Cheney Anniversary - Keosauqua 1915

CHENEY, BALDWIN, MCKIBBON, LEFFERTS

Posted By: Michel Tool Daniels (email)
Date: 9/12/2004 at 21:06:16

The Milton Herald
Volume 38, Number 14; Milton, Iowa
Thursday, Oct. 6, 1915
KEOSAUQUA
Anniversary in Cheney and Baldwin Families
Thursday the 30th was the anniversary of the marriage of Rev. J.W. Cheney and wife, and birthday of Mrs. Cheney’s brother, W.W. Baldwin, of Burlington and Chicago. As has been their custom for years, Mr. And Mrs. Baldwin united in observing the anniversary at the Cheney home in Keosauqua. Mr. And Mrs. Cheney have been married 43 yrs. Mr. Baldwin has now reached his 70th milestone. The day passed as such days may be supposed to be passed, in conversation serious and in lighter vein, in reminiscence and forecast, “looking before and after.” Of the Cheney children, Miss Amy is now the only one at home. She was excused from her duties as high school principal for part of the day, to participate in the family festival.
Our local papers in noticing this reunion have paid just tribute to the Cheney and Baldwin families. In them are represented the best blood and brain of the pioneers of Iowa. Keosauqua has no family amongst its citizenship of the various members of which the town has more reason to be proud than the Cheney family. J. W. Cheney, a minister in the Methodist Episcopal church, is a preacher of rare force and ability, though the affliction of deafness, which came upon him many years ago, while actively engaged in pastoral work, made it impossible for him to continue in the calling into which he had entered with all the fervor and devotion of his young manhood, and in which, could he have remained in it, he would most certainly have greatly distinguished himself. He preaches still, upon occasion. He is a painstaking student of history, particularly of the history of America in the Civil War period and has written many articles on various campaigns of the great conflict, which are deserving of permanent place in the records of that critical era. The literary quality of his work is of high order, and he is very careful as to his statements of fact.
Besides, Miss Amy, our high school principal, there are three other children in the Cheney family. Miss Alice has recently gone to Japan as a missionary of the Methodist church. She was for several years a successful teacher in our high school. Chas. is political editor of the Minneapolis Journal, the leading daily of that city. Minneapolis is now in the throes of a campaign for the closing of the saloons, and Mr. Cheney is giving the forces of decency and order the support of his vigorous pen. His career as a journalist began with “cub” reporting and he has worked his way up by sheer virtue of his ability.
Edward, the other son, is a member of the Public Service Commission of the state of New York, one of the important functions of the state government. He has had a distinguished career as an electrical engineer, in the General Electrical Company at its Schenectady work. It was his mastership of his profession that gained him his state appointment which is political. He exerted no “pull”. His merit recommended him.
Mrs. Cheney is a daughter of Mr. And Mrs. Charles Baldwin, early settlers of Keosauqua. Of the six Baldwin children all but one survive. Mrs. Julia McKibbon resides now in Chicago. The home of Mrs. Lefferts is in Council Bluffs. Hon. Charles Baldwin is a leading lawyer of Salt Lake City and Hon. William W. Baldwin is 4th vice president of the C.B & Q. railway.
Mrs. And Mrs. W. W. Baldwin are at present living in Chicago, which has superceded Burling as headquarters of the Burlington system; but they retain their home in the latter city.