OBITUARY: John Sweatt, 1827-1902, Mitchell Co., Iowa



                           Mr. John Sweatt
                              1827-1902

Another one of our old settlers has passed quietly away, one whom I wrote
up among the Fifties, Nov. 15, 1900.  Mr. Sweatt was a native of Vermont,
having been born April 15, 1827, at the old town of Thetford.  In an
academy in that old town Mr. Sweatt spent some of his early days.  At the
age of twenty-two he joined the great throng that pressed to California
in search of gold.  After remaining there two years he returned to Vermont,
but he soon left his native state and came to Cooksville, Wis., where for
a few years he and the late Mr. John Chambers had a store.

In 1855 Mr. Sweatt was married to Miss Cordelia Woodard, with whom he
came immediately to West Mitchell, Ia.  There he started the first store
in Mitchell county.  He continued in business for some years with his
brother, the late Mr. Charles Sweatt.  Later he sold his interest in the
store to his brother William, now living in Riverside, California.

Mr. Sweatt has been a resident of West Mitchell and Mitchell since then,
though he has been to California four times, and passed one or two winters
in that state.

Mrs. Cordelia Sweatt died in 1881.  She was highly esteemed as a beautiful
Christian woman.  In 1884 Mr. Sweatt was married to Mrs. Emma Stockell
who died in 1893.  Both of the Mrs. Sweatt's were consistent and helpful
members of the Baptist church in West Mitchell.

Five years ago Mr. Sweatt began to decline, suffering from epilepsy;
that disease caused his death, Sunday afternoon at four o'clock, Jan.
12, 1902.

The writer has passed many pleasant hours in the hospitable homes of
Mr. Sweatt.  Mr. Sweatt, with Mr. John Chambers and Mr. John English,
both of whom have passed away, were active businessmen in the early
founding of our county, men of ability and business integrity.  Of the
members of Mr. Sweatt's boyhood home in Vermont three remain:  Mr.
Fred Sweatt of Fargo, North Dakota, Mr. Wm. Sweatt and Mrs. L. S. Frasy
both of Riverside, Cal.  Three are gone and three are living.

Mr. Sweatt left one son by his first marriage, Mr. Charles Sweatt, well
known and highly esteemed in both Mitchell and Osage, who for months past
has given his father tenderest care, leaving his wife and two little sons
in California to come and minister to his aged parent.

The Reverend Jay A. Laphrm had charge of the funeral services, assisted
by Rev. M. Green of Mitchell, and Rev. D. I. Coon of Osage.  The text of
the sermon was Job 14:14, "If a man die shall he live?"  Mr. Fred Sweatt
of Fargo, and Mr. Charles Sweatt of Minneapolis, a cousin, were present.
A very large audience from Mitchell, West Mitchell, Osage and Rock were
present to pay their last respects to one of our oldest settlers.  At the
cemetery the Modern Woodmen, of which order Mr. Sweatt was a member, had
charge of the burial.

          Osage News
          January 1902



Transcribed by Kathy Pike
September 2, 2003 

Copyright 2003, Kathy McAlister Pike