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- "A PIONEER DEAD; Warren Higgins of Keswick died after useful life. He had been a resident of this county for over half a century and was vice-president of Savings Bank
For the third time in four weeks, the people of Keswick are called to mourn the loss of another among their oldest, best known and most respected citizens. After a lingering illness, lasting several months, Mr. Warren Higgins succumbed to the inevitable and on Friday morning March 4th, at seven a.m., his soul passed to the 'great beyond".
Funeral services were held Sunday in the Methodist Protestant Church, conducted by Rev. C.J. Nutt. A crowded house of sympathizing friends attested the very high regard in which he was held in this community. A funeral procession three-fourths of a mile in length accompanied the remains to the Sorden Cemetery, where they laid it away in sweet repose to sleep the sleep that knows no waking, until the trumpet of the Lord shall sound and they that are in the grave shall come forth.
Warren Higgins was born in Knox Co. Ohio, Feb. 17th 1825 and died in his home in Keswick, Iowa, March 4 '04 aged 79 years and 17 days. He was the second son and the fourth child of a family of seven children, consisting of three sons and four daughters, all of whom lived to the age of womanhood and manhood, but are all dead now excepting one sister, Mrs. Elizabeth Otis of Olympia, Washington.
"Mr. Higgins spent the early boyhood days in the County of his nativity, but at the age of nine years he removed with his parents to Marion Co., Ohio, where he grew to manhood, obtaining such and education as was practical for farmers' boys in that early day. He attended school in the little log school house, having slabs for seats and writing desks made of boards laid on pine driven into the walls.
"On maintaining his majority his father gave him a hundred dollars and a horse, and with this as his entire stock in trade, save his indomitable will and his hereditary principles of honesty, industry, and integrity, he started out in the world to make his fortune. For the first three years thereafter he hired himself out as a farm hand, laying by enough in that time to see his way clear to buy him a home of his own. One year later, April 14th, 1850, he was united in marriage to Miss Marcia Ann Rubins of Marion Co., Ohio, and to this union were born four children, Hale, Joseph, Effie, and Delano, all of whom are living and were present at the funeral.
"After his marriage, the deceased continued to reside in Marion Co., Ohio until the fall of 1852, when he disposed of his property there, and in company with his brother-in-law, Henry C. Otis, followed the Star of Empie westward; and landed on what was then the wild and far westward prairies of Iowa, crossing the Mississippi[pi at Burlington. After a laborious journey they finally landed in Adams Township, Keokuk Co., where they together had purchased a farm of 720 acres. Later Mr. Higgins bought out the interest of his brother-in-law and continued to make this farm his residing place until 1894, when he bid farewell to the then too arduous duties of farm life, and removed to Keswick, where he has since resided.
"During all his busy life, Mr. Higgins never once thought of giving up the happy life on a farm to engage in any mercantile business, but reduced the life on a farm to a system that meant success to him. Upon the organization of a Keswick Savings Bank in 1892, Mr. Higgins became one of the charter members, was elected to be president and served in that capacity for a term of five years, since which time he has held the position of vice-president.
"Since the organization of the republican party he has been one of its stern adherents. He cast his first presidential ballot in the election of 1848. He held various offices of trust within the gift of his fellow men, was school treasurer when there was but one district in this township and served in various capacities in nearly all the offices of the township. The services of such a man in these offices, when the discharge of the duties of the offices meant so much to the=welfare of the Common wealth, served to lift our young state from the wilderness of those days to its present honored place among the sister states.
"The deceased was an honest, upright, industrious and much respected citizen, and example of honesty and integrity that no young man need to be ashamed to emulate. He was kind and considerate to those less fortunately situated in life, and obliging neighbor, a wise counselor, and one who never violated any trust imposed upon him by his fellow men. He was temperate in his Habits, affable and genial in all his ways. He leaves a wife, four children, nineteen grandchildren, one sister and many friends to mourn his departure.
Those acting as pallbearers were D. Porter Brown, Hon. F.E. White, W.W. Wilson, Chas. Irons, Daniel Fasold, and John Axmear, Jr., men who have enjoyed the privilege of his acquaintanceship for years.
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1825 - 1904 (79 years)
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English
