Benjamin Rex Vale 1848-1915

REX, VALE, LEFFLER, DOWNIE, BIDDLE, TEDFORD, ROBERTS

Posted By: Volunteer - Rich Lowe
Date: 4/26/2016 at 21:17:11

FORMER SENATOR
LAID TO REST

BENJAMIN REX VALE OF BONAPARTE
PASSES AWAY AT HIS
HOME AFTER ILLNESS.

An account of the death of Benjamin Rex Vale, former senator of the Van Buren-Jefferson district, who died at his home in Bonaparte, April 3, is given in the Bonaparte Record as follows:

Benjamin Rex Vale.

Benjamin Rex Vale, son of Jacob G. and Anne Rex Vale, was born in Smithfield, Ohio, June 4, 1848. He came with his parents to Iowa, first locating in Lee county and then moving to Harrisburg township, Van Buren county, and locating on the farm which was his home until he moved to Bonaparte in the autumn of 1914.

Jacob G. and Anne Rex Vale were also the parents of George Hussey Vale and Mary Jane Vale, who died in infancy; Mrs. Lydia Anne Leffler of Ames, and Mrs. Martha Margaret Downie, who died April 13, 1908, at Beaver Falls, Pa.

He was educated at the Birmingham academy and at Monmouth, Illinois. While in school there he met Miss Julia Biddle, whom he married February 12, 1874. Their children are Mrs. Regina Tedford of Mt. Ayr, Mary B. Vale, Mrs. Margaret Emma Roberts and Bruce Rex Vale of Bonaparte. There are two grandchildren, Vale and Rex Roberts.

From Monmouth college Mr. Vale received the degree of A. B. in 1873, and later that of A. M. He gave most of his time to growing pure bred live stock, but was always greatly interested in the affairs of church, school and state. For many years he held membership with the United Presbyterian church of Birmingham, and at the time of his death was an elder in the Presbyterian church of Bonaparte. For many years he has been secretary of the rural school system of Harrisburg township and has given unusual attention to the duties of that office.

When the Farmers and Traders bank was organized at Bonaparte in 1882 he was made president of the same, which position of public trust he held continuously. He was also president of the Mt. Sterling Savings bank.

In 1887 he was elected senator of the Van Buren-Jefferson district and was re-elected for a second term. In the legislature he took special inter est in matters pertaining to schools and agriculture and his practical common sense was thus made useful to his state.

His health had been failing for several years, but he was so cheerful and optimistic that this was noticeable only to his relatives and friends. On March 17 he became confined to his bed because of an abscess on his right foot, being a result of acute diabetes. His condition rapidly grew serious. Prominent physicians of Des Moines and Keokuk were called, but could give no hope of his recovery. The end came very peacefully at 5 o'clock Saturday afternoon, April 3, 1915, his age being sixty-six years and ten months.

Funeral services were held at the Harrisburg church on Monday afternoon, his old friend, the Rev. D. D. Proper of Omaha, Neb., officiating, being assisted by Rev. L. T. Hughes of Bonaparte.

Source: Ottumwa Tri-Weekly Courier; 13 Apr 1915

Van Buren Obituaries maintained by Rich Lowe.
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