VIRGIL WILMOT 1834-1906

WILMOT, ZIMMERMAN, KITTELL, CARTER, ABEL, WISHMEYER, ELLIS

Posted By: Dana Roquet (email)
Date: 4/19/2011 at 22:42:10

Humeston New Era
Sept 5, 1906

Obituary

Virgil Wilmot, was born in Steuben County, New York, on June 9, 1834, and died Aug. 29, 1906, at the age of 72 years, 2 months and 20 day.s

In 1840 he was taken overland by his parents from Steuben county to Buffalo, where they took the steamboat by which they made their voyage to Chicago, later settling in Lake county, where he grew to manhood.

Having a heart that throbbed with patriotism for the stars and stripes, the land of the free and home of the brave, at the call of Abraham Lincoln, on the 8th of October, 1861, he offered his services to the government for a term of three years, and enlisted in Co. I, 4th Illinois Infantry. He having faithfully performed the duties of a private soldier was honorably discharged Dec. 23, 1864.

Under the heavy burdens, battles fought and exposure which was prevalent to the soldier's life, he contracted ailments that remained with him the remainder of his days. He was under Capt. Henry Boyce of Co. I., of Gen. Sherman's army, and made the march to the Sea and endured the hardships of exposure and hunger that came upon those in that noted march so well known in history. And on Shiloh's dark and bloody battlefield where the dead and wounded lay, he played his part as a tried and true soldier, in sustaining the flag, the emblem of liberty, the red, white and blue, to wave over the states as a union, declaring that all men should be free and equal, looking forward with a steadfast hope that future generations would reap the bountiful harvest that should come forth from seed that was sown with tears and blood. Among the hard battles he helpted to fight, besides the skirmishes, was Ft. Henry, Feb. 6, 1862, Thompsons Hill May 1, 1863, Raymond, May 12, 1863, Champion Hill, May 16, 1863,siege of Savana, Dec. 10, 1864. The heavy marches made were form Camp Halleck to Ft. Henry, from there to Ft. Donelson, thence to Shiloh, Corinth, Jackson, Tenn., Yorkena, Miss., to Memphis, from there to Vicksburg, Clifton, and Atlanta to Savannah.

He by some means was spared to see home and friends again, and on September 24, 1868, he was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Zimmerman, in the state of Illinois. Soon after this union they moved to Wayne county, Iowa, to his last place of residence. To this union were born eleven children, six sons and five daughters, all of whom survive and were present to pay the last sad rites but four, one son and one daughter who preceeded their father to the spirit land in childhood and two sons, Otis and Dwight, of Kansas. He was converted and united with the Unity Baptist church in the early history of the church and remained a faithful servant of Christ to the end. He had a paralytic stroke about three years previous to his death, since which time he has patiently been trusting and waiting for his change to come. Truthfully we can say in the launguage of David, "Blessed in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints."

The funeral services were conducted by the writer at the home residence in the presence of a large and sympathetic concourse of friends, after which the remains were laid to await the final roll call. He leaves a wife, nine children, five brothers and three sisters to mourn their loss, believing their loss is his eternal gain. One sister, Mrs. Ella Kittell, of Chicago, was present to pay the last sad rites. Those who bore him to his last resting place were: Comrade E. S. Evans, John Baltimore, David Bott, Perry Wolverton, John Oldfield and W. T. Sinclair.
Rev. M. S. Clark

Card of Thanks
With greatest regards we beg leave to extend our thanks to the many friends who rendered such faithful services in the illness and the floral tributes paid our husband and father. Sarah E. Wilmot and children.

CHILDREN:
Charley P Wilmot (1871 - 1872)*
William W Wilmot (1873 - 1958)*
Dwight L Wilmot (1875 - 1961)*
Martha E Wilmot Carter (1877 - 1959)*
Alva H Wilmot (1879 - 1955)*
Ida M Wilmot (1880 - 1883)*
Bertha Wilmot Abel (1883 - 1982)*
Izolia Ann Wilmot Wishmeyer (1885 - 1954)*
Addie L Wilmot Ellis (1887 - 1971)*