Longley, Lyman A. 1861-1909

LONGLEY, HOWARD, MARVIN

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 8/18/2012 at 08:07:56

The Grinnell (IA) Herald; March 1909

LYMAN A. LONGLEY

The death of Lyman A. Longley on March 29, at his home in Rock Creek township, a mile west of this city, removes one of the most progressive farmers and finest citizens that lived in this entire region. Lyman Longley was a good farmer, a good husband and father, and a good citizen and when one has said that there is little more that can be added.

He was born July 6, 1861 and lived in this vicinity all his life, with the exception of a year or two spent in California. On September 14, 1882, he was united in marriage to Miss Alice Howard and to them were born two children, Ethel and Howard. They, with the mother and a sister, Mrs. Frank P. Marvin, survive him.

For several years prior to 1902 he was a railroad postal clerk, in which work he was highly efficient, passing one of the best civil service examinations for this position that it is possible to pass. It was during these years of service that he probably contracted the dread Bright's Disease that caused his death.

While engaged in this work he still kept up his fine farm west of town where he had recently erected a fine, large home. That he should not have lived to enjoy the prosperity for which he had labored so faithfully, is one of the sad things of life that cannot be accounted for in our poor human conception of things.

In 1887 he united with the Congregational church of this city and retained this active membership and an interest in the best things of life to the time of his death, which followed an illness of two months.

He had the highest respect of his fellow men--respect for all his courage, his honesty and his ability as was evidenced by the numbers at Hazelwood when the remains were laid to rest on Wednesday, one of the largest gatherings being seen there at that time, in spite of the bad condition of the roads, ever assembled there on a similar occasion.

In the death of Lyman Longley the Herald office feels deeply, in common with hosts of others, the loss of a warm personal friend, whose friendship we valued. He was one of God's natural noblemen, always gentle, polite and kind--a man of natural refinement. To the bereaved family we extend our deepest sympathy for we can in a slight degree appreciate their sense of loss.