Obituaries for Riley County, Kansas

RILEY COUNTY, KANSAS

OBITUARIES

GEORGE H. DEAN

Submitted by Coeta Mills and Verlin Wichman

George H. Dean died March 3, 1919, at his home near Manhattan. [KS] The body was brought to the home of his son George E. Dean in Randolph and funeral services were held there at 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon. The funeral discourse was preached by Rev. Ray M. Brown. The local company of Kansas State Guards assisted at the funeral and had charge of the services at the cemetery. Burial was in Randolph cemetery. A large number of the old neighbors and friends of the family were in attendance at the funeral.

George H. Dean was born in Maundville, West Virginia, August 13, 1839, and died at his home near Manhattan, Kansas, March 3, 1919, aged 79 years, 6 months and 20 days.

His early life was spent in his native state. Here at the age of 22, in 1861, he enlisted in the 1st W. Virginia Volunteer Infantry and served his country in its time of need, three years and ten months.

In 1869 he came to Kansas, locating first in Atchison county and later in Riley county. He was married in 1871 to Martha Jane Pickett and to this union were born two sons and six daughters. His son, Charles Norman, and daughter, Opal preceded him.

In 1880 he purchased a farm northwest of Winkler and lived there until 1906, when he moved to Randolph. He spent a few years in New Mexico but the last years he and his wife have made their home with their daughter, Mrs. A. L. Olson, near Manhattan, KS.

Mr. Dean had not been ill but for several months had been growing weaker and gradually went to the "Crossing of the Bar." Monday morning he gently fell asleep.

His friends grieve for the passing of an honest, patriotic citizen--a loyal friend; his wife mourns the tender devoted companion of forty-eight years, and his children, a wise kind loving father.

The surviving relatives are his wife and six children: Mrs. E.E. King, Follett, Texas; Mrs. A. T. Finley, Topeka, Kansas; Mrs. W. W. McNeil, Huntington, W. Virginia; Mrs. A. L. Olsen, Manhattan, Kansas; Miss Grace Dean, San Jose, California and George E. Dean of Randolph, one niece, Mrs. J. O. Bates of Manhattan. (Source: Unknown Newspaper)

REUBEN NORRIS

Submitted by Verlin Wichman & Peggy Reid

The author of this outstanding obituary, Rev. Homer Wroten, most obviously respected Reuben Norris. And my what men both of these pioneers must have been. This account certainly made me want to visit both Reuben Norris and his home and see his funeral. We can only use our imaginations. Rev. Wroten had the foresight to show of what stuff Reuben Norris was made.

DEATHS

Norris: - When death claimed Reuben Norris of the May Day community, one of the real pioneers and most outstanding men in this section of Kansas was taken. The present generation cannot realize what they owe to Reuben Norris and men of his type. Nothing daunted them, and had it not been for their courage and perseverance, Kansas would not today be one of the foremost states in the union. Mr. Norris had been ill for sometime, and was a patient at the Clay Center Municipal hospital for several weeks, but it was very fitting that he should spend his last days on the old Norris homestead. The final summons which came Tuesday night, April 23, brought peace to his soul. The following story of his life, prepared by Rev. Homer Wroten of Green, is very interesting:

George Reuben Norris was born in Coschocton County, Ohio, about one hundred miles west of Pittsburg, Pa., October 27th, 1845. He died where he had lived for nearly seventy years, on the Norris homestead in Northern Riley county, Kansas, April 23rd, 1929, which makes almost eighty-four years on earth and three score years and ten of it in Kansas. Mr. Norris was the son of Jonathan Norris and Amy Kinner Norris; on one side English and the other Scotch. He descended from rugged parents and became the rugged man the neighbors all knew up and down Fancy Creek.

This man was left fatherless when a child three years old, which may account for some of his self-reliance. The widow moved from Ohio to Indiana in 1848 and later in the same year on to Illinois. The westward march was continued into Iowa in 1855 where a few years were spent near Des Moines and Council Bluffs. In 1859 they continued their trek to Nebraska and the same year on to Kansas. It was three years later, in 1862 that they found the place they were contented to live on until they died. That is the brief story of migrations of one early family; and this is only one family of thousands and thousands which made up the wave of population flowing toward the setting sun in that pioneer period.

