Child, Aldace W. 1852-1935

CHILD, WEEKS, BURROUGHS, HAMMOND

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 4/23/2010 at 15:27:27

Grinnell Herald (Grinnell, Iowa)

FUNERAL SERVICES FOR ALDACE CHILD

Were Held Monday Afternoon From the Residence on Broad Street.

TRIBUTES WERE PAID TO A LONG AND USEFUL LIFE

Rev. E.W. Cross and Rev. E.M. Vittum Spoke Words of Appreciation and Comfort.

Funeral services for Aldace W. Child, for so many years one of Grinnell's honored and respected residents, were held from the home at 1321 Broad street Monday afternoon. Rev. E.W. Cross and Rev. E.M. Vittum spoke words of consolation and comfort to the assembled relatives and friends. Music was furnished by a male quartet consisting of Fred Morrison, Dr. P.E. Somers, A.L. Frisbie and A.C. Lyon. The pall bearers were I.S. Bailey, G.H. Hamlin, J.A. Stone, G.H. McMurray, Dr. J.R. Lewis and Dr. O.F. Parish. Interment was in Hazelwood.

The following review of Mr. Child's life was read at the funeral by Rev. E.W. Cross:

"Aldace W. Child who passed away in Mercy Hospital in Des Moines Friday morning, February 20, after a brief but acute illness, was one of Grinnell's strong and useful men. The Child family has been intimately associated with constructive and honorable effort in our community for the past half century and Aldace Child was a worthy member of a worthy family.

"He was born at Bath, New Hampshire, January 11, 1852, and grew up on a farm in that simple and stern New England environment that breeds sturdy character. He came to Grinnell at the age of sixteen and after attending school for a number of years, took up the livery business with his father. Later he bought out his father's interest and carried on the business with great success. Old timers will remember that the Child livery was located where the River to River garage now stands. Mr. Child took great pride in the high grade quality of his livery teams and was firm in his insistence that his horses should always be humanely treated.

"In 1884, he sold out and for a short time was engaged in the grocery business. His natural liking for horses and his unusual ability in judging threw him back again into that line of work and for a number of years he was a large buyer, and shipper of horses. He had regular customers both on the East and West coast. At that time no one had a wider or more intimate acquaintance with the farmers and business men of this whole vicinity.

"Of late years Mr. Child has confined his activity to the care of his investments. He has also given very generously of his time and of his keen business judgment to helping relatives and friends in looking after their financial interests. These latter matters have had the same careful attention that they would have had if they had been his own.

"On September 7, 1875, Mr. Child was married to Miss Alice B. Weeks, of Bath, New Hampshire. Mrs. Child died May 27, 1901. To them were born two sons, Jonathan, who died at the age of six and Clinton C., a young man of fine character and abilities who, to the great grief of his father, was taken away in 1914.

"On October 16, 1903, Mr. Child was married to Miss Susan Burroughs, who survives him. The other immediate relatives are a grand-daughter, Alice Child, of Seattle, a brother, A.L. Child, of Grinnell, and a sister, Mrs. Hattie Hammond of Berkeley, California.

"Aldace Child was a man of strict integrity in all his dealings. He had a peculiarly strong attachment to the members of his family and to his friends. Kindliness and thoughtful consideration were disclosed in all his relations with them. To the children of his sister, Mrs. Hammond, "Uncle Aldace" was a second father.

"It was characteristic of him that he should have said so little about his illness that his friends were shocked at its acute development and fatal termination. A good citizen, a true man, a loyal friend has passed to his reward."