King, Richard William 1844-1924

KING, SHELLEY, SARGENT

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 9/16/2009 at 19:47:03

RICHARD W. KING'S FUNERAL HELD TODAY

Richard William King, oldest son of Charles and Mary King, was born March 15, 1844, and passed away on November 19, 1924. In January, 1867, he was united in marriage with Lucy Jane Shelley at her home in Newton, Iowa. After spending nearly fifty-eight years together they were separated in death only a short time, the wife being taken on October 13th and the husband on November 19th. There were five children in the family: Mary, Ida, Ella, Lucy and Charles. Mary and Charles preceded their parents in death, while the three daughters survive. There are seven grandchildren and five great grandchildren. Mr. King also leaves three sisters and two brothers, all living at a distance, and not able to be present at the services. He will be sorely missed and deeply mourned not only by his immediate relatives, but by the wide circle of friends that his generous nature and friendly spirit had gathered around him.

His boyhood was spent with his parents at Morristown, New Jersey where when quite young he served his apprenticeship with a harness maker and became a master workman in that line. About 1860, he came to Grinnell to join his uncle, Richard King, and they both lived with the family of William W. Sargent. He arrived at the Sargent home one evening and the next morning was very ill with fever, which lasted several weeks. He was tenderly nursed by Mrs. Sargent, and was under the care of Dr. Holyoke--Grinnell's first physician. When he recovered from this illness he spent some time driving a stage coach from Iowa City to Fort Des Moines and Indianola. He left this work to go to Colorado with a wagon train carrying mining machinery and supplies to one of the newly opened camps. On returning to Iowa he went to work in Osborn's harness shop in Newton, where he met and married his wife. For about a year after their marriage they lived with the uncle, Richard King on his farm southwest of Grinnell. Mr. King then decided to go back into the harness business and for a few years had shops at Newton, Pleasantville, Colfax, and Kellogg, moving to Grinnell in 1876, and has since that time made this city his home. During a great portion of this time he has had his own harness shop, although he worked for a few years for the Morrison-Ricker Glove Co. and also for the Spaulding Manufacturing Co.

Mr. King had been sick before his wife's death, but recovered sufficiently to be at his shop part of the time, until ten days before his death. "Uncle Dick" as he was familiarly called by many of his friends, leaves a fine record of long years of continuous business--not many men being able to keep up their usual work to the age of eighty years.

The services were held at the house this afternoon at 2:30 o'clock, conducted by Rev. W.J. Todd. Mrs. Chas. Laros and Mrs. W.J. Todd sang, and the same kind neighbors who bore Mrs. King to her last resting place, lovingly and tenderly gave the same service to Mr. King.