TADE, Hon. William A.: Died 1926

TADE, DAVIES, DEWEY, DAVIDSON, PHELPS, HARLAN, AIKENS, MORRISON

Posted By: Volunteer: Sherri
Date: 6/3/2016 at 22:54:17

Handwritten: 1926

Hon. William A. Tade, son of John and Martha Davies Tade, was born in Lee county, Iowa Territory, Sept. 17, 1841, of a large family - two sisters surviving: Lottie T. Davidson of Mt. Pleasant, and Mary Dewey of Baldwin City, Kansas.

He attended public school in or near Augusta, Iowa, and after coming with the family to Van Buren county in 1854, at Harrisburg Center. At fourteen years of age he entered Iowa College, then located at Davenport.

Oct. 2, 1861 he entered the service of his country as a private of Company F, Fourteenth Iowa Infantry, and after being mustered in in Davenport was with his regiment, assigned to the Army of the Tennessee, and sent at once to the front.

He participated in the engagements at Fts. Henry and Donelson, and at the battle of Shiloh was captured by the enemy, remaining a prisoner for eight months in Montgomery, Mobile, Macon and finally the Libby Prison where he was afterward paroled and exchanged.

He then rejoined his regiment at Benton Barracks, and alter took part in an expedition to Rolla, Mo., thence to Cairo, Ill., where he served for several months as river detective in the Provost Marshal department.

At this time he was commissioned Lieutenant of an independent company known as the Liberia Guards, with which company he made an expedition to Helena, Ark.

At Little Rock, Ark., the company was emerged into the Fifty Seventh United States Colored Regiment, and he was made a quartermaster and served in that capacity until January 1866, when he was made Captain of the company and ordered to New Mexico. Here he remained until December of the same year when he returned to Leavenworth, Kansas, and was honorably discharged Dec. 3, having been in the service continually for more than five years.

During that entire time he was never known to shirk any task imposed upon him, but was ever faithful to his duty and the cause for which he was valiantly fighting.

June 24, 1868, Mr. Tade was married to Miss Sarah E. Dewey. Unto them were born seven children: Nettie B. Phelps, Howard D. and Lily Harlan of Hillsboro; Alice C. Aikens of Winterset; Orville of Milton; Lola Morrison of Douglas, Wyo.; and Kate, who preceded him in death on Oct. 10, 1898. The mother of this family died May 10, 1881.

In 1882 he was married to Miss Nancy Dewey, a sister of his former wife, and unto them were born two sons: Will B., living in the old home and John Logan, who departed this life August 30, 1908.

He was called to his reward Jan. 13, 1927, at Cedar Dell, the old home farm where so many years of his life have been spent, aged 85 years, 3 months and 26 days.

There are left to mourn their loss his devoted wife, seven children, twenty three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

In 1890 Mr. Tade was honored by an election to the State Legislature and displayed the same fidelity to duty which characterized his entire life, proving himself (efficient)and (line missing) Hillsboro, Farmers and Traders Savings Bank and held the office of president at the time of his death.

He was a man of faculty, for while to him the nearest and dearest of earthly things were his home and his family, he was ever intensely interested in all things pertaining to the welfare of the community, the county, the state and the nation.

But more than all he was an earnest, consecrated Christian; a man who under all the trials and troubles and difficulties and distresses of life could yet look up and say: "My Father," with perfect faith and trust. For almost half a century he held the office of deacon in the Harrisburg church and until the last few years, when prevented by the infirmities of age, he could always be found in his place on the Sabbath Day. He held the position of superintendent of the Sunday School for a number of years and into this work he put the energy and enthusiasm that made it such a power for good in the community.

The picture of Deacon Tade that will linger longest with many Harrisburg people is that of the slight, erect, gray-haired man coming briskly into the church with his bible clasped in his hand and the look on his face which said to all so plainly that he was glad to "go up to the house of the Lord."

Funeral services were conducted by Rev. A.C. Droz Sunday, afternoon. A short service at the farm home concluded at the Harrisburg and surrounding community was present at the church.

Source: Van Buren Co. Genealogical Society Obituary Book G, Page 1, Keosauqua Public Library, Keosauqua, IA