Perry, Nicholas 1818-1897

PERRY, BEADELL

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, Volunteer (email)
Date: 9/9/2010 at 19:52:16

LeMars Semi-Weekly Sentinel
April 8, 1897

Obituary.
Died, at his home corner of Franklin and First streets at 4 o’clock,
Saturday afternoon, Nicholas Perry, aged 79 years, 4 months and 15 days. Mr.
Perry leaves an aged wife, two sons and one daughter to mourn his loss, W.H.
Perry and Mrs. Gertrude Symms, of this city, and Nicholas Perry, of Boyden,
Sioux County, Iowa, all of whom were with him when he passed away.

Mr. Perry was born in 1818 at Falmouth, Cornwall county, England. In 1833
his father’s family, with the exception of one daughter, emigrated to this
country, setting at Albany, N.Y. Young Nicholas engaging with a manufacturer
of flavoring extracts with whom he remained two years. He then went to New
York City, where two sisters were living, and secured a position with a
ladies’ tailor, his duties being the cutting of ladies dresses. He remained
a year, during which time the great fire occurred, throwing him out of work.
With his little earnings he went to Schenectady, twenty miles west of
Albany, then the western terminus of the only railroad in New York state,
and which is now the New York Central, and bought out a small restaurant
business which he continued two years successfully. In the meantime the
grandfather, which whom the youngest sister had been living, died, and he
went to England to bring his sister back. Now the railroad had pushed on to
Little Falls, forty miles west, leaving Schenectady dead, and Nicholas
became imbued with the American idea “go west young man.” Accordingly, in
1838, he went to Walworth county, Wis., taking with him his aged father and
a younger brother and settled on a claim where now is the town of Darien. In
1843, he married Caroline Beadell, of LeRoy, Illinois, and the following
year moved to McHenry county, Illinois, near what is now the town of
Harvard. In 1855 they came to Iowa settling near the New Mellary Monastery
in Dubuque county.

In 1889 he sold his farm in Dubuque county and came to LeMars where he
continued to live until the time of his death.

Nicholas Perry was one of nature’s noblemen, intellectually far above the
average, he was an extensive reader and a sound reasoner. Not withstanding
his advanced years he was deeply interested in all the great questions of
the day and was fully abreast of the times. His was one of the kindest
natures ever bestowed upon humanity. He ever had a heart for other’s woes
and a helping hand. His heart was tender as a woman’s and his nature simple
as a child’s.

Taking him all in all we ne’er shall see his like again.
Requiescat in pace. ~A. Friend.