Ross, James 1841-1935

ROSS, MENZIES, SMITH

Posted By: Doris Hoffman, Volunteer (email)
Date: 6/17/2014 at 18:25:02

Note: Mother's maiden name was Menzies.

RITES FOR AKRON PIONEER ARE HELD LAST SATURDAY

James Ross Had Resided in This Community More Than Sixty Years

In these columns brief mention was made last week of the death of James Ross, a widely known pioneer of this vicinity and one of the oldest residents of Akron, who passed away Wednesday, January 23, 1935, at 6 p.m., after a several weeks' illness of heart trouble and complications, aged 93 years, 5 months, and 15 days.

James Ross came from sturdy Scotch ancestors, being born at Ayrshire, Scotland, August 8, 1841, and spent his boyhood there. In 1856 he came to the United States with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Duncan Ross, landing at the port of New York and proceeding from there to Rochester, Minn. In 1861 they came to Union county, S. D. (then Dakota Territory), at which time there was only one house along the Big Sioux river between Sioux City and Sioux Falls, and that was a Calliope, now a part of Hawarden, Iowa.

Duncan Ross took up a homestead in Civil Bend, on the Dakota side of the Big Sioux river, near Jefferson, S. D., but was forced to relinquish the claim on account of the bottom lands being flooded by the Missouri river, and moved his family into Elk Point, where they conducted the early-day Flannery Hotel for two or three years.
James Ross later acquired the farm on which his parents originally homesteaded. Mr. Ross was united in marriage with Miss Ellen Smith at Sabula, Iowa, on January 2, 1871, and this union was blessed with five sons and four daughters--Etta, Junie, Susie, Belford, William, Charles, Clyde, George and Lysle--all of whom are living except one son, Charles, who died in 1918.

After a few years' residence at Elk Point, Mr. Ross and family moved to Akron, establishing the first meat market here and operating the same for about three years. He then bought a farm three-quarters of a mile northeast of town, of which he retained the ownership up to the time of his death.

Years ago, when there was much railway construction, Mr. Ross engaged in railroad grading and took contracts for this work both in the United States and in Canada. He afterward engaged in farming and stock raising for many years near Akron. Even after retiring from active farming, he occupied his summers until only a few years ago by extensive truck gardening of his place northeast of town, believing in the efficieny of work to keep one's self rugged and healthy. As an example of his physical fitness, it is recorded that on his 90th birthday he easily swam across the large pool at the Big Sioux Gravel Co. send-pit, sothwest of town, and then part way around the shore line. There was also a big family picnic in his honor on that birthday.

It is rare, indeed, that a person can retain their mental faculties and physical strength as did Mr. Ross to such a n advanced age, and he enjoyed the company of others, as they did his, for he could readily draw upon a rich fund of experiences and antedotes occurring throughout his long and buy life. He will be genuinely missed and mourned in the community where he resided for sixty years or more.

He is survived by his widow and the following children; Mrs. J. B. Klaner, Mrs. E. P. Klauer, Mrs. F. Smythe, of Akron; Mrs. Frank Lovell, of Rapid City; S. D.; J. Belford Ross, of Rapid City; Wm. B. Ross, Clyde Ross, and George Ross, of Akron; also by 41 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

There was a large attendance at the funeral services for this pioneer, held Saturday at 10 a.m. in St. Patrick's Catholic church and conducted by Rev. Father J. A. Roder.

The pallbearers were six grandsons, Robert Ross, Ross Smythe, Blaine Ross, Ralph Klauer, Richard Klauer, and James Klauer. Interment was in the the Catholic cemetery.

Relatives and friends who came from a distance to attend the funeral were; Mr. and Mrs. Frank Lovell and daughter, Mrs. Ralph Dasler, and J. Belford Ross, of Rapid City, S. D.; Mr. and Mr. and Mrs. Mike Gill, of Elk Point; Mr. and Mrs. Harry Conly, Mr. and Mrs. John Ross, Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Nystrom, Mrs. Bertha Hedberg, of Sioux City; Mrs. Daisy Peterson, and Mrs. Rosa Boden, of Alcester, S. D.; Mr. and MRs. Ray Massey and Beecher Massey and son, Loren, of Jefferson, S. D.

Akron Register Tribune
Thursday, January 31, 1935
Akron, Iowa