Tulare County CA Archives Obituaries.....Balaam, Edwin Swain March 27, 1921
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Steve Harrison raleighwood@juno.com April 15, 2008, 6:13 am

Unknown newspaper, 1921.
“TULARE COUNTY PIONEEER PASSES

Funeral of E. S. Balaam Held Monday Afternoon at Baptist Church

E[dwin] S[wain] Balaam, one of Tulare Counties earliest pioneers passed away 
Saturday evening, March 26th  [1921], about eleven o’clock at the home of his 
son, Charles Frederick Balaam, at Naranjo after having suffered a stroke of 
apoplexy which lasted less than three hours.

Mr. Balaam was seventy nine years old and in splendid health right up to the 
last.  About eight o’clock Saturday evening he took a bath and went up stairs 
to bed and when Mrs. Balaam, followed about twenty minutes later she found him 
lying on the floor, face down, in an unconscious condition.

He was quickly gotten in bed and the doctor summoned but he never regained 
consciousness and sank rapidly the end coming about eleven o’clock.
He was born in Arkansas in 1841, and crossed the plains to California by ox 
team when he was a boy of twelve.  He first settled in El Monte Los Angeles 
county and later in 1858 came up to Tulare county where he resided until his 
death.  The earlier years of his life were spent in agriculture and stock 
raising.  Later on he entered the business field in Exeter and was one of our 
leading merchants for several years.  Finally, the weight of years, together 
with business responsibilities became to great a burden to carry longer.  His 
sons relieved him of his business cares and Mr. Balaam retired from active life 
and spent the remainder of his days with his wife in the home of his son, C. F. 
Balaam [Charles Frederick Balaam].

For more than 63 years E. S. Balaam was closely identified with the interests 
of Tulare county and this immediate vicinity.  His loyalty and stability of 
character were the inherent traits that safeguarded him against the restless 
spirit of pioneer days.

He lived for others, and the long years of service he gave in his quiet 
unobtrusive way made him a recognized factor in whatever work was to be done, 
be it civic, social or religious.  He was a member of the I.O.O.F. Lodge for 
more than 50 years.

As the old friends passed in review and took their final leave and beheld him 
in the silence and majesty of death it was borne in upon us with solemn force 
how closely his life had been interwoven with ours and how completely the gulf 
of misunderstandings had been bridged by the long years of friendly intercourse.
What a privilege it is to enjoy the friendship of such men and now we miss them 
when they are gone!

A community does not readily adjust itself to the loss of such men as E. S. 
Balaam.

He leaves to mourn his loss a widow, Mrs. Medora Balaam, four children, and 
twelve grand children, the children are: Mrs. W. G. Davis of Porterville, Mr. 
Albert Swain Balaam of Exeter, Mr. Walter Jerome Balaam of Redondo Beach, and 
Mr. Charles Frederick Balaam of Naranjo.  One sister, Mrs. Emma Van Gordan 
[VanGorden], of Mayfield San Mateo county, also survives him.

The funeral was held on Monday afternoon [March 28] at two o’clock from the 
Baptist church in Exeter.  The Odd Fellows conducted the services at the 
[Exeter] cemetery. S. N. Wilkins, Funeral Director in charge.” END


Additional Comments:
Unknown newspaper, 1921. Copy of obituary clipping obtained from the Sequoia 
Genealogical Society, Tulare, California.

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/tulare/obits/b/balaam3628gob.txt

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