Robert Wickham (1862-1927)

WICKHAM, BUNKER, PHILLIPS, ARRASMITH, CERKA

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 5/17/2021 at 16:53:14

From Nevada Evening Journal November 4, 1927 (page 1)

ROBERT WICKHAM FOUND DEAD NEAR SECLUDED HOME

HAD BEEN LYING THERE FOR WEEK AFTER MAKING VISIT TO ZEARING

The body of Robert Wickham, 66, was found in the dooryard of his secluded home, on a farm northeast of Zearing, Thursday afternoon, the condition of the body and other circumstances indicating that he had been dead since Friday, October 28, when he was interred in the Zearing cemetery Thursday evening, with short erices at the grave.

He had been in Zearing on Friday of last week and purchased a quantity of groceries which he had carried home with him. The day following a couple of boys passing nearby, saw him lying upon the ground, but when they called to him and received no answer they attributed it to his peculiarities and thought nothing of the circumstances.

Thursday afternoon a brother-in-law Henry Cerka, went over to his home and there found the body. Strewn about him were the packages of groceries that he had purchased. The house was found locked and the keys were in the pocket of the dead man, as was such change as he carried and there was no indication upon the body or about the place of foul play.

Mr. Wickham was an eccentric character of wide travel and knowledge and had served some years as an engineer with the government and had a part in many large engineering projects. He had also engaged in shipbuilding for a number of years on the Great Lakes.

Robert Wickham was the eldest son of the family of eighteen children of Mr. and Mrs. Horatio C. Wickham, pioneers of the neighborhood, southwest of Illinois Grove.

He left home when a young lad and for 45 years nothing had been heard of him and it was presumed that he was dead. After the death of the father in 1912, in closing up the estate, advertising was resorted to and he was finally located upon in Ontario, Canada. Later he returned to Zearing, took charge of his share of the estate, which consisted of 40 acres of land for each of 12 children and two grandchildren then living, and settled down in a small house which he built upon his land.

He was reported to be a man of considerable property and owned some land grants up in the iron region and in other parts that were the source of considerable revenue. He made occasional trips away, but confided in no one as to where or why he went and was close mouthed about all of his private affairs.

During the years that he had been away his engineering and other activities took him into all parts of the world and there were few ports of importance or places of interest that he had not visited and could talk upon intelligently.

He was never married and is survived by four brothers, John Q. Wickham of Florida, Cornell of Virginia, and Charles and Will of Zearing, and six sisters, they being Mrs. Elizabeth Bunker of Nevada, Mo., Minerva Wickham of Zearing, Jennie Phillips, Gertie Arrasmith and Lulu Cerka of Zearing and Anna Wickham of Nevada.