Davis, Willis 1839-1908

DAVIS, CARMICHAEL KIRBY

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 5/1/2010 at 16:35:58

Grinnell Herald (Grinnell, Iowa) Feb. 14, 1908

OLD PIONEER PASSED AWAY

Funeral Services of Old And Highly Respected Citizen of Grinnell Held Wednesday.

RECORD OF DECEASED A RICH LEGACY TO HIS CHILDREN

Was Honorable and Upright In All His Dealings With His Fellow Men--Will Be Greatly Missed.

Often of late has the Herald been called upon to perform the sad duty of recording the loss of some of the older citizens of this vicinity who have been public figures in the growth of the town. Nor have we felt a greater sense of personal regret in so doing than for Willis Davis, who died at his home in this city on Monday morning after a brief illness from pneumonia.

The deceased was born in Chester county, Pa., on October 20, 1839, and so was between 68 and 69 years of age. His parents moved to Ohio in 1844 and he lived there until 1852, when he came to Muscatine county in this state. After the war he moved to this city, where he has resided most of the time, with the exception of six years when he lived at Montezuma.

From Muscatine county he enlisted in the 35th Iowa infantry and was the sergeant of Co. B. He saw some of the hardest service of the war, being at Vicksburg, Jackson and in the Red River campaign. Later he was promoted for meritorious service to be first lieutenant of the 69th U.S. Inf., and was superintendent of Freedmen (??) DuValls Bluff, Ark. After the death of the confederacy and the surrender of Lee, he resigned his commission to return to the pursuits of peace, where his record is a clean and as spotless as is his fine record in the army.

In 1868 he was united in marriage to Sarah O. Carmichael who with the following children, survives him: Samuel R., of Rock Island; Reece P., of Tama; Charles G., of Tucson, Arizona; Fred E., of Washington; Mrs. Oliver Kirby, of Ruthven; Mary C., of Pomona, and Lina L., of this city.

After coming to Grinnell he was engaged in the lumber business till 1888 and later filled many positions of confidence and trust in all of which he acquitted himself in a way to honor him. He was deputy postmaster from 1890 to 1894. He was for six years county recorder and for the past year had been city clerk of Grinnell. In the I.O.O.F. and the Masonic lodges he took a prominent part, being secretary of the local lodge of the A.F. & A.M. at the time of his death. He was also a member of Gordon Granger Post, G.A.R. In all these relations which he sustained he commanded the respect of his fellow men and his friends he numbered by his acquaintances. The writer who had occasion many times a week to ask favors at his hands always found him kind, genial, ready to oblige and apparently glad of the opportunity to be of service, no matter how busy he might be at the time. The memory of his good will and cheerful manner will always be associated in his memory with those who knew him. Willis Davis was a born optimist.

Simple and dignified services were held at the late residence on Wednesday morning, conducted by Professor L.F. Parker, assisted by Rev. J.A. Hurley. A quartette composed of Mesdames G.M. Spooner, Elsie F. Case, A.C. Norris and Jennie Stewart furnished beautiful music. At Hazelwood cemetery the services were in charge of the Masonic lodge, and their impressive ritual was followed at the grave. The pall bearers were A.F. Rayburn and C.C. Hunt, of Montezuma; A. Nelson, C.J. Roberts, J.F. Wilson and B. Jenkins.