IAGenWeb ~ Decatur County IA ~ Charles N. McGill obituary

 

 

Decatur County, Iowa

Part of the IaGenWeb Project

          

Homes
Contact Us
Decatur Co. Files:
Biographies
Cemeteries
Census Records
Churches
Courthouse Records
Family Pages
History Pages
Maps
Military Pages
Obituaries
Photographs
Queries
Schools
Surnames
Vital Records
This site is supported by
Friends of IAGenWeb

Search Decatur County's Site
site search by freefind advanced

 

Leon Reporter
Leon, Decatur County, Iowa
Thursday, February 05, 1903

Many of the older residents of the county will remember an old man named CHARLES MCGILL who owned a farm south of Weldon which is now owned by ex-sheriff George F. Wolever. About twenty years ago MCGILL was adjudged insane and sent to the insane hospital at Mt. Pleasant, A.J. Allen being sheriff at that time. He was an ugly customer and very hard to handle. After being at the asylum for a short time it was reported that he had escaped, but as nothing was ever heard of him there were grave rumors which gained considerable credence in this county that MCGILL had been killed by a guard at the hospital and secretly buried. Yesterday Postmaster Ledgerwood who was well acquainted with MCGILL was greatly surprised to receive a letter from F.G. Berg, of Atwood, Kas., making inquiries about the family of MCGILL, saying there was an old man living neighbor to him who was lying at the point of death and wanted him to write and see if any of his family, as he left a wife and four daughters here, were living, as he was very anxious to see them before he died. He said the old man is now 87 years old, and although he was a near neighbor he had never told anything about his family until a few days ago. Postmaster Ledgerwood is making an effort to inform his relatives, a daughter having married HALE WILSON, who now lives in Clarke County. The letter clears up the mystery which has always surrounded the case, and the old man has guarded his secret well since he escapted from the asylum.

Leon Reporter
Leon, Decatur County, Iowa
Thursday, February 19, 1903

'More About Man Who Disappeared from Asylum 18 Years ago.'

A couple of weeks ago we made mention of Postmaster Ledgerwood receiving a letter from Kansas making inquiries about the family of CHARLES MCGILL, who lived ten miles north of Leon, and was sent to the insane asylum at Mt. Pleasant eighteen years ago, from which place he escaped in a few weeks and was never heard of until Postmaster Ledgerwood received the letter from a neighbor who said the old man was very sick and wanted to find his children. Mr. Ledgerwood took the pains to look them up and HALE WILSON, a son-in-law who lives in Clarke County, left last week to see the old gentleman. The Van Wert postmaster also received the following letter from the probate judge of Rawlins County, Kansas, which would indicate that MCGILL had accumulated considerable property which he is anxious to leave to his children:

Atwood, Kansas, Feb. 4, 1903.
Postmaster, Van Wert, Iowa

Dear Sir:

Would you kindly help me find the following persons: MARGARET MCGILL, RACHEL MCGILL, CATHARINE and REBECCA MCGILL. Their father is living in this county, is pretty well off and is getting very feeble. He is trying to find out where his children live. He has been living here for about fifteen years; lives alone and is liable to drop off at almost any time. He wants to arrange matters so that his children will get his property. Hoping that you will see some old settlers and if you can find any trace of them I wish you would let me know. He said he left them ten miles north of Leon about eighteen years ago. I am,

Very Truly Yours,
W.R. Shirley,
Probate Judge Rawlins County, Kas.

Leon Reporter
Leon, Decatur County, Iowa
Thursday, February 26, 1903

The old man CHARLES MCGILL, who was sent to the insane asylum at Mt. Pleasant on June 3, 1880, an account of whose escape and discovery has been published in this paper, is now visiting his daughters near Weldon. He owns a half section of land in Rawlins County, Kansas, a herd of cattle worth $1,500, eight or ten horses, hogs and other property, and has money in the bank. After his escape he drifted to Kansas and located on his farm, where he has lived alone in a sod house for the last eighteen years. One of his daughters and her husband will return home with him and live with him. He has arranged his property so that his four daughters will get it at his death.

Obituary ~ Charles N. McGill
1817 ~ May 30, 1914

Decatur County Journal
Leon, Decatur County, Iowa
Thursday, June 11, 1914

CHARLES N. MCGILL was born in Indiana, in the year 1817. He moved from Indiana to Iowa in 1855; from Iowa to Kansas in 1883. He lived there until about one year ago. The last year of his life he spent living with his children in Missouri and Iowa. His death occurred at Council Bluffs, Iowa, May 30, at 4:40 p.m. He was in his 97th year when he died.

In 1860 he was united in marriage to MARY M. WILSON. to this union six children were born, four of them still living, three of whom were present at the funeral service.

Mr. MCGILL was an industrious man, honorable in his dealings. Thus another of the old pioneers have passed away to the great beyond.

The funeral services were held at the M.E. Church in Weldon, June 1st, 1914, at 1 p.m., by Rev. Geo. E. Mitchell, assisted by the pastor of the church, Rev. Hodgson. Music was furnished by a quartet from the M.E. choir. Interment was at a cemetery six miles southwest of Weldon. The bereaves have the sympathy of the entire community.

----------

Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert
February 24 & 27, 2003 & March 8, 2010  iggy29@grm.net