Creswell, William Henry, 1885-1936

CRESWELL, GRAHAM

Posted By: Lydia Lucas - Volunteer (email)
Date: 6/13/2021 at 20:33:32

From the Alton Democrat, December 4, 1936, Boyden news:

Mr. William Henry Creswell died at his home in Sheldon Friday afternoon at the age of 51 years. He was a prominent lawyer. He is survived by his aged mother, one sister, Mrs. Chris Reimers of Boyden and two brothers Roscoe of Boyden and Arthur of Oregon. His funeral services were held Monday afternoon at the Methodist church in Sheldon and the final resting place was in Sheldon[i.e., Sheridan] Cemetery near Boyden. Several old time friends and neighbors from Boyden attended the services.

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From the Boyden Reporter, December 3, 1936:

WILLIAM H. CRESWELL

William Henry Creswell, oldest son of Ulysses and Mary Creswell, was born February 19, 1885, on a farm south of Boyden. He grew to manhood at that place and attended the country school, the Hull Academy and spent a year at the Highland Park college at Des Moines. He taught school for two years near Boyden, after which he took a law course at the Iowa State University, graduating from there in 1912. In the fall of 1913 he began his law practice at Sheldon.

His father died in 1916. He passed away Nov. 27, 1936, at the home of his mother at the age of 51 years, 9 months, and 8 days. He leaves to mourn his passing, his mother, Mrs. Mary Creswell of Sheldon; two brothers, Arthur of Portland, Oregon, and Roscoe, of Boyden, and one sister, Mrs. Zoa Reimers of Boyden.

Funeral services were held in the Methodist church of Sheldon on Monday afternoon, Nov. 30, 1936. Pallbearers at the funeral services were: James B. Lindsay, R. F. Kehrberg, John J. Walters, C. L. Schneider, Henry Krahling, and Dr. H. J. Meis. Rev. S. Earl Burgess, of Sheldon, officiated at the services and interment was made in the Sheridan cemetery near Boyden.

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Also from the Boyden Reporter, December 3, an unsigned editorial:

Bill Creswell’s searching blue eyes were closed forever last week Thursday. The memory of this fine man will linger long in the hearts of all men who knew him as an attorney, as a citizen, as a man. Nobody will ever doubt my word when I say he was shrewd, not sly; not clever, just plain, honest, soft spoken, Bill Creswell.

For many years, day after day, and often nights, Bill would work at his desk. Infrequently he would be working for his clients, but more often he would be working for some other attorney. In other words, he would find precedents, facts, and other legal logic, which would be used to build up cases for other attorneys. Frequently cases would be won, based on Bill’s hard-earned capacity for searching truths; cases that otherwise would have proved feeble and flabby; that never would have withstood the onslaughts of a grim jury, a smart judge, or a group of distinguished members of the supreme court.

While these victors (at Bill’s expense) bought new cars, built palatial homes, and groomed themselves in spacious offices, Bill lived humbly. There probably won’t be any marble mausoleum built in honor of Bill. But I know that his gentle spirit is marching onward to another world. Men who want decency, fairness, can well learn a hard fought lesson from Bill’s life.

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His death certificate adds that he had worked 24 years as an attorney, last worked at this occupation Oct. 1936; parents Ulysses Primm Creswell, born in Iowa, and Mary Graham, born in Illinois; died at 2:50 p.m. November 27, 1936; cause, cancer of the liver, metastasis to lungs; contributory cause: “Auto accident Nov. 2nd 1936 injuring right chest might have accentuated the lung trouble”; the doctor had been attending him since Oct. 5, 1936.