From: "Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert" <iggy29@scican.net>

To: <IADECATU-L@rootsweb.com>

Subject: OBITUARY - WILLIAM WHITNEY PARRISH.

Date: Thursday, June 07, 2001 9:31 PM

Decatur County Journal

July 30, l898

WILLIAM WHITNEY PARRISH was born at Argyle, in Washington County, New

York, October 27, l822, and died at Leon, Iowa, July 2l, l898.

The Parrish family were among the original settlers of northeastern New

York; JOHN PARRISH, the grandfather of the deceased, having settled

there before the revolutionary war and some of his descendants still

occupy the lands he took up. The ancestors of JOHN PARRISH were of

Puritan stock and were among the earliest settlers of Massachusetts and

Connecticut.

The deceased until his marriage in l85l, lived at the family homestead

near Cambridge, New York, and was by trade a carpenter. In October,

l85l, he married MARTHA ANN HARKNESS, of Delaware County, N.Y., and

engaged in farming. In l855 he removed to Sterling Valley, Cayuga

County, N.Y. where he resided until the spring of l890, when he came to

Iowa to be near his children and has since been a citizen of our town.

MRS. PARRISH died in the fall of l890 after the removal to Iowa.

The deceased had for the last twenty-five years of his life, been

afflicted with an hereditary paralysis which, while it did not affect

his general health, disabled him from physical labor so that for many

years before his death he had retired from any active business. This

did not prevent him, however, from taking a keen interest in all public

matters and as he was a man of strong convictions and quite outspoken in

the expression of them, he became, during his residence amongst us,

quite a prominent and well known figure upon our streets. He was an

enthusiastic Republican and a devoted admirer of McKinley with all that

that implies, and he never omitted an opportunity to proclaim his

sentiments on this or any other matter of public interest. His devotion

to the principles of (can't read word) was imbibed from the teachings of

Horace Greeley and the New York Tribune of which he was a lifelong

reader. He belonged to that school of New York Republicans to whom the

New York Tribune is nearly if not quite as authoritative, as the New

Testament.

Previous to his residence here, the deceased was a member of the United

Presbyterian Church. There being no organization of the denomination of

his choice in Leon, he joined the O.S. Presbyterian Church of which he

remained until his death a devoted and consistent member.

The deceased left a family of ten children consisting of six sons and

four daughters to mourn his loss. The daughters and two of the children

are residents of our city. Seven of the children, including J.L.

PARRISH, of Des Moines, were present at his bedside during his last

illness. Of the other three sons, R.H. PARRISH lives in Denver,

Colorado; W.W. PARRISH in Emmett, Idaho; and DR. H.H. PARRISH in Los

Angeles, California.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our friend and neighbor has passed away after his years had been

prolonged beyond the allotted span of human life. Again, we are

reminded that those whom we love are never lost and the influence of a

good life never dies. Those whom we see no more in their accustomed

places, have been summoned home to become, in a higher sense than was

possible amid earthly environments, the stewards of the mysteries of

Providence in the conduct of the affairs of men. "As the shadows steal

at evening over the earth, softly closing the flowers and touching them

to sleep, silently and lovingly, in the promise of a bright awaking--so

is death."

With noiseless tread death comes on man,

No plea, no prayer delivers him;

From amidst busy life's unfinished plan.

With sudden hand it severs him;

And ready, or not ready, no delay,

Forth to his judge's bar he must away.

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