Obituary of Peter Wallace - Iroquois County, Illinois


Ashkum Journal, after 14 Mar 1922

            PETER WALLACE DIED SATURDAY

  Another of the pioneer residents od Ashkum passed away Saturday, March
11, 1922, when the death of Mr. Peter Wallace occurred, at the age of
nearly seventy nine years.
  Peter, son of Thomas and Esther Wallace, was born at New Bedford,
Province of Quebec, Canada, June 29, 1843. When he was but one year old
his parents moved to Troy New York, remaining there four years. In 1848
they came west, making the trip by boat, via the Great Lakes, and
settled at Joliet, Ill. Here the subject of this sketch grew to young
manhood.
  In 1868 he came to Ashkum and settled upon his brother's farm,
southeast of town. The next year in 1869, in April, he returned to
Joliet, where he married Miss Mary Donovan. He brot his bride to the
prairie home and they continued to reside on this one farm for 40 years.
  To Mr. and Mrs. Wallace were born seven children, one of which died in
infancy. The other six children, Peter of Pekin, Harry of Colorado,
Thomas of Canada, Mrs. George Merkle of Claypool, Indiana, Caroline of
Chicago, and Mrs. Chris Merkle of Danforth, who with their mother
survive him. In 1907 Me. and Mrs. Wallace left the farm and moved into a
home in Ashkum where they have since resided.
  Since leaving the farm he has never been strong and about one year ago
his heart began to fail. Last November he rapidly grew worse and the
past six weeks he has been bedfast. Diabetis was the cause of his death.
  Being such an early settler in Illinois, Mr. Wallace possessed a large
number of facts of interest, concerning the days, especially his boyhood
days, spent in and near Joliet. He loved to tell of those days and
entertained many persons with his reminiscences. He would often tell of
the great changes from the time he came here in 1868, until the present
time, changes which such hard working pioneers help to bring about,
which made this country of such value today. All honor to those sturdy
men who labored and sacrificed that the present generation might enjoy
such blessings and comforts as we now have.
  Funeral services were held at the Catholic Church, of which he had
always been a faithful member, Tuesday, March 14, conducted by Fr.
Rimmels. His pall bearers were all old friends and neighbors, Thos.
Fruin, Jules Lemenager, Fred Tascher, W. P. Burns, Fred Irvin, W.
Cleary. Burial was in the Ashkum cemetery.
  Those from a distance attending the funeral besides his children were,
Mr. Tim Donovan of Cherokee, Iowa, Dr. T. B. Wallace and wife of
Chicago.
  The Journal with many other friends extend their sincere sympathy to
the family of the death of their husband and father.


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last updated 11 November 1997