Henry Clay SHELDON

SHELDON, MCCARTNEY, DOUGLAS, JONES

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 3/9/2009 at 02:22:06

The Mount Ayr Record-News, 1924

DEATH of H. C. SHELDON.

The death of H. C. SHELDON, probably the oldest native son of Ringgold county, occurred on Monday evening, April 21, 1924.

For a year or more Mr. SHELDON has been in failing health, but was able to be up and around and continued to do the usual run of chores around the home. About a year ago he consulted a specialist in Des Moines who advised a rigorous diet, and more recently his condition became more complicated and his health greatly impaired. He was taken to the hospital at Clarinda last week in the hope that the treatment there afforded would improve his general condition, and that with careful nursing and treatment he would be restored in a few months to complete health, but in his weakened condition he was unable to rally from the ravages of the disease.

Henry Clay SHELDON was the third son of Edgar and Matilda SHELDON, and was born on the old SHELDON homestead in Tingley township on February 25, 1860, being 64 years, one month and 26 days old on the day of his death.

His father, Edgar SHELDON, came to Ringgold county in the spring of 1854 and entered the land which later became their permanent home, and has since been owned by some member of the family until the year 1919. The SHELDONS were among the early pioneers of Ringgold county, and the father, Edgar SHELDON, is still living at the advanced age of ninety-one years, and makes his home with his son, F. E. Sheldon of this city. He was the first surveyor for Ringgold county, and later served three terms as county auditor.

Henry SHELDON succeeded his father on the old home place and it was his home from the date of his birth, 1860, until he moved to his present home near Mount Ayr in 1920, in order to seek retirement from active farm work.

Mr. SHELDON always took an active interest in the affairs of Tingley township and early became a leader in politics. He was especially alert in all matters pertaining to the betterment of agricultural conditions, and the improvement of livestock. At one time he was president of the Duroc Jersey breeders' association of the United States.

He was early recognized as a leader and was a man who was universally respected and esteemed by his fellow men, and his neighbors often remarked of him that he was generous to a fault.

In his twenty-second year he was married to Miss Mattie McCARTNEY, of Union county. This union was a happy one. They at once set up their home on the old family homestead and here they reared a family of eight children, all of whom with the exception of one son, survive the father. The children are: Kent, Glenn and Dean, of Mount Ayr; Clay, of Boone, Iowa; Weir, of Chappel, Neb.; Mrs. June DOUGLAS, of Upton, Wyo.; Mrs. Mattie JONES, of Casper, Wyo.

His father's family consisted of eight sons. The mother died in 1883, and two brothers, Newell and Julian, have passed away. The surviving brothers are Marion, of Kansas; Otis and Charley, of Wyoming; Simeon, of California, and Frank E., of Mount Ayr.

The funeral services were held from the United Presbyterian church in Tingley at 2:30 on Wednesday afternoon, being conducted by Rev. W. W. GORDON, pastor of the church. Interment was in the family lot in Tingley cemetery.

The funeral was largely attended and apparently all of the old friends and neighbors who knew and appreciated the kind and generous nature of Henry SHELDON paused from their urgent spring work and came to pay their last homage of respect to the memory of their departed friend.

NOTE: Henry's father Edgar SHELDON was born in 1832, and died November 30, 1923 with interment at Rose Hill Cemetery, Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa. During the Civil War, Edgar served with Company C of the Southern Border Brigade. Henry's mother Matilda M. (?) SHELDON died at the age of 52 years, 11 months and 12 days with interment at Cornwall Cemetery, Shannon City, Union County, Iowa.

Martha "Mattie" (McCARTNEY), wife of Henry Clay SHELDON, was born in 1858, and died in 1933 with interment at Tingley Cemetery. Also interred at Tingley Cemetery are Clifton SHELDON (1886-1916); and Infant Daughter SHELDON who was born and died on March 24, 1896.

Mattie and Henry SHELDON's son Glen SHELDON was born in 1887, and died November 18, 1937 with interment at Rose Hill Cemetery, Mount Ayr.

Transcription and note by Sharon R. Becker, 2008