Obituary of H S Davis, Ford County, Illinois Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives Copyright 2000 Susan Larson Dies at Home in Piper City Was first man to reach scene of big railroad wreck H.S. Davis, 87, died at his home in Piper City, Illinois, Sunday night at about ten o'clock, Feb. 13, 1944. While he had been ill for some time, his death occurred suddenly as the result of a severe stroke. Funeral services were held on Wednesday afternoon at the Houk Funeral Home, conducted by the Rev. H. Welton Rotz, of the First Presbyterian Church. Music was furnished by Miss Kathryn Switzer pianist, and Mrs. R.E. Squires who sang, "The Old Rugged Cross," and "Sunrise Tomorrow." Burial took place in Brenton cemetery with John Gerdes, Ed Rebholz, Lou Grosenbach, C.E. Miller, John Shaughnessy and Homer Walters as casket bearers. F.T. Wilson and J.B. Eacret were in charge of floral tributes. Obituary Samuel Hiawatha, son of Joseph and Rebecca McKinsey Davis, was born January 4, 1857, in Salem, (Ross) Ohio. The family came to Illinois when he was nine months old, making the trip in a covered wagon, and settled on a farm three and one-half miles west of Piper City, which from that time until 1933, when he retired and moved to Piper City, was his home. He was united in marriage to Miss Jennie Linn, of Piper City, on January 29, 1896. She survives him, with one daughter, Mrs. J.J. (Hazel) Lyons, also of Piper City, and two-grandchildren, Eddie and Marilyn Lyons. He also leaves one sister, Miss Myra Davis, 89 years old, who resides at Edmond, Okalahoma. Three sisters and two brothers have prededed him in death. Mr. Davis had probably lived in the Piper City community continuously longer than any other resident, and his accounts of the pioneer days of the country were always interesting and in demand. When the family located on the farm west of here, which was purchased for nine dollars per acre, the town of Piper City did not exist; and Ford county had not been organized. There were no houses at Chatsworth, nor had the T.P. & W. Railroad been built east of Fairbury. The man who built the first Chatsworth house stayed at the Davis home, and the lumber from it and many of the Piper City homes was hauled by team from Onarga. From this stage in the history of the community, Mr. Davis watched and had a part in its development to the rich corn belt of the present time. He was a just and upright citizen and possessed those qualities which won for him the friendship of those with whom he came in contact. Mr. Davis is said to have been the first person to reach the scene of the famous Chatsworth wreck between Chatsworth and Piper City on the night of August 10, 1887, when so many people were killed and injured in a wreck of a Niagra Falls bound passenger train. His farm lies just a short distance east of the scene and he reached the wreck very soon afterward and assisted in the work of rescue that followed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb Archivist with proof of this consent. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Susan Larson