Berrien-Saint Joseph-Statewide County MI Archives Biographies.....McKie, James Lewis February 10, 1837 - April 1915
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David McKie mckie_07@hotmail.com November 16, 2008, 7:58 pm

Author: Unknown "The Acorn" April 15,1915

 Article first appeared in the weekly newspaper "The Acorn" on April 15,1915.
James Lewis McKie: Three Oaks, Michigan. 
Hon. James L. McKie was born near Natchez, Mississippi, February 10, 1837. He 
came to Michigan, November 17, 1854 and began his business career in Three 
Oaks, as a clerk in the store of Mr. Henry Chamberlain, May 23, 1855. Later he 
became a partner in the business and still later was a member of the firm of 
McKie and Warren. 
On September 30th., 1862, he was married to Miss Harriet M. Black, of 
Buchanan, Michigan, and to this union came seven children, four boys and three 
girls. 
In 1885-87, he was a member of the House of Representatives for this district 
and spent several months at Lansing with his family. 
On May 23rd., 1905, he celebrated his fiftieth business anniversary with 
appropriate exercises in his store. 
Two years ago last September he and Mrs. McKie celebrated their Golden Wedding 
Anniversary, and this year would have brought a 60th., business anniversary 
celebration. Mr. McKie became a member of the Congregational church on 
February 11, 1866 and since that date has always been a faithful member of the 
church and Sunday School. 
His quiet, courteous, honest Christian life and character will be felt in the 
community for many years to come. 
He leaves to mourn his loss: his wife, Mrs. J. L. McKie, three daughters, Mrs. 
T. A. Davis, Mrs. V.S. Phillips, Mrs. F. E. Ludtke, and a host of friends and 
acquaintances. 
Another of the pioneers of Three Oaks, has gone. To our village last Monday 
evening, April  5th, came the news that our beloved citizen, Hon. James L. 
McKie, had passed from this life to the life beyond. 
We shall miss him, his daily walk on our street, his quiet courage, and his 
presence in the life of the community. Yet the influence of his life is still 
with us, and we are reminded of that verse in Proverbs which seems so well to 
apply to our friend---"A Good name is rather to be chosen than great riches." 
The funeral services on Wednesday afternoon gave evidence of the respect and 
high esteem in which Mr. McKie was held in this community. All business was 
suspended. Factories, stores, schools, closed, and flags were flown at half 
mast and a great gathering of old friends and new acquaintances came to pay 
their tribute to the departed citizen. 
Flowers there were in profusion from many relatives and friends; from 
the "Woman's Missionary Society," from the "Old Reliables," Sunday School 
class and a beautiful set piece from the business men of Three Oaks. 
Friends from out of town came to pay their tribute to the friend of earlier 
days. Mr. Bremer, Mr. and Mrs. Boardman, Mr. and Mrs. Rehen, and Mrs. Wm. Rowe 
from Buchanan. 
Mr. Pearson of Carson Pirie Scott and Co., of Chicago, Mr. Paul M. 
Chamberlain, of Chicago, and many others. 
Rev. Hunt offered prayer, then made a few remarks in reference to his 
acquaintance and friendship with Mr. McKie. He stated that his acquaintance 
was of comparatively short duration, but during the time he had known him, he 
had received a very happy impression of him and would always consider- this 
acquaintance, one of the joys and pleasures of his life. He said, "he 
possessed one of the most virile keen, clear cut minds I have ever met." He 
called attention to his absolute honesty and to his strict attention to his 
church duty and spiritual life, especially referring to the two remarkable 
addresses he had made during the past year, one at a Church tea a year ago and 
another- on the occasion of the 56th anniversary of Mrs. Caroline 
Chamberlain's entrance into the Congregational church of Three Oaks. 
He spoke feelingly of his cheerful nature and to the remarkable heroism he had 
displayed during the closing months of this earthly experiences; then to his 
pioneer life, to the grave responsibilities which rested upon the pioneers and 
with those who were identified with the community in its formative stages, 
especially in reference to the moral religious and business life of the 
community and the effect the pioneers had upon same. 
In closing he stated he thought Three Oaks owed more to Mr. McKie and Men of 
his stamp than could ever be estimated. 
Mr. E. K. Warren paid many tributes to the character of his friend of 57 years 
standing, and spoke as follows: 
If a stranger was to enter our little town this afternoon  not knowing 
anything in reference to its history, or its present condition, he would find 
himself in the midst of thoughtful, quiet citizens, wherever he might meet 
them. The streets show no activity, the flag in the park is at half mast, the 
public schools are closed, the business houses, manufacturing plant and 
offices are closed, and everywhere a thoughtful, earnest impression would be 
conveyed to any person who entered our village. This is no ordinary day for 
Three Oaks. It is a day in which we can all well purpose in our minds to 
remember and to tell our children, and our children's children. 
As our pastor has well said  the responsibilities that come to the pioneer in 
any locality are very much wider in their influences than we can conceive of. 
Our friend, your friend and mine, Mr. James L. McKie, is the last of the three 
great business, political  and religious pioneers of Three Oaks and its 
vicinity. 
