Isaac White McCracken ~ 1839-1914

MCCRACKEN, SHEPHERD, FRANKLIN, WARNER

Posted By: Volunteer - Rhonda Rankin Rowe
Date: 2/11/2002 at 08:01:51

Isaac White McCracken, the second child of Solomon and Esther McCracken, was born in Mercer Co., Ohio, May the 1st, 1839, and passed into the great beyond at 3 o’clock p.m. November 1st, 1914. These figures show that his earthly pilgrimage consisted of seventy-five years and six months. His father’s family consisted of five sons and three daughters all of whom have gone to the realm past our sight save one. Mr. Joseph McCracken of Red Cloud, Nebraska.

In 1842 when the subject of this sketch was three years old, the senior McCracken moved his family from Ohio to Iowa and settled on a farm one mile west of Bonaparte. From that time Van Buren Co. has been the home of the deceased.

As the passing days changed childhood to youth and then youth to young manhood the glories of southeastern Iowa seemed to enter the young man’s blood and the ambitions quickly showed themselves. He received his education in a log schoolhouse in Washington Township popularly known as Brush College.

When fifteen years old he began his trade by being apprenticed to Mr. John R. Wright of Bonaparte, under his direction young McCracken learned both to make brick and do construction work. It may be of interest to note that the first building on which he worked after he was a journeyman is the building now being remodeled by the Blackford Bros.in Bonaparte.

An estimate of his life’s work shows that much of his time was used in constructing dwellings, he having built thirty homes on which no other bricklayer worked; besides these he worked on many other dwellings as well as stores and public buildings. These facts show that he was a true servant of humanity. According to his own reckoning he made several millions of brick during his lifetime, which consisted of sixty years in practical masonry.

Mr. McCracken was a man of strong likes and dislikes. He believed in every one showing what he thought and living what he believed, yet with all, he was public spirited, neighborly and exceedingly ambitious for the public good. He was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and fully endorsed the tenets of the Order. In short he was a good type of the hardy life that took this fair land when it was a wilderness wasted by the ravishing hands of the Indian, and by labor changed it into the places of beauty and the grandeur of civilization which we now behold.

Living in Washington Township when young McCracken was going to school, was a man who illustrates the type of manhood that makes pioneer life possible. In all newly settled countries two things are greatly needed, namely, religion and medicines. Not infrequently these two needs are met in one man, and so Dr. Nathan Shepherd filled this position during the early days of this community. Among the children of his home was one, Emma, who in bloom of youth also attended Brush College.

Does it not seem most natural that Isaac would fall in love with Emma. As his love was heartily reciprocated she gave him her hand in marriage March the 5th, 1863.

A unique incident of their life is that Mr. McCracken bought the schoolhouse where his heart’s first ambitions looked toward the girl of his choice and it became their home. Besides this home they lived in four other places, twice in Bentonsport and twice in the country. They came to the late home of the deceased in 1893.

The home of Isaac and Emma McCracken was blessed with two devoted daughters and three stalwart sons. There was also an unnamed son who died in infancy. The names of the children are Mrs. Io. M. Franklin, Mrs. Ida A. Warner, Lon A., Otto, and Joe, all of whom dwell but a short distance from the parental roof.

Besides these Mr. McCracken leaves twelve grandchildren and many relatives and friends who suffer on account of his departure.

About a year ago Mr. McCracken was sick with the first sickness of his life that forced him to remain on his couch. From this he rallied and seemed well until last July when he suffered from a paralytic stroke from which time he remained feeble. Gradually from that on he grew weaker until at the time before mentioned he quietly went to sleep and then the attendants realized that he was no more.

The funeral service was conducted in the late residence, one mile west of Bentonsport, at 2 o’clock p.m., Nov. 3rd, 1914, by the Rev. C.A. Field of Ottumwa and remains were placed in the Bentonsport Cemetery.

Source; Iowa Rankin and Jenny Matheson newspaper clippings