Charles Nathan Thatcher (1849-1925)

THATCHER, MCDOWELL, BEACH

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 12/30/2019 at 19:25:32

From Nevada Evening Journal February 18, 1925 (page 4)

OBITUARY OF C. N. THATCHER

Deceased War Veteran Was Much Respected.

Zearing, Feb 18.--Funeral services for Charles N. Thatcher, 76, who bore the distinction of being Story County's youngest Civil war veteran, were held at the Evangelical church here Friday afternoon, the body having arrived the day before from Daphne, Alabama. Mr. Thatcher had died February 9 from a stroke of apoplexy, suffered while he was in the yard of his home superintending some work.

Death came upon him very suddenly. Mr. Thatcher had gone to town during the forenoon hours and was feeling unusually well. He returned to his home and was standing in the yard overseeing some work that was being done on the house, when he was stricken with a hemmorage of the brain and he dropped over dead.

Funeral services were conducted from the church of which he had been a longtime member, by Rev. S. N. Ramage, district superintendent, assisted by his pastor, Rev. Blakely, the latter reading the obituary, the scripture lesson and offering prayer.

At the cemetery the service were in charge of the American Legion.

Charles Nathan Thatcher was born at Amboy, Illinois, August 11, 1849, and died, as stated, at Daphne, Ala., Feb. 9, 1925, age 75 years, 5 months and 26 days.

When he was eight years old his parents moved to Winterset and a little later to Des Moines. At the age of 14 he enlisted in the service of his country and spent six months there. He then went west where he joined his brothers and spent seven years in the west. At the age of 22 he returned to Iowa and settled with his parents near Zearing in Story county.

In 1877 he was united in marriage with Miss Ana McDowell. Three children were born to them. Leona C. died when two and a half years of age, Miss Edna and Mrs. Ilo Beach survive him. The wife died December 23, 1922. There are also two grandchildren, Mildred and Harold Beach, and two brothers, Jesse Thatcher of Topeka, Kan., and Will Thatcher of Ft. Dodge, and several nieces and nephews remain to mourn his death.

Mr. Thatcher lived on the farm west of town till 1888 when he moved to Zearing and forming a partnership with Hugh McConnell, entered the mercantile business. After the death of his wife in 1922, he spent the winter in Alabama with his daughter Edna who was engaged in Y.W.C.A. work. The winter of 1923-24 was also spent there and they had gone again to Alabama, having arrived only two weeks before his death. Mr. Thatcher was a member of the G. A. R. Post at Nevada and was a man that was interested in the welfare of the community.

He was converted at the Wickham School house northeast of this city many years ago and united with the Evangelical church and remained a faithful member of the same until his death.

He was a charter member of the local Evangelical church having been one of those that was active in the organization and building of the church before the town of Zearing was laid out. He has held numerous official positions in the church and his home was open to the ministers.

In the death of Mr. Thatcher Zearing has lost a good citizen and neighbor, the church a faithful worker and the daughter a kind and loving father.