J. S. SHEPHERD

SHEPHERD, SELLARDS, HARTSHORN, MOORE

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 3/9/2009 at 02:26:35

The Ringgold Record, 1890

DEATH CALLS J. S. SHEPHERD

Veteran Editor and Printer Passes Peacefully at Age of Ninety-one.

After an illness of nearly a year's duration, J. S. SHEPHERD, veteran editor and probably the oldest printer in Iowa, passed peacefully away at his home in north Mount Ayr yesterday afternoon, November 10, at two o'clock. Had he lived until the fourth day of next month he would have been ninety-one years old. His last illness dated from the day before Christmas last year, when he was taken suddenly ill and for a time his life was dispaired of, but he rallied and for a time it was thought he would regain his usual strength, but the second stroke a few days later left him in such a weakened condition that he has since been under the constant care of a nurse. He was a man of remarkable vitality and up until the time he suffered the stroke at the beginning of his illness was unusually active for one of his age. He was gentle and kind in disposition and these characteristics were pronounced during his long illness.

Mr. SHEPHERD was born in Sangamon county, Illinois, December 4, 1834. He came with his parents to the territory of Iowa in 1844 and the same year began working in the office of the Iowa Democrat, a newspaper published by his father at Keosauqua. When sixteen years of age he entered upon a regular printer's apprenticship. In 1800 he moved to Corydon and for two years published the Corydon Democrat.In 1883 he was elected superintendent of schools of Wayne county and served during the years 1884 and 1885. In November, 1885, Mr. SHEPHERD purchased the Mount Ayr Journal, which he published until a few years ago when he retired from business and turned the management over to his son George S. SHEPHERD.

Mr. SHEPHERD was a loyal Mason and held membership in all the local branches of the order - Faith Lodge No. 179, Royal Arch Masons and Shriner in Iowa. Just a few years ago he celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of his entrance into the Masonic lodge. He is survived by two daughters, Mrs. J. A. SELLARDS of Adel and Mrs. J. G. HARTSHORN of Danville, Ill., and one son, George S. SHEPHERD of this city.

Brief funeral services will be held at the home this afternoon at four o'clock and the funeral party will leave with the body this evening for Keosauqua, where services will be held and interment made in the family lot in Keosauqua cemetery. The services at the home this afternoon will be conducted by Rev. Jay KIRKENDALL, pastor of the Methodist church, of which Mr. SHEPHERD was a faithful member during all the years of his long residence in Mount Ayr.

At the death of Mr. SHEPHERD a reverent solemnity rests over the community, for he was a good man who held sacred the principles which make for righteousness.

NOTE: Mary (MOORE), wife of J. S. SHEPHERD, was born in Summerset, Ohio, on August 25th, 1838. J. S. and Mary were married in April of 1845 in Keosauqua, Iowa, and were the parents of four children: Minnie (SHEPHERD) HARTSHORN, Little, Alva, and George S. SHEPHERD. Alva died in October of 1882 in Corydon, Iowa. Mary (MOORE) SHEPHERD died during the evening of May 28, 1890 and was interred at the cemetery in Keosauqua.

Transcription and note by Sharon R. Becker, 2008