Kirkendall - Milton
Source: Waveland Independent newspaper, Waveland, Montgomery County, Indiana, July 26, 1912
Friends of M. R. H. Kirkendall (Milton) have known for some time that he was suffering with heart weakness that rendered his term of life uncertain, but nevertheless his death on Sat. afternoon was a shock. He was superintending a bridge in the course of erection at Browns Valley. He had gone to the station intending to come to Waveland on the afternoon train. While there he engaged in conversation with Milton Carrington. Suddenly, without any warning, he fell forward. Mr. Carrington caught him in his arms and lowered him to the ground. He was carried into the station and a physician called, but lived only a few minutes. The County coroner was called, but there was no question as to the cause of his death.
The body was brought here to the home of Mr. & Mrs.John Wilder, close friends of the deceased.
On Monday afternoon, his funeral was conducted in accordance with written directions which he had prepared some time before his death. He had spoken to F.W. Kritz concerning this paper and search was made the day after his death. It was found in a stand drawer and reads as follows: "Directions for my burial. It is my wish to be clothed with shirt, drawers and socks such as may be on hand at the time of my demise; to them shall be added an old-fashioned shroud, home-made of swiss or cambric. If no one knows how to make it, it can be fashioned after the style of a Mother Hubbard; the casket to be plain and unpretentious not to cost exceeding $30. Select a single grave plot in Freedom Cem. in an unpretentious place and at the lowest possible cost. No hearse to be used. It is my wish that Mr. George H. Loman, Sr. with one horse wagon drawn by the old brown mare shall carry me on my last journey. I request the following pall bearers: Jno. B. Wilder; Thomas Martin; Charles A. Canine; W.T. Glenn; William T. James; (a few lines of obit. is missing) All women without regard to age or social or financial position are requested to make themselves conspicious by their absence. It is needless to say at this time that I have ever been a loyal lover of my mother's sex, but I am doing this for their good that they may spend the hour of my burial at home in quiet thought of the many times they could have contributed to my welfare and pleasure with small effort on their part and priceless benefit to me and failed to do it. After the retrospect of the past I believe their hearts and willing hands will find other opportunities to give pleasure to humanity and honor to themselves. There will be neither religious nor fraternal exercises at my burial on account of the hypocrisy of the one and the unfeeling formality of the other. No priest or preacher shall have occasion to give me credit for virtues that my sorrowing friends would ever remember I did not possess, neither shall my fraternal associates be given an opportunity to hold a picnic and jubilee over the remains of one they never knew. As a last request I desire these gentlemen above named to be a committee to see that ever request mentioned above shall be faithfully carried out.
Mr. Kirkendall was born on the farm where he died, and was the son of Jacob and Anna Kirkendall. The father died many years ago, but the mother made her home with the son until her death 18 years ago. Since then he has lived alone. He was a carpenter by trade and derived some income from a gravel pit on his farm. He was a great reader and a thinker of more than average depth. He had been a subscriber to the Ladies Home Journal from the first number and was an admirer of the Country Contributor. While his father was a Baptist Preacher, Mr. Kirkendall never made any religious profession. He was a Knight of Pythias. He was a staunch democrat, and has probably served on more election boards than any other man in the township. He too was much interested in the schools, and all public matters. At the time of his death he was sec. of the Farmers' Institute. He left a verbal request that his monument be a large boulder near the spring at his home. While eccentric and misunderstood by many, he was of upright character, pure life and kindly disposition. He will be missed. He has one brother, David, living in Crawfordsville. He, with his wife and son Clifford, and Mr and Mrs. Herman Patterson came Monday to view the body, but did not go to the Cemetery. - typed by kbz