Mr. Norris was the youngest in his mother's family and was the last survivor. He had five sisters and two brothers. He was married to Miss Mary Lidy in June 1881, and Miss Lidy's people were pioneers of the Chepstow locality. Mrs. Norris preceded her husband in death about eighteen months. To this union were born four children, all alive and with their father and mother to the end. They are Ernest, Frank, Laura and Claud, whom all know for they have lived in the home community from birth.

Mr. Norris was affiliated with no clubs, lodges or churches. His home, however, was always open to missionaries and preachers of that early day. His contribution was one of many that were needed in the erection of Wesley Chapel. He supported all the religious enterprises of the community. He was twenty years old when the Civil War closed and had been a member of the mlitia here ready to go had they been called into active service.

There are numberless biographers which have never appeared in book form which would be just as interesting as many which have. That of Ruben Norris is one of them. He knew how to aboound in the midst of poverty, he knew how to build a log hut, he knew how to find water and fuel, with neither well nor mine; he knew how to live without butcher shop, store or railroad; he knew how to raise and train his oxen to turn the sod; he could ford rivers, survive drought, outlast chinch bugs and grass hoppers, get along with Indians, compel the stubborn soil and fickle climate to yield him and his family food and fireside and fortune. May God delay the day when we have no more of these pioneers to tell us how we came by our inheritance; This man was here when the nearest trading post was Leavenworth on the Missouri River, and it required a week to make the round trip for supplies. When one man with oxen made that trip he looked after the needs of a dozen neighbors. Back in those days when the Union Pacific railroad terminated at Clay Center and the Missouri Pacific at Waterville or Marysville, there was a mail coach that made the journey between these places, horses were watered and under extreme circumstances, lodging found at the home of Mr. Norris. The stone house in which he lived was built in 1871, 58 years ago from stone quarried nearby. Fort Riley was an outpost against unfriendly Indians before the Civil War, but no railroad to it. The frontier moved up from Leavenworth to Junction City after the Civil War. I, for one, am sorry to lose those links that connect us with early times.

Let me enumerate some of the family names prevalent here more than 50 years ago: Dicks, Pickett, Niehanke, Spurrier, Byarley, Moon, Droil, Winkler, Secrest and many more. If you were to classify Mr. Norris I believe you would call him a stockman. He always was fond of good horses and good cattle and enjoyed animal husbandry. He was honest, unconventional, neighborly, dry in his humor, and loved his own home. His word was good and his upright character was held in high regard. The last months of his life were under a sort of mental cloud. He had the misfortune to fall and break an arm last winter and he was in the hospital for several weeks. His last days were not enjoyable neither for him nor his children. But relief has come and the entire community were at the church to do him honor. Flowers sweetened the scene - music softened the sorrow - the sermon was an attempt to draw lessons for the living from the fleetness of life even when four score years.

A male quartette composed of Wm. Vittetoe and the Lang Bros. sang at the church and cemetery. The sermon was delivered by Rev. Homer Wroten. The house was crowded to the doors. Those who bore the remains to the last resting place beside those of the wife in the May Day cemetery were: Geo. Richner, Lewis Pickett, Albert Sparman, Leslie Brethour, John Larson and John Meyers, sons of pioneer neighbors.

PICKETT, SAMUEL

Samuel Pickett was born to Richard and Robina Pickett at Winkler, Kansas, February 22, 1888 and departed this life April 27, 1963 at Lawrence, Kansas having attaine the age of 75 years, two months and five days.

On November 25, 1909 he was united in marriage to Evelyn Marie Hunt. He was baptized in the Methodist Church in 1927 and had been a member of the Odd Fellow Lodge of Barnes.

He and his wife owned and operated the Pickett Grocery for 15 years. Although he had spent the past 26 years of his life with his wife in Lawrence, Kansas, he chose Barnes as his final resting place where he had spent his boyhood.

