Robert Nelson Cresap

CRESAP, WALTHEN, HUMPHRYES

Posted By: Jean Wenke, volunteer
Date: 3/17/2009 at 16:22:36

Robert N. Cresap, son of Valeria and Daniel Hansen Cresap, was born March 27th, 1857, and died at his home Monday morning, the 10th of January, 1927. Several weeks previous to his death he had suffered an injury to his leg, but despite this he had apparently been in his usual health until Sunday morning about 2 o'clock, when he suffered a collapse while quietly sitting in a chair at home. No physician could be secured at this time, but he rapidly recovered and was in his usual spirits by evening. He retired about 9:30 and all seemed well until shortly after midnight when Mrs. Cresap noticed a change in his breathing. He was dead before Dr. Cresap was able to reach him. At the time of his death he was 69 years, 9 months and 10 days old.

He was married to Nancy Walthen of Nauvoo, Ill., on Dec. 5, 1888; and to them was born one daughter, Berenice. His wife, his daughter, one brother, Daniel H. Cresap, and one half sister, Mrs. Kate Humphryes, survive him.

The way in which he died epitomized the character of his whole life. Calmly, silently and gently his soul departed from the earthly material which it had so long held together as the man and gentleman whom we knew No painful death struggle marked his end, to cause the cared and loving ones left a bitter memory of his moment of going Simply and peacefully he passed on, leaving his tired and weary body to a last long, long rest.

All his life he was a man whose strength was simple and constant – the strength to do bravely the tasks forced by necessity kindly, uncomplainingly and honorably.

He lived with the realizations that one has so many years to face life through, and past, and so realizing he bore the burdens that they brought with whatever aptitude, patience and good will that he could, working, trying, sometimes failing. So, it was that he accepted the eternal chaos of life, its everlasting strife after all the things which he knew would some day be quite, quite useless both to the will and the flesh, however great the transitory desire or necessity for them the moment might bring.

Funeral services were conducted by Rev. A. C. Droz in the Presbyterian church Thursday January 13 at 1:30. Interment in the Bonaparte cemetery.

From Dorothy Watson's scrapbook, Bonaparte, Iowa Library