services were conducted by Rev. F. Harris, pastor of the Methodist church, and the music furnished by the choir of the same church.

The following account of his life, carefully prepared with the assistance of the family, was read at the funeral service:

Matthew Miller McGee was born in the town of Mt. Charles, county of Donegal, Ireland, August 25th, 1889 (sic), and died in Winterset, Iowa, August 30th, 1805 (sic), and a little after 9 o’clock p.m. his father was a native of Ireland, his mother was a native of Scotland, and the son inherited and developed in his life, the vigor, activity, carefulness, and strict integrity for which a blending of Scotch and Irish blood is so noted.

When Matthew was about five years of age his parents came to America, and took up their residence in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After a short residence there, the family removed to Tuscarawas county, Ohio, where he grew to manhood. On the 24th of February, 1853, he was united in marriage to Miss Caroline Kale. On the 28th of November, 1853, he removed to Edyville, Iowa, where he stayed one year; removing from thence to Madison county, Iowa, where he continued to reside until God took him.

His parents being in close sympathy with the Protestant Episcopal church of England, according to the rules of that church he was baptized in infancy. While still a young man residing in his Ohio home he became a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and for reasons known to himself, he did not remove his membership of the church of his early choice. His name is still retained in the records of that church. Although not connecting himself with any church in Madison county, yet few men had greater respect for the church, sustained friendly and sympathetic relations with their ministers, contributed to their support, and rejoiced in the prosperity of all good works. He was a close and attentive listener to the preaching of the word of God, and being a close student of the word itself, he knew when the truth was preached, and had a keen appreciation of it.

While he loved the church of his early choice, yet no man could excel Matthew McGee in the catholicity of his spirit, and in the broad fraternity of his affection for all denominations of truly Christian people. A sham, whether in religion, in politics or in business, he despised with all the intensity of his hearty Irish nature. But true men, by whatever name they were called, or at whatever shrine they worship, never failed to find a true and helpful friend in the deceased.

It is not necessary for me to enlarge upon the noble qualities of this friend’s character. Many of you, even outside the circle of his children and relatives, having known him intimately for years, and the universal testimony of all who have spoken to me about him is, that but few men lived as closely to the tenets of the Golden Rule as did he. Honest and true in all his dealings; charitable almost to a fault, yet doing his deeds of charity so finally and unostentatiously that the recipients of his favors seldom knew from whence they came. In all my association with him, I have never heard him utter a word that would not be appropriate in any place, or in any company.

As might be expected, a man of such intense energy, such industrious habits, such wise and careful planning, and such strict integrity, must be prosperous and he was. But not a dollar, dishonestly procured, or gain at the expense of someone less fortunate, ever went into the pockets of Matthew McGee. Such a man with such a long, unbroken record of honorable and successful life, cannot go out without the community from whence he has gone, being the poorer. Such men are much scarcer than they ought to be, and yet to have the record of such a man is a legacy whose value is beyond computation.

His money was freely spent in building comfortable and handsome buildings, and by so much adding to the attractiveness of the town, and enhancing the valuation of all its property. He might have used his money in such a way that it would have brought him in dollars where it brought him only cents, but his large heartiness rebelled at the idea of taking advantage of those less fortunate than himself, or those upon whom unforeseen misfortune had fallen, to add to his own wealth at the expense of those. Instead of this his hand was often outstretched with substantial help to the needy, and ample time given for its refunding. More than one man will miss Matthew McGee when the pressure of misfortune falls upon him, because he is no longer able to extend the help he delighted to give.

The great sorrow of his life, the shadow of which followed him to his latest hour, fell upon him when on the 7th day of February, 1889, his sainted, but deeply afflicted wife left his home to go to the home which Christ had prepared for her. During a long lingering sickness he cared for her with all the tenderness of his great heart, and when at last death relieved her of her sufferings, and he had laid her away in the grave, that “silent village” had a larger place in his mind and heart, than did the living town where his interest and activities centered. How many hours of the days which make up the six and one half years of his great sorrow and loneliness were spent in silent communion at the grave of his beloved dead, no one knows. It was a great comfort to him that God spared to him his children, two sons and two daughters, all grown to manhood and to womanhood, who did all that lay within their power to assuage his grief, and heal the wounded heart.

On Wednesday the 21st of the month just closed after having spent the day in long and worried effort to aid a friend and neighbor in a business transaction, he was taken ill but did not take to his bed until Thursday evening. His disease assumed somewhat alarming symptoms from the beginning. Physicians were at once summoned, who did all they could do to stay the progress of the disease, but all their efforts were in vain. The duty of nursing was assumed by members of his own family, assisted by a few intimate friends. But in spite of all it became evident during the week that the hour of his departure was drawing nigh.

Many little transactions, which it would be out of place for me to mention, went to show that he himself felt that his sickness would have a fatal termination. His strong, vigorous vitality prolonged his life much longer than his appearance would indicate, but at last, a little after nine o’clock last Friday night the end came, and Matthew Miller McGee was not, for God had taken him.

One night, while his daughter was alone with him in the sick chamber, he expressed himself as being weary and sorrowful, and with a strong, clear voice, repeated that text so full of comfort and hope to the weary pilgrims of Earth, “In my Father’s house are many mansions”. Once after that he repeated the same Scripture, after which he passed into a condition of unconsciousness which continued until he passed away.

There were two hymns which were his special favorites and which he delighted to hear sung by his daughter-in-law in the quietude of their home. One was “The Sweet By and By”, the other “God Be With You Until We Meet Again”. To one of his daughters he said “When the end comes and I am passing over, sing The Sweet By and By”.

A good man, and honored citizen, a faithful friend, a tender and affectionate father has gone out from us, never more to come back. But the fragrance of his memory, the kindliness of his deeds, the wholesomeness of his example, the record of his life, remain. May we all cherish it, and while we mourn his departure, let us emulate his virtues, and see to it that no spot nor blemish shall tarnish his fair name.
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Coordinator's note: The two erroneous dates published in the Madisonian should be birth "1829" and death "1895".

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