Mr. Henry Chamberlain, Mr. William Chamberlain and Mr. James L. McKie were 
pioneers who it has been your joy and mine, your pleasure and mine, to 
recognize and honor for these many years, and I want to state in the opening 
of my remarks that the things that I shall say are the things that I am sure 
you want to say, and I am in a measure speaking for you of our friendship and 
respect for him. 
These three men had much to do with the forming of the character of Three 
Oaks. 
For 50 long years they held that place and position in this community. 
They were all of them products of a wonderful school of education; to my mind 
stronger and better than any Business College in these modern days; they were 
each the product of the Old New England country merchant, and country store. 
Mr. Henry Chamberlain, with his partner, Mr. Ames, began business in this 
village at a very early date, 1854. Mr. Ames only lived a few months after the 
partnership was started and after a short period he was succeeded by Mr. 
Samuel Chamberlain, as Mr. Henry Chamberlain's partner. 
I have had many visits this winter and spring and especially the last few days 
with our friend, Mr. McKie. Last Saturday afternoon we were talking of the 
very early days of the country and among other things, I asked him how he 
happened to enter the employ of Mr. Chamberlain and become his clerk. I 
said, "Did you ask for a position?" He said, "No, I did not." He said, "Mr. 
Chamberlain had met my mother and in talking  to me about it he said your 
mother appears to me like an honest woman and I think I would like to have you 
as my clerk." He was glad indeed to pay his mother this tribute after all 
these years. 
His clerkship began May 23, 1854, in the building that has been known as 
the "Woodland Hotel," for many years. 
He went over, little by little, the early settlers as they first came into 
this country. His father came from a town in Illinois, Bond County, 50 miles 
or such a matter from St. Louis. They came by wagon to New Buffalo, then by 
the New Buffalo road out to Mr. Moses Chamberlain's farm. (The place which Mr. 
McGawn now owns.) They stayed there over night. It was all woods, all the way 
from Spring Creek north, except a few little cleared places. From this place 
they walked north through the woods to Three Oaks. 
He mentioned several of the old families who were in the little settlement 
among them, many of the families whose names now are only a memory. 
By the way, if we have any doubt, "that the places that now know us, will know 
us no more," for just a moment think over the names of those early settlers 
that you first heard in your childhood. Many of them have sons and daughters 
and grandchildren in this room and many of them are far removed from Three 
Oaks, who lived here in the pioneer days, but who would be glad to be with us 
today to pay tribute to our friend. 
In those days, Avery was the leading village, or active force, in lumber, 
logs, staves, heading and wood, and Spring Creed, the intellectual center of 
this whole community, the oldest school center. That was the situation 60 
years ago. 
Our friend always did business in his quiet way and was always interested in 
the political and religious life of the Village. We all knew him; your fathers 
and mothers, and your grandchildren were all customers of his. In this house 
today are some men who . have been customers of his for fifty years or more. 
Also, representatives of wholesale houses from whom he has purchased goods for 
fifty years, and we are all here to pay our respects and to honor our friend. 
We have all known he was in poor health. For more than a year it has been 
gradually growing harder for him to attend to his duties, but with his usual 
quietness, not a word, not a murmur, he has gone about. When I have been with 
him he has been constantly cheerful, he was always glad that things were as 
well as they were and if you would know of the last few days and the last few 
hours I would say that he inquired three or four weeks ago if I thought they 
would receive him at the Battle Creek Sanitarium and give him attention and 
examination, and I said, "Certainly," and then I said, "If you want me to go I 
will go with you any time you can make it convenient," so he has been there. 
He has been anxious for relief that possibly might come from the treatments 
received there; he was glad that he went, and hoped that there might be 
something done that would help him and then when all was quiet the other 
evening he just slipped away, passed without any pains in connection with the 
passing. 
Now then, this life has been lived. It comes very close to us. It is a great 
thing for any village or community to have such a citizen as we have had in 
Mr. McKie, and the very things that he gave to us in our contacts, and 
dealings with him, ought to help us look forward to the life that is to come.  
A life that is ahead of us all--very soon. Somebody recently called it 
a, "Journey of Adventure." 
Such strong faith as our friend has always had, recalls to our memory that he 
was connected with this church for 47 years, and as the pastor has said, 
during all these years, he was an interested and earnest member.
 Dr. Meyer, of London, at one of our conventions, said, in reference to one 
going over to the other side, "Jesus is the Shepherd of the Sheep," and he 
said, "There is one Flock and one Shepherd." 
Just think of a valley with a river running through it. The Shepherd leads the 
flock down the slope, and is the first to pass through the river. The sheep 
follow and ascend the hill on the other side, but those left behind still 