He is survived by his wife, Evelyn Marie, of the home and two children, Gertrude, Mrs. Vern T. Cook of Lawrence, and Richard of Tucson, Arizona, 6 grandchildren, 5 great-grandchildren and 3 brothers, Malcolm Pickett and Alfred Pickett of Barnes and James Pickett of Olsburg. One step-daughter, Pearl Hnt, Osborne preceded him in death. Others surviving are a number of nieces and nephews and other relatives and friends.

Funeral services were held Wednesday, May 1 in the Wolverton Funeral Home at 2:00 p.m. with Rev. J. Richard Williams officiating.

Mrs. Harold Holt and Mrs. Mark Doyen sang "Face to Face" and "Beyond the Sunset." Mrs. Homer Oberhelman was at the piano.

The pallbearers were nephews of the deceased: Lloyd Pickett, Manhattan; Omar Pickett; Olsburg; Delmar Picket, Randolph; Bille Pickett, Barnes, Foster Pickett, Randolph and Ivan Pickett, Clay Center. Interment was in Maplewood Cemetery with Wolvertons in charge.

Among those from a distance here for the funeral were Mr. and Mrs. Vern Cook and family, Mrs. Russell Clark, Mrs. Wendell Else, Mrs. Bill Holliday, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Channel, all of Lawrence, Mrs. Eldon Davis, Topeka, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Pickett, Mr. and Mrs. Jim Pickett, Tucson, Arizona, Mr. Jim Pickett, Omar and Dorothy, Olsburg, Mr. and Mrs. Ivan Pickett, Clay Center, Mrs. Henry Johnson, Mrs. Roland Rosell, Mr. Lloyd Pickett and Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Osbourne, Manhattan, Mr. Delmar Pickett, Randolph, Mrs. Ed Anderson, Blue Rapids and Mrs. Roy Osbourn and Kathy, Junction City. (Submitted by Verlin Wichman)

PICKETT, ALBERT ELSWORTH

Albert E. Pickett Dies
September 16, 1934

Albert Elsworth Pickett died Monday morning at the ranch home of his Son, Lloyd Pickett. He has been in poor health for several months and has been living here with his Son, he was seventy years of age and had lived in Wyoming nearly a quarter of a century settling near Manderson in 1910. Mr. Pickett leaves many old friends in the Manderson country who will mourn his loss.

Funeral services were held at Manderson at 2:00 P.M. Tuesday with the Rev. Clyde Hampton conducting the services. Pall Bearers were his four Sons; Lloyd, Harold, Ray and George. Music was furnished by Mrs. Saunders, Mrs. Harkins, R.E. MacLeod and Abner Johnson with Mrs. J.W. Walters at the piano.

Interment was made in the Basin cemetery beside his Wife.

Obituary

Albert Elsworth Pickett as born February 24th, 1864 at Randolph, Kansas. He passed away in the morning on September 16,1934, at the home of his Son, Lloyd M. Pickett.

He was married to Quintella Urith, Priest of Randolph,Kansas on January 6th, 1886. To this union were born five Children.

In the spring of 1893, he and his family moved to Oklahoma, homesteading in the Oklahoma Territory. He moved back to Kansas during the year of 1900. On August 28th, 1904 this union was bereaved by the death of his wife.

In March of 1905, he moved to Montana, settling in the Shields River Valley near Livingston.

During the fall of 1910, he moved to Manderson, Wyoming.

On March 12th, 1912, he was married to Happy May Johnson. To this union was born one daughter, Alberta Elizabeth.

On March 26th, 1931, this union was terminated by the death of his second Wife.

He is survived by six Children, Ethel Falen of Rockville, Oregon, Ray Pickett, Sandpoint, Idaho. Lloyd Pickett, Worland, Wyoming. Harold Pickett, Worland, Wyoming. George Pickett, Casper, Wyoming. Alberta Molten, Manderson,
Wyoming. and one Brother, Lou Pickett of Chandler,Oklahoma. (Submitted by Verlin Wichman)