Iowa
Old Press
THE FREMONT COUNTY HERALD
January 6, 1916
ANOTHER PIONEER.
Death of J. W. Jackson, an Old Settler, at His Home in Sidney
John William Jackson was born in Surrey county, North Carllina,
August 24, 1831. When he was 8 years old the family moved to
Highland county, Ohio, where he grew to manhood, and where he was
married to Leesburg, Ohio, May 27, 1854 to Miss Sallie Horton.
The next year they moved to Hamilton county, Indiana, where they
lived eight years, coming from there to Fremont county, Iowa.
They lived on a farm in Lacy Grove many years and 11years ago
came to Sidney, where they have since resided. Eleven children
were born to them, nine of whom surive the father. Two daughters,
Mrs. Hattie Proctor and Mrs. Bertha Torpy, preceded the father to
the great unknown, the former 15 years ago and the latter 11
years ago. The nine living children are Mrs. Ella McCluskey of
Sidney; Edgar Jackson of Pleasanton, Kansas; Mrs. Flora McCluskey
of Nelson, Nebraska; Lee Jackson of Sidney; Mrs. Emma Seavey of
Salina, Kansas; Mrs. Verissa Cadwell of Colome, South Dakota;
Mrs. Maggie Brackney of Dexter, Iowa; Oscar Jackson of Sidney;
Mrs. Eva Nan Ness of Sidney. They were all present to attend the
funeral and to console the mother in her great bereavement. There
are also 43 grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren living.
Several grandchildren --
Porter McCluskey, Ernest McCluskey and his family, and Arthur
Jackson of Davenport, Nebraska, John Jackson of Pleasanton,
Kansas, and Mrs. Sylvia Carlson of Creston -- were also present
at the funeral. Mr. Jackson passed away a few minutes past 11
o'clock Sunday night, January 2, after a long illness. He had a
stroke of paralysis four years ago and has been failing ever
since. The immediate cause of his death was hardening of the
arteries of the heart. He was a man highly respected, a good
neighbor, an industrious, honest man, a good citizen.
Funeral took place from the home Wednesday afternoon at 2:30
o'clock. The services were conducted by Rev. C. M. Ward of the
Methodist church, assisted by Rev. J. P. Thomas of the Baptist
church. Six grandsons of Mr. Jackson acted as pallbearers.
Interment in the Sidney cemetery.
A WATCH PARTY.
Research Club Had A Fine Time At The Home of Mrs. May DeFreece
The members of the Research Club held their annual social
entertainment in honor of their husbands at the home of Mrs. May
DeFreece last Friday evening December 31. Invitation cards were
sent, on which was printed the following:
"WATCH PARTY"
"The Old Year is fleeting--
Please come to our meeting:
We'll bid Him adieu
And Welcome the New."
Mrs. DeFreece's warm welcome and the comfort and beauty of her
home put to flight all thought of the inclemency of the
weather--the gayety within overmatching the gloom without. The
decorations were of white and silver and crystal--symbollic of
the season--with a touch of green to keep in mind the club
colors. White crepe paper ribbon was carried from center to
corners of the rooms; evergreens, coated with white and silver
frost, framed the pictures, window, and doorways and banked book
cases, shelves and piano; chandeliers were twined with smilax,
while crystal icicles hung from every pendant and from cards of
silver tinsel--festooned across the doorways. Boquets of white
carnations adorned the tables. One immense jar of American Beauty
roses, loaned by Miss Mildred DeFreece, stood on the
piano--giving just the one touch of brightness needed. A rather
unique feature of the decorations were the dates 1915 - 1916,
which were done in white cardboard in figures 18 inches high and
placed above the double doors in the sitting room--and the three
large white card board clocks with their hands pointing to the
hour when the New Year would begin.
Dinner was served by the menu committee at 7:30 o'clock. Small
tables were used--which seated from four to six each. The place
cards were decorated with carnations (the club flower) and were
beautiful little souvenirs of a most excellent and elborate
dinner consisting of fruit cocktail, creamed chicken, celery,
pickles, escalloped oysters, warm light rolls with butter,
tutti-frutti ice cream, angel food, mints and coffee.
The evening's entertainment was begun by the gentlemen choosing
partners for a conundrum contest by each securing a number,
hidden in small white cotton snow balls, suspended by invisible
threads in a wide doorway which number corresponded to one held
by some lady present. The first part of this contest was to find
an answer, in picture or article distributed in different
rooms--to a conumdrum, written on a card and given to each
couple. The conumdrums displayed considerable wit in construction
and the answers were proudly pinned on the left shoulder of the
lady as soon as the couple succeeded in finding the solution of
their own problem. The second part of the contest consisted in
forming a message from the letters of the words used in New Years
Day using the letters successively for beginning the words of the
message. Very amusing sentences were formed. Prize winners were
Mrs. Wildberger and Mr. Raymond Draper, prize calender of the New
Year, and Mrs. Waterman and Mr. W. L. Van Eaton, prize, toy
watch. Sides were then chosen for a snow ball throw. The winning
side must throw the most white cotton snow balls through a white
and green hoop into baskets placed in opposite rooms. The game
resulted in a tie. After this Father Time, with his flowing white
beard and typical scythe appeared with a bound and making the
circuit of the rooms in a twinkling reminded us that he was
"going some." A bulletin on the latest war news was
issued in the form of a paper containing false statements, a
carpet tack on a ball, and two jars or cans. The last feature of
the entertainment was the merriest and in fact was taken up with
so much zest as to be rather nerve-racking at times; a large box
of toys were distributed and as they consisted of musical
insturments and each recipient was told to "play
quietly" the result was better than the "singing
cows" which were supposed to usher in the New Year when I
was a child. The hostess' son is charge of the Victrola delighted
us with beautiful and appporpriate music at different times
during the evening. Guests were: The husbands of the Research
club members and Miss Grundy, Mrs. Chambers, W. L. Van Eaton, Joe
Thornell and Raymond Draper. The club wishes to thank Mrs.
DeFreece and her family for their kindness and courtesy and the
help so freely and graciously given throughout.
[submitted by W.F., Nov. 2003]