follow his leading and must pass through the river, but it is ONE FLOCK and 
ONE SHEPHERD on both sides of the river. We are all going down the decline and 
becoming fitted to go forward into the spiritual world, and by faith we can 
see them following the Savior up the Heavenly Heights; 
I have been reading something recently that I want you to read, "The Gospel of 
John." Read it thoughtfully, read it slowly, think it over as you read and 
when you come to the 31st verse of the 20th chapter, it will be something like 
this: These are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the 
Son of God, and that believing, ye might have life through His name." I know 
of nothing better than the Gospel of John to help us into an assurance of the 
faith that will make this life far  more comfortable and better, and just take 
away all fear and give us an earnest, quiet looking forward, to the finish of 
the journey on the other side, where we all have so many friends and where we 
will all be delighted again to take up the real life that is for us, 
On behalf of all those who have been friends of Mr. McKie and his family, I 
want to express the appreciation of the life that he has lived in our 
community and want his family to understand that we want to show by our 
presence here, our sympathy, respect and honor for his name. A close personal 
friend of mine for 56 years, a business associate for 14 years, neighbor and 
personal friend, always, the four of us--Mrs. Warren, Mr. and Mrs. McKie and 
myself--have known each other for the whole of the 56 years and it was really 
a pleasant experience for us all to spend the last few days together. This 
then is a day of rejoicing, a day of quiet home going for our friend; all I 
need to do is to look forward until a few months, or years, have passed and we 
shall cross to the other side. Let us then lay strong hold, by faith, of the 
things that are beyond the vale, giving more attention to the value of the 
things that are unseen, and less thought and attention to the things that are 
seen. I want to say, before closing, that Mr. McKie was born in Mississippi 
and his boyhood memories were in connection with the colored race, and it has 
always been a pleasure, to him, to hear the songs and melodies of the colored 
people, especially their religious songs. The closing number this afternoon 
will be one of his favorites. 
Mrs. J. H. Holden and daughters, Mrs. Moran and Mrs. Snyder, had charge of the 
music for the service, and sang two of Mr. McKie's favorite songs--
Tennyson's "Crossing the Bar," and the old Negro melody, "Old Black Joe." This 
latter was perhaps Mr. McKie's favorite of all music and very touching did it 
become, with the feeling and expression put into the singing of it that 
afternoon. 
The honorary, pall bearers were old time friends of Mr. McKie: E. K. Warren, 
H. O. Crosby, Alec Watson, George L. Stevens, Abial Copeland and N. B, Easton. 
Friends of later' years: J. H. Holden, C. D. Warren, Dr. Helkie, Morris 
McGawn, D. H. Beeson, and Wm. Wright, were active pall bearers. 
A long procession of 31 automobiles conveyed many relatives and friends to 
Forest Lawn Cemetery, where interment was made and the last brief rites 
performed. 
Chicago, April 10, 1915 
The passing of our friend, James L. McKie, brings to our minds, in high light, 
his characteristics as a man. The close ties between Mr. and Mrs. McKie and my 
parents made my childhood relations to them as intimate as blood kinship could 
have done. Mr. McKie's quiet, methodical attention to his business and 
axiomatic integrity was often presented to me for an ideal to live up to, and 
has been an influence in my life. As the years have rolled away, and the 
meetings with him became of infrequent occurrence, my mind naturally compared 
his striking characteristics with other men who possessed in some considerable 
degree similar traits. In all my acquaintance there has been none who so fully 
deserved the name philosopher  as did our departed friend. Would that Gray in 
his immortal elegy had supplied us with an epitome of a philosopher as he did 
of the poet and soldier in, "Some mute, inglorious Milton here may rest, some 
Cromwell guiltless of his country's blood." Mr. McKie had a mind of rare 
quality, it needed no spur of emulation to keep it at work. The most profound 
essay or the garrulous talk of a man sunning himself on a dry goods box, 
brought food to his analytic philosophy. While he was a great reader, it was 
contemplation of what he read, which made him appreciative of truths, great 
and small. Incidents for rejoicing and incidents heart rending did not upset 
his equanimity, he was able to bring his philosophy to bear on any event, past 
or present, with a calm appreciation of the forces at work and accept them as 
inevitable. 
His dry humor was a delight never to be forgotten, and while his critical 
analyses were superb, they never left the least note of bitterness. His 
influence, like that of the, "still small voice," is one that shall live and 
be found on the side of just, fair, sane, 

unemotional and rational living. signed, Paul Chamberlain 
We desire to thank all who so willingly gave the use of their automobiles and 
all who sent flowers and in any way rendered services to us in our 
bereavement. 
signed, Mrs. J. L. McKie and family. 

James Lewis McKie Burial: Forest Lawn Cemetery, Three Oaks Twp. MI




Additional Comments:
Article first appeared in the weekly newspaper "The Acorn" on April 15,1915

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