Richardson, John 1849-1921

RICHARDSON, SHAW

Posted By: Plymouth CC
Date: 2/14/2004 at 11:43:01

OBITUARY published in the Le Mars Sentinel on September 21, 1921
DEATH OF PIONEER
JOHN RICHARDSON LIVED IN THE COUNTY FIFTY YEARS
HELPED IN WINNING THE WEST

John Richardson, a resident of Plymouth county for the past fifty years, died at his residence in Wernli's addition on Friday morning. Death was due to an internal cancer. Mr. Richardson had been ailing for the past year but most of the time was able to be out and attending to his affairs. A few months ago he suffered a severe attack of illness, but recovered and his health became normal except for the chronic malady.

John Richardson was a native of England and was born in the city of London on September 15, 1849. When he was about three years of age his parents, Mr. and Mrs. James Richardson, came to America. They settled in Chicago where they lived for a few years and in 1856 came to Iowa and lived a year in Dyersville, in the days before the railroad had penetrated to that section of the state. The elder Richardson then bought a farm of a hundred and sixty acres in Delaware county and there John Richardson and his brothers grew up, attending school and working on the farm.

In 1871 John Richardson came to Plymouth county, attracted by the opening of land in northwestern Iowa and bought a farm in Union township on which he located in 1875, improved it and established a home. On July 24, 1876, he was united in marriage with Miss Florence Shaw of Guttenberg, Iowa. They immediately took up their residence on the farm in Union township and farmed successfully, acquiring additional land, after having surmounted the drawbacks which beset the early pioneer and withstanding the grasshopper period, which played havoc with the settlers in the seventies.

Mr. and Mrs. Richardson were the parents of three children, who are: Harvey Richardson of Braham, Minn., Arthur Richardson, of Paynesville, Minn., and Mrs. Ezra G. Pearce, of Henning, in Otter Tail county, in Minnesota.

The sons came to attend the funeral, but Mrs. Ezra Pearce was unable to come as she is suffering from illness at her home. Mr. Richardson also leaves five grandchildren and three brothers who live in Oregon and Missouri. A brother James Richardson, who was well known here died recently in Sioux City.

Mr. Richardson was a successful farmer, an upright and just man, a good citizen who stood for the things that make for betterment of the community and the well being of society and was one of the many who strove, by hard working straight living and clean thinking, to build up the prosperous commonwealth, which was a raw untamed prairie when he came here fifty years ago.

The funeral services were held yesterday from the house, Rev. J. W. Davis, of the Hildreth Memorial church, officiating.

Submitted by Lousie Havens