John W. WION

WION, SINES, OSBORN, CRAFT, FORTUNE, WILLS, WISE, WOLFE

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 4/22/2009 at 02:12:40

The Leon Reporter
Leon, Decatur County, Iowa
Thursday, June 7, 1923

OBITUARY - JOHN W. WION

John W. WION, son of John and Nancy (SIRES) WION, was born April 30, l850, and departed this life May 3l, l923, at the age of 73 years, l month and l day. He was the youngest of a family of 9 children, all of which have passed to the Great Beyond. He was born in Jasper County, Indiana, and when 4 years of age, he with his parents, moved to Decatur County, Iowa, settling on the old homestead southwest of Decatur and has been a resident of the county ever since.

On July l6, l867, he was united in marriage to Elizabeth OSBORN. To this union were born seven children: Fred W., of Kimball, South Dakota; Wesley, of Des Moines, Iowa; Eliza, of Denver, Colorado; Mrs. C. A. CRAFT, of Milo, Iowa; who survive him and Johnnie, who died in l87l; Etta, who died in l887; and Nora, who died in l89l. On November 22, l883, his beloved companion passed away and he was left with a family of small children. On November 22, l885, he was united in marriage to Mrs. Melvina FORTUNE, who survives him. To this union were born 6 children: Mrs. Oscar [Myrtle] WILLS, of Osceola, Iowa; Mrs. W. G. WISE, Lamoni, Iowa; William, of St. Joe, Mo.; Wilkie, whose address is unknown; and Albert of Mt. Ayr, Iowa; all of whom survive him and Pearl, who died in l897. He is also survived by 30 grandchildren and l great grandchild and 2 step-children, Mrs. Ida WION, of Des Moines, Iowa; and Ivan FORTUNE, of St. Joe, Mo. Besides a host of friends and other relatives.

He was a kind and loving husband and father, and a friend to those who knew him. He has been a constant sufferer for the past year but bore his suffering with patience, being prepared to meet his God. He united with the U.B. Church at Elk Chapel about 26 years ago.

Funeral services were held at Elk Chapel, Sunday at 2 o'clock, conducted by Rev. LISTER, of Kellerton. Interment in Elk Cemetery.

A CARD
-- We wish to thank our friends and neighbors for the assistance given us during the sickness and death of our husband and father.

Mrs. J. W. WION and FAMILY.

NOTE: Robert STUBBS of Carthage, Missouri, John's great-grandson wrote that Nancy WION was Nancy (SINES not SIRES) WION, the daughter of Henry and Elizabeth (WOLFE) SINES. His mother was Myrtle Olive (WION) WILLS who often said that although John W. WION was a kind father, he had a temper that occasionally got the better of him. According to Myrtle there was quite a bit of friction between John W. and his step-son Ivan FORTUNE. At one point things reached the boiling point with Ivan running down the road with John firing bullets, stirring up the dust behind Ivan. Ivan did not return home and stayed away for many years. Much later, regretting what he had done, John sent work to Ivan, asking for him to return home and accept his apologies. Wilkie did not want to be drafted at the beginning of World War I. He fled to California and never returned to Iowa, fearing arrest if he did. The family did not want his address published in John's obituary. Wilkie made part of his living mining for gold in California. He married late in life but did not have children. In the 1940's Cecil WILL drove Myrtle (WION) WILLS to california for a surprise visit with Wilkie after more than twenty years. Evidently Wilkie had settled matters with the Federal Government, him dying with his real name appearing in the Social Security Death Index in 1962. "There is also a moral to these stories. Be careful what you do, because eventually your grandkids may put it on the internet."