Nuttall, James A. 1824-1906

NUTTALL

Posted By: Mary Holub, volunteer (email)
Date: 9/12/2012 at 21:58:06

From: Le Mars Semi-Weekly Sentinel, January 19, 1906

DEATH OF J.A. NUTTALL.

Had Lived a Long and Varied Life—Was One of the Oldest Surviving Soldiers.

J. A. Nuttall died on Monday night at the home of his son-in-law, D. M. Goldie, near Crathorne, aged eighty-two years. Mr. Nuttall had been in poor health for some time and was suffering from bodily infirmities mid weakness due in chief to old age. He suffered a stroke of apoplexy on Sunday night and on Monday succumbed to another stroke.

James Akroyd Nuttall was a native of England, where he was born in the town of Burnley on March 17, 1824. When a boy he worked in the cotton mills owned by a rich relative named Lord, who afterwards became a millionaire. Nuttall came to New York when a youth of sixteen following his father who had left the old country a year or two previously. The elder Nuttall at that time conducted a hotel, or tavern as it was called in those days, at Wappinger Falls, on the stage coach road between New York and Albany. When nineteen, Nuttall ran away from home and enlisted in the regular army and was in company A. Second United States Light artillery. During his enlistment the regiment was ordered out to quell the Dorr rebellion in Rhode Island and marched to Prospect Hill, where the rebels dispersed and the regiment was stationed at Fort Adams which had just been built at Newport. Nuttall's father bought him out of the army, which he could do as the lad was a minor.

In 1849 Nuttall with thousands of others who got the gold craze, left the east for San Francisco. He spent sixteen years of his life in the gold field. While in California his first wife and two children died and another child he left in charge of a woman after his wife died disappeared.

Mr. Nuttall subsequently returned east and engaged in business in Philadelphia, where he was married to his present wife, who survives him. From there he moved to Shabbona.Ill., and later to Fonda, Iowa, where he engaged in farming. In 1882, the family moved to Le Mars which has been their home until a year ago when Mr. and Mrs. Nuttall moved onto the farm of their son-in-law, D. M. Goldie.

During his long life the deceased had gathered a remarkable fund of general knowledge and experience. His mind was bright and active until almost the last and he took a keen interest in what was going on in the world, was well read and was posted on events stretching over a long period of time.

He was a good citizen, an ardent patriot and a staunch friend. In early life he affiliated with the Methodist persuasion and was a regular church attendant as long as his health permitted. About the last words he uttered were “If it be Thy will, O Lord, Take me."

The funeral was held on Wednesday afternoon from the house and services were conducted at the Crathorne Presbyterian church by Rev. J. M. Linn, of Ireton, who preached a brief sermon full of comfort and solace to the living and paid a fitting tribute to the dead. The church choir rendered some beautiful music. The remains were laid to rest in the peaceful, and pretty cemetery adjoining. The pall bearers were M. Brodie, John Robertson, Frank Port, A. G. Blakeway, John Ericksen, August Robertson. The funeral was largely attended a number going from Le Mars, the former home of the deceased.