Robert Ritchie Ballantine (1873-1909)

BALLANTINE, BLAKELY

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 2/20/2025 at 15:51:57

From Jewell Record April 8, 1909 (page 1)

Robert R. Ballantine.

With the passing away of R. R. Ballantine, whose death was chronicled in these columns last week and whose funeral was held Friday of last week, this community is made to mourn sincerely the loss of a good man. Robert Ballantine was a kind and affectionate husband and father, a splendid, hard working and progressive citizen, a generous and obliging neighbor, and every person who knew him in life feels a personal loss in his death.

He was born in Marshall county, Iowa, April 10, 1873 and at the time of his death lacked ten days of being 36 years of age. With his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Ballantine, he moved to Hamilton county when but six years old, locating on the farm where was his home at the time of his death. On March 4, 1900, he was united in marriage to Miss Ida M. Blakely, of Williams, Iowa, and to this union four children were born, Lora, Carlisle, Edwin and Izola. The wife, the four little children, father, three sisters, and two brothers survive him.

Mr. Ballantine was as enterprising and progressive in his work as a farmer as he was industrious and persevering. He was a farmer and was indefatigable in his efforts to make the most possible of his work in life. Ambitious and hopeful, he worked hard to make the results of his labor the best that could be. For several years he had been interested in producing the highest quality of live stock on his farm, and had just begun to realize success in his efforts and recognition as a raiser of pure blooded stock. The struggle was naturally a hard one and the labor and the exposure to which he subjected himself was too much for his physical strength. And at a prematurely early age the angel of death claimed him.

Robert Ballantine never feared the hard things in life, and his life was such that when death came he had no need to fear the end. His last thought as of his family and his one regret the sorrow of leaving them. Their loss is great and sympathy they have from friends and neighbors is correspondingly sincere and heartfelt.