KERR, John Wesley - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

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KERR, John Wesley

Source: Attica-Fountain-Warren-Democrat Sept 28, 1922 p 1

John Wesley Kerr died at 2 o’clock p.m. Friday Sept 22 at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Lafayette, to which place hd had been taken for treatment 11 days before. Death was caused by gall stones.  He was the son of Robert H. and America J. Rankin Kerr and was born in Davis Township, Fountain County near Odell, Aug 3, 1863.  He was one of a family of 5 children and the first one to pass the great divide. His father died when he was a small lad and being the eldest son many of the responsibilities of the family soon fell upon his shoulders.

These he assumed and bore with a willingness and judgment far above the average boy of his years.  Mr. Kerr was married June 6, 1888 to Miss Mary E. Cade. They resided on the Kerr farm near Odell until 1898 when Mr. Kerr bought the farm which he owned and on which he lived at the time of his death.  He was the father of 5 children: Mrs. Mabel Milligan of Crosbyton, Texas; Dale of Lafayette; Robert of Rock Island, Ill; Miss Nell still in the paternal home and Mrs. Dorothy Rozell who resides near Winthrop.  Besides the above named children he is survived by his wife, his aged mother, Mrs. America Marvin; three sisters – Mrs. Lavena Cavitt of Markle, Ind; Mrs. Anna Mulvey of Montmorenci, Ind; Mrs. Grace Crawford of Hydro, Okla and one brother, Robert H. Kerr of Greencastle, Ind; and six grandchildren – Mary Ellen; Charles Wesley and Dorothy Jane Rozell and Myron, John and Lowell Kerr.  Mr. Kerr was a man of strict honesty and integrity.  He was a man who took a deep interest in governmental problems, but never south political preferment.

While he had strong convictions on political questions he was not offensive in the expression of his faith and always accorded to others the right to differ from him.  He was a modest man but at the same time rendered good service to his community. The various movements for community betterment had his loyal support both in active service and financial assistance.  Mr. Kerr was a member of the Order of Free and Accepted Masons with membership at Odell. He was also a member of the Horse Thief Detective Association of Winthrop, which society he had served as secretary for 20 years.  Mr. Kerr was yet in the prime of life and had many more years of usefulness before him, had life been spared but if measured by the true standard – that of service rendered – his life was full and well rounded out.  Personally, Mr. Kerr was cordial and congenial – just the kind of man whom you like to meet and whose acquaintanceship gave an uplift to the society in which he moved.  His home life was that of a true husband and a loving father.  He made many sacrifices that his children might receive a good education, giving all of them the advantages of a high school education and also a college education to those who chose to carry their learning further. Mr. Kerr was not a member of any church but was a believer in religion and contributed to the support of church organizations.  Certainly it can be said that the world is better by his having lived.

The body was removed from the hospital to the home near Winthrop Saturday morning from which the funeral was conducted Sunday afternoon at 2 o’clock. Rev. WB McMillen of this city preached the funeral discourse. Burial was made in Riverside Cemetery, this city. The pall bearers were brother Masons who are neighbors and close friends of the Kerr family. The Masonic Lodge of Odell of which the decedent was a member officiated at the grave with the last rites of that order. The members of the Masonic lodges both of this city and Odell were in attendance at the funeral. It was one of the most largely attended funerals in this or Warren County and was a splendid expression of the esteem in which Mr. Kerr was held by his neighbors and acquaintances.

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