Name: Stow, John Oscar
Burial Date: 1915, 03/08
Age at Death: 73
Plot Location: 424 G
Notes: husband of Mary Jane (McIlroy)
Co. A, 20th IA Inf.
War: Civil War
Complete Obituary STERLING BULLETIN 03/11/1915
Passing of a Pioneer
John O. Stow, another Sterling pioneer, has gone. The end came last Saturday morning, at 10:30, after a brief illness of but five days.
Mr. Stow has been an active citizen of the community for a long time and was largely instrumental in bringing Cooper college to Sterling.
Jno. O. Stow was born September 10th, 1855, in Megs County, Ohio.
When 15 years of age he removed with his parents to Cedar Rapids, IA and in 1861 went to the war with the 20th Iowa regiment and remained during the entire war, being mustered out in 1865. He was wounded in the battle of Vicksburg and carried the marks of the wound to the grave. He participated in the battles of Pea Ridge, Fayetteville, and Prairie Grove. To reach the latter battlefield he and his comrades were compelled to march 118 miles in three days on foot.
After the war, he returned to Cedar Rapids where he was united in marriage on June 4, 1868, to Miss Mary J. McIlroy, of Westmorland County, Pa. who united with the church under Fr. Scroggs.
The year following their marriage, Mr. Stow came from the Baptist church and united with his wife in the United Presbyterian Church in Benton County, Iowa, and was in the following year elected elder in that congregation serving in that capacity for 12 years.
In 1881 on account of Mr. Stow’s health, he and his wife removed from Iowa to Sterling, Kansas, being one of the first 20 United Presbyterians in Sterling. During those early days, he was one of the prime movers in the propaganda which resulted in the founding of Cooper College, in Sterling.
While in Kansas he was engaged in the cattle business and in farming until about 9 years ago when impaired health made it necessary to forego many activities in which he took a deep interest. Not content to be wholly idle he kept at work to the last, having interests in Colorado and at Houston, Texas. At his death, he was also Vice-President and Treasurer of the Farney Land Co. of Hutchinson.
One son John died in infancy. The other children survive him. They are Jas. McIlroy Stow, now in Cuba; Eliza now Mrs. Jno. Belden, of Saxman; and Susan, now Mrs. Frank Mathews, of Sterling. These and his wife and a number of grandchildren and hosts of friends mourn his loss.
He departed this life last Saturday morning at 10:30, after a brief illness of five days.
Funeral service was held at the United Presbyterian church on Monday, March 8th, conducted by the pastor, Rev. W.P.McGarey, assisted by Dr. F. M. Spencer, Dr. R.T.Campbell and Rev. G.I.Findley. Interment was in Cottonwood Cemetery.
|
||||||||||||
