Hutchinson, William, 1850-1925

HUTCHINSON, BLAKE

Posted By: Lydia Lucas - Volunteer (email)
Date: 6/13/2021 at 20:33:38

From the Alton Democrat, December 15, 1925, p. 1:

JUDGE WM. HUTCHINSON SUMMONED
Funeral of Pioneer Jurist To Be Held At Alton On Saturday

It is with deep sorrow that The Democrat announces this week the death of Sioux County’s dearly beloved judge, William Hutchinson, which occurred Tuesday night at 10 P.M. at Waukesha, Wisconsin. The body will arrive at Alton at noon on Saturday, and will lie in state from that hour until two o’clock at the Presbyterian church. At that hour funeral services will be held, in charge of the pastor, Reverend George Bray. Burial will take place at the Orange City cemetery.

On November 14 the judge had returned to Alton from Rock Rapids where he presided at his last term of court. He became ill from his old trouble, diabetes, and went to Waukesha where he had so often received relief before. At the sanitarium the doctors got the ailment under control but other complications set in and the judge failed rapidly at the last and on Tuesday night his mighty spirit passed out of this life.

For practically forty years a figure in public life in Sioux County, Northwest Iowa and the state, Judge Hutchinson was known, we believe, to every man, woman and child who had lived in the county for any length of time. He came here in 1882 from Montezuma, was elected county attorney in 1886 and served in that capacity for 10 years. In 1896 when Judge Ladd was elected to the supreme court he was appointed judge in this district by Governor Drake and held this judgeship to the time of his death. It may be truly said that he died in the harness which was his wish.

In 1887 he was married to Mrs. Belle Blake of Marietta, Ohio. They lived at Orange City until he became judge when they moved to Alton on account of the better train connections. One son was born to them but died in infancy. Later Mr. Hutchinson’s only sister died. She was married and left one child, Ethel Lytle, whom the judge and Mrs. Hutchinson brought up and who is now the wife of W. L. Gund of Marcus, Iowa.

The judge was born December 29, 1850, and was the only surviving member of his family. He was born at Coshocton, Ohio but when he was six years old, in May 1857, his parents and family moved to Iowa where his father had bought 800 acres of land in Poweshiek county from the government for which he paid $1,000 in gold, or $1.25 an acre. They made the trip from Ohio with two covered wagons and a covered buggy. The judge during his boyhood days in Poweshiek county helped break sod on his father’s large farm by ox team and also broke prairie for many of his neighbors. He went to Oskaloosa college for part of two years and then taught school in Mahaska county for three winters. After that he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1878.

In 1882 the judge came to Orange City, after traveling to Kansas and to a large number of county seats in this part of the state looking for a location. He went into partnership with Bell and Palmer but soon left to hang out his own shingle in Calliope and during that time was elected county attorney, holding that office ten years. The Democrat has been informed that the judge was the county’s first attorney, as previous to that time the work had been done by a circuit attorney who accompanied the circuit judge on his rounds of a large district. There were many criminals to prosecute at that time when the
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Another obituary was published in the Hawarden Independent, December 24, 1925:

Birth: December 29, 1850
Death: December 22, 1925

DEATH OF WELL KNOWN JURIST JUDGE WILLIAM HUTCHINSON OF ALTON DIED TUESDAY NIGHT

End Came at Waukesha, Wisconsin, Where He Had Been for a Month. - Funeral at Alton Saturday

Judge William Hutchinson of Alton, one of Sioux County's most widely known and best beloved citizens, died at Waukesha, Wisconsin, at 10 o'clock Tuesday night, following an illness which has extended over several years.

His physical condition has never interfered with his court duties, however, until the past few months when he has been obliged to leave the bench at times and turn over the work to someone else. He had been scheduled to hold the January term of court in Sioux County but another judge was named only a week or two ago to act for him. He has been at Waukesha for about a month immediately preceding his death.

The body will be returned to Alton and the funeral will be held there at 2 o'clock Saturday afternoon.

Judge Hutchinson was born December 29, 1850, so lacked just a week of being 75 years of age. He came to Iowa in 1857 with his parents, the family locating at Montezuma, where he grew to young manhood.

He was admitted to the bar in 1878 and four years later came to Calliope and entered upon the practice of law here. After four years of practice in Calliope he was elected county attorney, which office he filled for ten years when he was elevated to the district bench where he served continuously for almost thirty years, being one of the very oldest judges in the state in point of service.

He was highly revered by his fellow judges and the members of the bar as well as by a tremendously wide circle of laymen in northwest Iowa.

He was united in marriage in 1888 with Mrs. Belle Blake at Marietta, Ohio. Mrs. Hutchinson survives him and he is also survived by a niece, who was raised in the Hutchinson home, Mrs. Ethel Gund of Marcus, Iowa.

Judge Hutchinson was a charter member and the first Master of Dale Lodge, A.F. & A.M., which was organized in Calliope and later merged with a Masonic Lodge which was organized in Hawarden. He took a deep interest in Masonic work and served as Grand Master of the Masonic Lodge of Iowa some twelve or fifteen years ago.

It is anticipated that his funeral will be in charge of the Masonic Lodge at Alton and that a large number of members of the Grand Lodge will be in attendance.

[Originally posted by Paul Van Dyke]