S. L. Fellows ~ 1876-?

FELLOWS, LAZENBY, SNYDER, MURDOCK, STARR, BROWN

Posted By: Volunteer - Rhonda Rankin Rowe
Date: 1/30/2002 at 22:32:47

KEOSAUQUA MAYOR TAKES OWN LIFE

Lee Fellows, Mayor of Keosauqua, killed himself Monday morning by shooting himself through the head with a rifle. The body was found shortly after seven o’clock by Sheriff Williams in a loft in the barn at his home near the Rock Island station. A note that he left asked that Sheriff Williams be called. Further contents of the note have not been made public.

Mr. Fellows was a member of an old and prominent family at Keosauqua, being the youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen D. Fellows, a pioneer family in Van Buren county which for years lived on a farm adjoining south Keosauqua.

He is survived by his widow whose maiden name was Bertha Lazenby; two sons, Kenneth of western Iowa, and Harold, at home; and three daughters, Mrs. Howard Snyder and Mrs. Harry Murdock of Keosauqua and Miss Vera Fellows of Washington, D.C. He is also survived by two brothers, George of Keosauqua, and Tom of Des Moines, and by two sisters, Mrs. James P. Starr of Fairfield, and Mrs. Clarence Brown of Portland, Oregon.

Before beginning his service as Mayor of Keosauqua Mr. Fellows was for years a member of the city council. For several years he has been engaged in the stock buying business here, being the local buyer for the Morrell Packing company of Ottumwa, and he has recently been engaged in the coal and ice business.

Mr. Fellows was born on a farm south of Keosauqua on Dec. 14, 1876, received his early education in the rural school at Pleasant Hill, (South Keosauqua) also at Keosauqua high school, and was for many years a regular attendant of the Christian church and Sunday School.

Funeral services were held at the late home on Wednesday afternoon at 1:30, Rev. C.V. Allison of Bloomfield officiating. Interment in the family plot in the Fellows cemetery which is part of the farm on which he was born.

Although Mr. Fellows was one of the last men whom his friends would have considered as contemplating suicide it is evident that he had made his plans carefully and for several days prior to the sorrowful culmination of the same.

He was a good citizen, an honorable and efficient public official, a friend to those in need.

Mr. Fellows was first appointed Mayor to succeed John A. Maltbie, deceased, and in the last city election was chosen to that position in a spirited contest with Dr. E.E. Sherman, the result of which was a tie vote, being decided by lot in Mr. Fellows favor.

Source; Iowa Rankin and Jenny Matheson newspaper clippings