Madison Clay Allen (1843-1931)

ALLEN, CHAPPELL, BEERS, AMBROSE, RICHARDSON

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 1/19/2015 at 17:23:31

From Nevada Evening Journal January 24, 1931

ANOTHER CIVIL WAR VETERAN HAS ANSWERED "TAPS"

M. C. ALLEN, 87, DIED AT HOME OF HIS DAUGHTER, MRS. AMBROSE

M. C. Allen, 87, Civil War veteran and for over 65 years a continuous resident of Nevada, died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. B. F. Ambrose, 404 Lincoln avenue at 6:30 Friday evening.

The funeral services of Mr. Allen will be held Sunday afternoon at the Ambrose home, 404 Lincoln avenue, after which interment will be in the Nevada cemetery by the side of the wife who passed away 13 years ago.

The funeral will be conduced and the sermon preached by Rev. Geo. A. Lawton, pastor of the First Methodist church of Nevada.

Members of the American Legion and other ex-service men, led by a color guard and firing squad, will accompany the body to the cemetery. Following interment taps will be sounded and a salute fired int the west by the firing squad.

Mr. Allen had always enjoyed good health and was active in business affairs until about November 2, 1929, when he was taken ill and submitted to a major surgical operation at Iowa sanitarium. He remained at the sanitarium until March 16, 1930, when he was brought to the home of his
_______________________________________________

In the death of Mr. Allen the ranks of Nevada's resident Civil War veterans were reduced to two.

Those who still answer to roll call are:
John S. Edwards, 89, Co. L 27th Wis. Inf.
W. H. Toms, 87, Third West Virginia Cavalry.

It is probably that both of these surviving veterans will be able to follow their old comrade to the grave.

_______________________________________________

daughter, Mrs. Ambrose, where he had remained under the care of his physician. For some time he was able to be up and about the house part of the time and had made a few trips down town to look after business affairs which he considered demanded his personal attention. He had also been able to enjoy rides about the city and over the county with the family during the summer and autumn months.

Late Wednesday afternoon he suffered a stroke of paralysis and it was realized that the hours of the aged citizen and war veteran were numbered.

Mr. Allen was born at Midway, Madison county, Ohio, June 22, 1843, a son of Vincent and Eleanor Chappell-Allen. He was the second of the seven children, all of whom, with the parents had preceded him in death, with the exception of one sister, Mrs. Sarah M. Tway of Ottumwa.

Madison C. Allen, the subject of this sketch, attended the public schools of the village of Midway, during his boyhood days and when but eighteen years of age, enlisted in the Union army, on September 20, 1861, and became a private in Company D, Fortieth Ohio Volunteer infantry, the younger brother Creighton enlisting at the same time.

Mr. Allen served until June 3, 1862 when honorably discharged for physical disability.

The father who enlisted in the Union army in July, 1862, died from malarial fever in July 18, 1863. Creighton, younger son, was killed while serving in the Union army at Lookout Mountain, November 24, 1863.

Forced to leave the service of his country he returned to Ohio and at once took up the study of law with R. A. Hartman, at London, Ohio and was admitted to the bar at Delaware, Ohio, June 21, 1864.

He was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Ann Beers of London, Ohio, on April 6, 185, and they continued to make their home at that place until October 19, of that year, when they left their home in Ohio for Iowa and located in Nevada, where their family of five children were born and where four of them were raised to manhood and womanhood.

The children were Jessie M., who became the wife of Harry A. Stutson of Dayton, Ohio, and who died March 24, 1928; Fred B. who died when a child of two years; Mamie L. who became the wife of B. F. Ambrose and at whose home the father spent the last year of his life, Arthur C. of Nevada and Mattie Louise, wife of C. A. Richardson of Berkeley, California.

Mrs. Allen died very suddenly at the family home, 1207 Seventh and Lincoln avenue June 6, 1918. Following the death of the wife and mother, Mr. Allen and the son Arthur C. kept up and occupied the home, until illness forced Mr. Allen to the sanitarium for the operation. Leaving there he was taken to the home of his daughter, where he was tenderly cared for during the final days of his life.

Mr. Allen leaves his son Arthur, daughters, Mrs. Mamie Ambrose and Mrs. Louise Richardson, 8 grandchildren, 7 great grandchildren and the one sister, Mrs. Tway now living at Ottumwa.

During his long residence in Nevada he had served many years as county surveyor, as well as being engaged in the real estate and abstract business and his acquaintance was wide and most favorable.

He had always taken an active interest in civic affairs, was a man of pronounced opinions and one who never in the slightest degree ever betrayed one of the many trust reposed in him.

He was a lifelong republican and had held many positions of public trust including that of surveyor, county recorder, justice of the peace, mayor, councilman and other positions of responsibility.

Serving as county surveyor during nearly two score of the years that Story county land underwent its major development and numerous changes of ownership, he was perhaps better acquainted with the typography and character of the land of the county than any man.

For many years he was the owner and directed the operations of a considerable sized tract of land and his knowledge of land and judgment as to values was regarded as excellent by people who had occasion to consult him.

In connection with his surveying he had for many years conducted the abstract business. Through this line of work he had acquired a thorough knowledge of the land titles of the county and his wok in this profession was accurate and seldom questioned.

During the later years of his business career his son Arthur C. Allen had been engaged in the abstract work also having his office with the father.

He was an active member of the Grand Army of the Republic and from the time of the organization until the charter of Jason D. Ferguson post was surrendered a few years ago, kept the records up and the affairs of that organization in shape. He was also a member of the Sons of Veterans and of Sons of the American Revolution.

He was also a longtime member of Samson Lodge No. 77 Knights of Pythias and had always taken an active part in the civic organizations, such as Commercial clubs and Community clubs, organized and functioning for the good of the community.

In the passing of M. C. Allen, Nevada has lost one of its most respected and valued citizens.