William Brinson (1929)

BRINSON, BIRD, MYERS, HIRCOCK, SHANKS, GRADY

Posted By: Linda Brittain
Date: 1/30/2006 at 13:38:35

The Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Thursday, January 2, 1930
Page 1

Death of William Brinson

William Brinson, who for several years has had the distinction of being the oldest man in the county, died at his home on West Jefferson street, Friday night, December 27th, after a short illness. Mr. Brinson was nearly 97 years of age, having been born in Indiana, February 28, 1833.

In spite of his age, Mr. Brinson had been in unusually good health and his mind had been clear. His eyesight failed him in recent years but he continued to take his papers and magazines, and was interested in the affairs of the day. Mr. Brinson was an active worker in the Church of Christ. The local church was organized in the home of his father, and it is thought that Mr. Brinson was probably the first person baptized in the county, the ceremony occurring in July, 1854.

The deceased was a son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Brinson, and was born February 28, 1833, in Indiana. They were some of the earlier settlers of the county, the family moving here with two teams in 1849. They located in Lincoln township, and Mr. Brinson had since made this community his home.

Mr. Brinson enlisted in the army in August, 1862, and became a member of Company F, Fourth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, joining the company at Helena, Arkansas. He served in the army three and a half years, and then returned to the farm work.

He was married in April 1855, to Miss Caroline Burd, and they were the parents of two children: Mrs. William Hircock of Winterset, and Mrs. C. Hircock, of Kansas. Mrs. Brinson died in 1921, but the two daughters survived the father.

The Rev. F. C. McCallon, former pastor of the Winterset Church of Christ, and Rev. H. L. Gilstead, conducted the funeral services Monday morning, Dec. 30th at 10 o'clock, at the Church of Christ, and burial was made in the Winterset Cemetery.
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The Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Thursday, January 2, 1930
Page 2

William Brinson

William Brinson was born in Switzerland county, Indiana, February 28, 1833, and departed this life December 27, 1929, at the age of 96 years, and 10 months. He was the eldest son of Joseph and Rebecca (Myers) Brinson, having two sisters and three brothers who preceded him in death.

He came to Madison county from Indiana, in 1849, and had since resided here, living on a farm in Lincoln township and also working at the carpenter trade until about 1898, when he retired and moved to his home on West Jefferson street, where he had since resided.

He was a faithful member of the Church of Christ, having been baptized in July, 1854, and served the church as elder for many years.

In April, 1855, he was united in marriage to Miss Caroline Bird, who was born in Holmes county, Ohio, and departed this life September 8, 1921. To them were born two daughters, Mary E., who is the wife of William Hircock, and Sarah E., who is the wife of Culy Hircock.

Three grandchildren and one great grandchild have preceded him in death, Clara Mabel and Floyd Hircock, Blanch Shanks and Russell Erwin Hircock.

He is survived by his two daughters, Mary Hircock, of this place, and Sarah Hircock, of Wichita, Kansas; three grandchildren, Eunice Hircock of Wichita, Kansas; Lannie and Elsie, of this place; nine great grandchildren, Dorothy Shanks, Helen, Robert and Maxine Grady, all of Wichita, Kansas; Sarah, Eugene, Carl, Esther and Roger Hircock of Winterset.
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The Winterset News
Winterset, Iowa
Thursday, January 2, 1930
Page 1, Column 1

CITY’S OLDEST MAN DIES AT GREAT AGE

Death Of William Brinson Friday At The Age Of Ninety-six

William Brinson, Winterset’s oldest citizen and probably the county’s oldest man, died Friday at the great age of 96. Had he lived until February 28, he would have celebrated his ninety-seventh birthday. Death was due to failing health incident to his advanced age.

Mr. Brinson was a remarkable old man. His eyesight had been poor for years but he managed to make the long walk down town, from his home near the old fair grounds, almost every day. It was but a short time before his death that he was able to make the usual trip.

He was an old soldier, of Company F of the 4th Iowa Infantry, all Iowa men, and came to the county from Indiana with his parents in 1849. His father, Joseph Brinson had to Mexican war soldier warrants, each for 160 acres. He took the 320 north of the Backbone where Eph Vance lived so long. Young Brinson borrowed $1250 from uncle, John Brinson, and $1250 from John Hooten and bought two forties of school land out on the prairie just north of his father’s farm. It was on this farm he established his home after his marriage in 1855 and where he lived until he retired from the farm and moved to the house on west Jefferson street where he made his home until his death.

He knew the Backbone country like a book, watched the Mesquakies when they camped there in the spring to make maple sugar. “You should have seen that bottom when it was a solid mass of trees”, Brinson told The News a few years ago. “The Backbone was beautiful when the forest was all there”. He helped his father build a mill on the river just below the Backbone where they had a carding machine and sawed lumber, “a lot of it”, he once remarked. Only a few years ago he named the first settlers up and down the river without an error. In spite of his age he was always mentally alert.

He learned to make baskets and chairs in his boyhood days, learn the trade from his father and got the money to pay for his farm in that way. The early settlers came to the County with little furniture and “I made ‘em and sold ‘em to them”, he said. “Split chairs, you remember them I bet you had been in your house”.

Mr. Brinson helped organize the Church of Christ in Madison County. The meeting was held in his father’s log house and in Lincoln township he and his wife were among the charter members.

Mrs. Brinson died in 1921. His only near relatives are his daughters, Mrs. William Hircock, of Wichita Kansas, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were held Monday morning at the Church of Christ, by the Rev. F. Clare McCallon, of Osceola, assisted by the Rev. H. L. Olmstead; burial was in the Winterset cemetery. An obituary notice will be found in another column.

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Madison Obituaries maintained by Linda Griffith Smith.
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