Wakeman, Lester 1835-1908

WAKEMAN, WHITLOCK, ADAMS, HARTUNG

Posted By: Doris Hoffman, Volunteer (email)
Date: 7/25/2015 at 18:46:57

Note: His mother's maiden name was Whitlock. The first wife's maiden name was Adams. His second wife was Harriet Hartung.

DIED

WAKEMAN--At his home in Akron, Iowa, Monday, February 17, 1908, Lester Wakeman, of paralysis, aged 72 years, 3 months, and 28 days.

About the first of last November appeared the initial indication of the dread malady. he had been confined to his bed a trifle over three weeks when the final summons came.

Lester Wakeman was born in New Canaan, Connecticut, October 20, 1835, and early in life affiliated with the Baptist church. Like many another hardy young New Englander, there came to his ears the voice of the young and mighty West. he with hunreds of others, hearkened to the call, leaving the old home state in 1866 and locating on a homestead about five miles northwest of Akron, in Sioux Valley township, Union county, South Dakota (then Dakota territory). With only a very few settlers within a wide ara, there was then little except a wonderfully fertile soil, to commend this section for settlement, but he had an abiding and not-mistaken faith in its future possibilities, which even the terrible winters, periods of drouth, Indian scares, grasshopper scourges and other discouragements of pioneer days could not shake. it was the joy of his life to see the Big sioux Valley made to bloom as the rose and finally brought to that uncontestable plane, the "garden spot of the world"--in the transformation of which he did his part nobly and well. In the spring of 1888 he and his wife ladi aside the activities of farm duties and came to reside in Akron, which has since been their home.

Personally, too much of good cannot be saif of Lester Wakeman--a model citizen, a true friend, modest and unassuming. To the needy his store of plenty was never closed and full justice marked his dealings with all men.

The community mourns his departure, along with the bereaved family. Besides the wife, there survive two sons and one daughter--George, of Montrose, S. D.; Frank and Mrs. D. K. Bennett, of Chatsworth, Iowa. He also has four brothers, Hiram, Sherwood and Andrus, of New Canaan, Conn., and Alsop, northwest of Akron, and one sister, Mrs Hattie Crawford, of New Canaan.

Two sisters, Mrs. andrew Hoyt and Mrs. Louise Raymond, are deceased.

At the funeral, held yesterday afternoon in the Akron Baptist church, many friends assembled to pay a last tribute of respect. A strong sermon was delivered by W. T. Rateliffe, pastor of the Christian church. The local Masonic, Odd Fellow, Eastern Star and REbekah lodges, of which the deceased was a member, attended in a body.

The Masons took charge upon leaving the churh and the beautiful and impressive burial service of that order was exempliefied at the grave, in Riverside cemetery. The pallbearers chosen from the Masonic brethren were: Boyson Ross, Peter Ide, E. J. Bradley, A. U. Wilson, H. W. Nelson and W. W. Meredith.

Akron Register Tribune
Thursday, February 20, 1908
Akron, Iowa