Whiteside-Ogle County IL Archives Obituaries.....Phelps, Alonzo E. October 13, 1910
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Peggy McLaughlin http://www.rootsweb.com/~archreg/vols/00013.html#0003159 July 10, 2006, 12:45 am

STERLING EVENING GAZETTE, Thursday, Oct. 13, 1910 and Friday, Oct. 14, 1910
"Found Dead on Floor in Market" (Oct. 13, 1910)

A. E. Phelps, one of the oldest market men in city, is stricken.

"Was Found by Customer"

Undoubtedly was the result of a defective heart -- health has not been good for 
some time.

The dead body of Alonzo E. Phelps was found this afternoon at 3 o'clock in 
Jaquet's Meat Market near the corner of East Sixth Street and Broadway.  It is 
evident that Mr. Phelps had been dead for some time.  When the discovery was 
made, the residents in that vicinity were quickly notified and doctors 
summoned, but life had been extinct for some time.

The dead body of Mr. Phelps was found by Mrs. Calligan, who resides on Locust 
Street.  She went to the butcher shop of Jaquet Brothers and as she entered the 
shop, she was surprised and startled to find the body of Mr. Phelps on the 
floor dead.

An inquest over the remains will be held, probably this evening, and in the 
absence of Coroner C. M. Frye in Chicago, one of the justices of the peace 
here, probably I. L. Weaver, will hold the inquest.

Mr. Phelps is a veteran butcher.  He has lived in this city for many years and 
at the time of his death he was probably one of the oldest meat cutters in 
Sterling.  For a number of years, he operated a meat market and probably cut 
more meat than any other market man in Sterling.  For the past few years he was 
employed by Mr. Jaquet.

He is survived by a wife and five children.  He resided at 321 West Fourth 
Street.

"Due to Heart Failure -- Official Inquiry into Cause of Death of A. E. Phelps" 
(Oct. 14, 1910)

Jury's verdict is that cause of death was due to natural causes and was almost 
instant.

The official inquiry into the cause of the death of Alonzo E. Phelps was held 
last evening and was conducted by Justice of the Peace I. L. Weaver in the 
absence of the coroner.  The jury, after taking testimony, reported that Mr. 
Phelps came to his death as the result of heart failure.

The body of Mr. Phelps was discovered by Mrs. Minnie Callahan, who resides on 
First Avenue.  When she opened the door of the market, she saw the body on the 
floor and she quickly summoned neighbors.  An examination showed that Mr. 
Phelps had been sitting on a chair and was seized with failure of the heart and 
fell from the chair to the floor.  The floor was covered with saw dust and was 
undisturbed.  His glasses were adjusted to his nose and had evidently not been 
moved.  His hat was found on the floor.

Dr. Maxwell, who was summoned to examine him, stated that it was apparent that 
he had died of heart trouble.  He stated that he had been treating Mr. Phelps 
for the past five years for heart trouble.  The doctor stated that he had made 
an examination of the floor and it was his opinion that the man died without a 
struggle.  W. S. Stocking, who was the fist man to make his appearance at the 
market after the body was discovered, also stated that he examined the floor 
and found that nothing had been disturbed.

Benjamin Jaquet states that he had a talk with Mr. Phelps about two hours 
before the body was found.  Mr. Phelps seemed alright at that time.

Mr. Phelps complained of being ill and that his heart was troubling him.

The funeral services over the remains of Alonzo E. Phelps will be held Saturday 
afternoon at 4:30 o'clock at the family home, 321 West Fourth Street, and will 
be conducted by Rev. A. C. Geyer, Pastor of the Fourth Street Methodist 
Church.  The remains will then be taken to Oregon, to the home of his sister 
Mrs. Samuel [Margaret Victoria] Roat, where services will be held Sunday 
afternoon at 2 o'clock.  The remains will be interred in Riverside Cemetery of 
Oregon, beside those of his father.

Alonzo E. Phelps was a member of the Phelps family that founded the now 
historic city of Oregon on the Rock River in the early part of the 19th 
century.  Mr. Phelps was born in Oregon on Apr. 19, 1847, where he remained 
until 25 year of age, and since that time has resided here with the exception 
of a few years spent in Missouri.

Mr. Phelps was married to Miss Annie Lyman in this city on May 20, 1879, and to 
this union eight children were born, three having passed away.  The surviving 
children are Mrs. Addie Eastman of Rockford and Miss Vernie at home, George W., 
John and Alonzo, who also reside in Sterling.  He is also survived by his wife 
and two sisters, Mrs. Samuel Roat and Mrs. Charles [America Delana] Reynolds of 
Oregon.

Mr. Phelps at the time of his death was the pioneer meat cutter of this city 
and had worked continuously at the trade for 42 years.  He probably worked in 
and established the majority of the meat markets in this city.

Mr. Phelps was a member of the Fourth Street Methodist Church and of the 
Sterling Woodmen.  He was well known in this city and vicinity and had many 
friends in Oregon.  Mr. Phelps was industrious and a hard working citizen.  He 
raised a splendid family of boys and girls, and was a wise and loving husband, 
a good father and an affectionate brother. His sudden death which occurred 
Thursday afternoon at 3 o'clock has been a severe shock to the family and they 
have the sincere sympathy of the community in their hour of bereavement.


Additional Comments:
The town baseball team in Sterling canceled its game out of respect for Alonzo 
Phelps' funeral.  He was buried in Riverside Cemetery in Oregon, Illinois near 
his father George Washington Phelps.  His grandson Lloyd Phelps said the plot 
where Alonzo was actually buried says "Phelps-Roat" and on it are the names of 
Margaret [Roat] (1846-1905) and her twin sons Fred (1867-1913) and George (1867-
1942).

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