Daniel Lamb (1824-1901)

LAMB, WHITSON, MATHER, HUTSON

Posted By: Gail and Dennis Bell
Date: 6/12/2005 at 10:49:02

MAXWELL TRIBUNE, Maxwell, Iowa, Thursday, July 25, 1901, page 1, column 5. "OBITUARY - Daniel Lamb, born in Henry county, Indiana, January 21, 1824, died at his home in Maxwell, Iowa, July 22, at the advanced age of seventy-seven years, six months and one day. He was married to Marion Whitson, Jun 24, 1846, and to this union eight children were born, six of who are still living, three being permitted to be present at the time of his departure from this life. The family removed to Iowa in 1855 which state has been their home until the present time. The home circle was broken on January 20, 1873, the death messenger calling from thence the wife, whose companionship he had enjoyed for more than a quarter of a century. On December 8, 1873 he was united to Mary A. Beach with whom he lived happily until she was called to her eternal home August 13, 1897. After a few years of loneliness he was again blessed by the companionship of another noble woman, Margaret Jane Mather, to whom he was married October 6, 1900, and with whom he rested in comfort to the time of his call to the other shore. He became identified with the people of God in early life and has even been a faithful christian which was proclaimed daily by his pure life rather than spoken words. He was not only a soldier in the Army of the Living God but when his country needed his services for the preservation of the Union he gladly consecrated his life to the cause and was at the front in the war of the rebellion. He served faithfully to the close of the war and received an honorable discharge. Being one of the early settlers of Iowa Brother Lamb was known to nearly every one in southern Story county and northern Polk and Jasper counties. All who knew him in life held him in high esteem and reverence. No one had a word to say of him except it be of his upright christian character and to his credit. His was a life worthy of emulation and the recollection thereof will be as a benign benediction resting upon the friends who are left on earth. The funeral in charge of James H. Ewing Post G. A. R. was held from the Peoria church at 10:30 a. m., July 24th. Services conducted by Rev. Smay, a life long bosom friend of the deceased. After the services at the church a large concourse of friends and neighbors accompanied the remains to the last resting place in the beautiful Peoria cemetery. Peace be to his ashes. In the hour of sorrow which seems dark to the bereaved family, they may feel assured of the sincere sympathy of all the friends."

THE MAXWELL TRIBUNE, Maxwell, Iowa, Thursday, August 1, 1901, page 1, column 1. "Peoria City - ….well by way of remembrance we will add to what has already gone before - a few things we know of the life and character of Daniel Lamb. There has already gone to press an obituary of him to the Collins press and on to the TRIBUNE. As we were born and raised with a quarter mile of him and he was ten years our senior and his age and marriages have all gone to press and we mourn with his late widow and his fatherless children. They are grown and have families of their own but nevertheless they are fatherless. Daniel Lamb was born in rural life as was his father and mother before him. His father followed the injunction "By the sweat of his brow he ate his bread." His good wife followed his motto with her spinning wheel, therefore their children were clothed and fed. His mother picked the cotton, spun and wove it into cloth, colored it blue with wild indigo that she gathered herself, then she cut and made a suit of clothes that Zeno Lamb wore when he married Martha Hutson in the mountains of North Carolina, as labor and honest are twins. They never sat down in luxury's lap but believed that God helped those that helped themselves. Zeno and Martha Lamb have gone many years ago and no doubt have realized that fact and Daniel the last one of that generation has now gone to join the great company that have gone before him. We cannot remember when we first knew him. He was our couselor and our care-taker as we went to the same schools, when we went to any. From a boy his word was as good as his note. He was a peacemaker, a lover of children, a friend to the outcast, as has been demonstrated in his life here. He has lived here since 1855, loyal to his party and to his God. As an M. P. he was loyal to that church and he loved the sanctuary where God met his children. He served in the was of the rebellion and never dishonored the flag or flinched when duty called him, always answered, "Send me, I will go." He had no enemies of any consequence. He was mortal but near faultless. Enemies would have to be of the lowest grade. Who will fill his place in all the places he so nobly filled in life, the homeless found a home with him, the friendless a friend. Then why do the myrtle and the holly veil themselves in morning and the eagle fold his sable plumes in grief? Because a just and good man has gone. It seems as if the sun is almost still and the earth enveloped in tears when we think of the great vacancy his death has made. The Grand Army boys of his post took charge of their comrad's** body, while his funeral was preached by the Rev. Smay, of Colo, at his own request, who told the weeping ones "that if a man died he should live again." He was assisted by Rev. Beetly in the reading of the scripture and prayer. He also spoke words of cheer to the bereaved ones as he only nine short months ago joined the deceased in marriage to his now bereaved widow who went with him as it were from the alter to the grave. After all that mortals could do was done, Mr. Cooper, of Maxwell, with his sable steeds, followed by a large concourse of people bore all that was mortal of Daniel Lamb, the beloved husband and father, to the Peoria City cemetery and there layed** the wornout** and aged body to rest till Gabriel shall call the faithful to a higher and nobler life. Kitty Wells." **Editorial note, spelling from the newspaper article is used.