Page 1 of Red Oak Express
Red Oak, Iowa
Monday, March 29th, 1943
"Final Honors Paid Finley; Died at 101"
Last Surviving Veteran of '64 Succumbed Thursday at Indianola Home
His state and home county paid their last respects Sunday to Hiram Finley at 101 years, Iowa's oldest Civil War veteran and Montgomery County's last surviving soldier of 1861-64.
Funeral services were held Sunday afternoon at the Perryman chapel for Mr. Finley, who died Thursday night at the Benson Nursing Home in Indianola, IA, where he had spent the last nine months.
Military honors were accorded at the Evergreen cemetery by squads of Red Oak Lorraine Post and Stanton Ernie Johnson Post of the American Legion.
The Rev. Charles A. Speagh of Red Oak and Mr. Finley's son-in-law, the Rev. R.E. Harvey of Des Moines conducted the service.
Pallbearers were C.H. Fredell of Elliott, Dr. P.O. Swanson, Guy McCormick, C.A. Wickstrom, and Rudolph Peterson of Stanton and George Milledge of Red Oak.
Glenn Stafford was the soloist and Mrs. Ray Cozad was organist. Flowerbearers were Mrs. P.O. Swanson, Mrs. Hazel Graves, Mrs. C.A. Wickstrom and Miss Lydia Olsen.
A Civil War veteran, who is Iowa Commander of the G.A.R., attended the services, sitting with the Legion Guard of Honor.
The county's centenarian lacked 49 days of celebrating his 102nd birthday. He was born June 13, 1841, before Iowa became a state and three years after the great midwest was divided into territories.
When he was 21 years old, Mr. Finley enlisted in the 14th Iowa Infantry in Scott County, where he had been born near LeClair. "We started out from Davenport and I guess I was in most of the southern states before I was mustered out," he had told in an interview several years ago.
He took part in expeditions through the south, led by Col. William T. Shaw. He saw action in what he later called "several minor battles" before he was mustered out in November, 1864. Mr. Finley had attained the rank of "high corporal" by the end of his service.
Homesteaded in Colorado
It was a year after the war, on June 10, 1866, that Hiram Finley was married to Olive H. Lancaster. For four years, they homesteaded in Colorado, coming to Montgomery County in 1870. That was the same year that the Halland settlement was being filled and Stanton was incorporated. They moved into the home farm three miles north of Stanton and resided there until 1908 when they retired to move into the town.
Eleven years ago, Mrs. Finley died, and five years ago, Mr. Finley came to Red Oak to make his home with his son, Harry.
Survivors
Besides the son, the veteran is survived by three daughters, Mrs. Maud Wheeler of Red Oak, Mrs. R.E. Harvey of Des Moines and Mrs. George Edmiston, of Wallace, Idaho, and another son, Clinton Finley of Clarinda; nine grandchildren. A son, Robert, died in infancy.
Civil War Service:
14th Iowa Infantry Company A
