Rutherford, John 1831-1907

RUTHERFORD, WHITE, STEWART, MOYLE, BITCON, THOMPSON, MCCONAGHIE

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 7/19/2010 at 10:57:19

Grinnell Herald; May 3, 1907

--The funeral of John Rutherford, who was killed by the Iowa Central near his home in Oak Grove Tuesday morning, was conducted by the Rev. W.W. Woodburn assisted by Rev. Robert Lincoln. A large gathering attested the popularity of the deceased among his neighbors among whom he was always regarded as an honest man, a kind neighbor and a good citizen. It is now thought that he met his death while driving three cattle off of the track to avoid the approaching train and that when he saw the cattle struck he was dazed for a moment. The train was running fast at the time and the engineer must have had his attention attracted from the track for the moment not to have seen the objects on the track. Deceased was about eighty years of age and an old resident of this county, living many years at Blue Point. He was a native of Ireland. A wife and three daughters living near Ewart and a son living in Audubon county live to mourn his loss. We will publish a more extended notice later.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grinnell Herald (Grinnell, Iowa) May 14, 1907

OBITUARY

John Rutherford was born in County Down, Ireland in 1831 and was seventy-six years of age at the time of his death. In the year 1856 he came to America and landed in Rock Island county, Illinois. Like many another emigrant he had little or no money and hired out as farm hand, at which he worked for one man for seven consecutive years, receiving for his labors $13.00 per month. In the middle sixties he married Miss Sarah White, sister of Messrs. D.F. White and Jas. Stewart of this city. By hard work and thrift he saved enough money to purchase 80 acres of land in Rock Island county which later in the spring of 1869 he sold and moved to Poweshiek county where he located in Pleasant township, buying a quarter section of land from his brother, Robert. Gradually he accumulated more land until at the time of his death he owned 300 acres of the finest land in the county. By his neighbors John Rutherford was known as a strictly honest man who was ever ready to help the deserving. In 1887 his first wife having passed away, he married Miss Mary Moyle. A neighbor who knew the deceased for over forty years prior to his demise speaks of him as one of the kindest friends and most generous neighbors he has ever known. Mr. Rutherford had four children by his first marriage all of whom, together with his wife survive him. The children are, Mrs. Jennie Bitcon, Mrs. Annie Thompson, Mrs. James McConaghie and one son Wm. Rutherford.