Swift, William 1842-1917

SWIFT, FULLER, SEAVER

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 5/10/2012 at 10:12:21

The Grinnell (IA) Herald; Jan. 23, 1917

WILLIAM SWIFT

William Swift died on Friday night at his home in Newburg, aged 74 years and 4 months. He was a respected citizen of Newburg where he had lived ever since he retired from active farming in 1891. He had been ill for a long time.

Mr. Swift was born in 1842 in Ticehurst, Sussex county, England, the son of Jabez and Eleanor Swift. He attended school for a short time, but left it to work on the farm. In 1864, at the age of 22, he married Charlotte Fuller. Four years ago this worthy couple passed their fiftieth wedding anniversary, the death of Mr. Swift on Friday breaking a happy wedded life of fifty-four years. Mrs. Swift survives him, age 72 years.

After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Swift made their home for some time in Sussex, where six children were born, as follows:

Elizabeth Esther, born in 1864, died in 1866; William George, born in 1865, died in 1903, in Grinnell; George William, born in 1867, now of Newburg; Charlotte Eleanor, born in 1870, now Mrs. Seaver of Gilman; Arthur George, born in 1873, now of Grinnell; Walter, born in 1881, now of Saskatchewan, Canada.

In 1889 the family left England for Canada and settled first in Ontario. They lived there for nine months, farming, and then crossed the line into the United States, came into the country north of Newburg and lived with Porter Fuller for 18 months. In 1891 they moved to their present home in Newburg, where they have lived ever since.

Mr. Swift had rounded out a full three score and ten. He had been a good man, honorable and steadfast, a good father and a loving husband.