McELWEE, Benjamin E. - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

Benjamin E. McELWEE was born at the old home near Wallace Oct 13, 1867, died June 21, 1901 having lived his life of 33 years at the same place. Interred at Lutheran Cemetery Saturday June 23, he became a member of the Christian Church at Freedom in Jan 1897 was baptized and lived a consistent member until his death. Although his period of illness was comparatively short, it was freighted with intense suffering and sadness because of the peculiar nature of the affliction being milk sickness, which so baffles medical science. Nothing was left undone that able physicians loving hand and heart could do to effect a restoration to life and health, but death was vicotr and Ben has joined the loved ones in that eternal home not made with hands. His chief characteristics were his tenderness and nobleness of mind and his industry. The family had nearly completed the erection of a large and beautiful residence and Ben had worked industriously and untiring, both in this work and on the farm at their home might be alt? that the word implies, a place where many happy years should be spent, but his place is vacant only in memory. But Oh, how rich these memories are. "The web of life is drawn into the loom for us, but we weave it ourselves, the warp is given but the wool furnish, and if it is of golden threads of love, manliness and tenderness as was those of the dear departed one, then will our lives be rich, worhty and full of peace and satisfaction. What stores of love and human sympathy were revealed while he lingered on the threshold of life and when the chords were broken and he had drifted in the harbor of God's love, numberless friends still came eater and willing to render any services in the lst sad ? and many lips said, "Ben was a goood man." The dear mother whispered, "Ben was a good noble son" thus proving that he had lived a life for others not wholly to himself. A widowed mother, 4 brothers and 3 sisters await the reunion, where sickness and health enters no more.

Benjamin McElwee, aged 33 son of the late Matthew McElwee of near Wallace died last Friday morning after a 10 days illness and the crcumstances surrounding his death have caused a good deal of concern in that neighborhood. Ben was unmarried and lived at home with his mother, a sister, his brother Albert and a hired hand named Barker. He was taken ill 10 days before his death with all the symptos of poison and on Mon of last week grew much worse dying 4 days later on Friday. In the meantime Albert and the sister, Ida were also taken with practically the same symptons but after treatment both go etter though Albert also had a close call and are now on a fair way to recover. Five physicians were called and a consultation held all agree in that the patients were suffering from some kind of poison though the nature of it was not expressed. One of the physicians pronounced the disease that of milk sickness while the others fail to express themselves at the point. For sevearl days it was feared Albert who is well known throughout the county who is a strong poltical worker and an exemplary young man could not recover and that another fatality would be added to the list. For 2 days Friday and Saturday he remained speechless and unconscious but he began to improve on Saturday evening and is now in a fair way to fully recover. Neither the hired man nor Ms. McElwee were affected; we are informed though that they seemed to have used more milk and butter than either of the 3 affected. This would seem to controvert the milksick theory. The burial of Benjamin were held Sat noon at Lutheran Cemetery east of Wallace, where funeral services will be held later. Ben was an industrious exemplary young man he and his brother Albert for sevearl years having had charge, with their mother of the farm and all are most highly repsected.