Arthur W. Stevens (1884-1907)

STEVENS, CHILD

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 4/10/2023 at 19:06:43

From Nevada Evening Journal July 8, 1907 (page 4)

Obituary of Arthur Stevens.

The funeral of Arthur Stevens, whose death, which occurred in Des Moines on the evening of Thursday, and was mentioned in these columns Friday, occurred from Central Presbyterian church yesterday afternoon at two o'clock, the remains reaching here over the Northwestern on No. 12. They were accompanied by a party of over fifty relatives and friends from Boone and Des Moines. The services were conducted by Rev. O. H. L. Mason of Boone. The funeral was largely attended and the floral offerings were most elaborate and beautiful.

The deceased was born at Rhodes on April 22, 1884. He was the elder son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Stevens, the latter formerly Miss Hattie Child of this city. After leaving Rhodes the family moved to this city where they lived for a short while before moving to Boone, where the deceased had grown to manhood.

He was a graduate from the Boone high school and later of the Iowa Business college in Des Moines, where the mother moved while he was attending school, the father remaining in Boone. During his work in the business college he was appointed to fill a vacancy in the faculty and the management realizing his worth made the appointment permanent afterwards.

During all of his school work he was also spending his spare time working upon a simplified system of shorthand, which those who were familiar with declare is destined to become far superior to either of the other methods. While the system is not complete yet some of those with whom he was associated in the work think that they will be able to complete it and will inaugurate the "Stevens" system in the colleges of our country.

Arthur was taken ill several months ago with typhoid fever and successfully passed through a long siege of sickness. He then returned to Boone and remained for some time but contracted the scarlet fever and was taken back to his Des Moines home where he remained for nearly two months. Returning to Boone he seemed to be enjoying a measure of his old time health. He was given a position by the Northwestern company in Norfolk, Neb., and went there to act as stenographer.

However he was again taken ill and was compelled to return to Boone. He returned early last week, but it was thought best that he should go to Des Moines to be with Mrs. Stevens where he could receive the best of care. He was able to be around and seemed to brighten up on arriving at his home. He was around as usual the day before his death and the members of the family had no premonition that death was so near. Just about 6:00 he was seized with a sudden illness and in a few minutes had passed away. His mother was with him at the time. Mr. Stevens and Arthur's only brother, Earl, being in Boone, the latter visiting with his father. Spinal meningitis is given as the cause of his death.

Among the out of town relatives who were present besides the parents and brother, Earl, were Mr. and Mrs. Will Child and daughter Vera at Ames, Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Campbell of Ames, George Person and daughter of Ames, Mrs. Alba Person and son of Kelley, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Child of Ames, Mr. and Mrs. Bert Bartlett of Boone, Mrs. Julia Stevens of Rhodes and Mrs. Mollie Child-Glasco of Cedar Rapids.

Besides these and a large party of friends from Boone and Des Moines, there were representatives from the "Hoot", "S. O. M." and "A. I. A." clubs of Boone. The members of the former club, a high school organization, were pall bearers.