Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Crippen, George N. 1900
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Marilyn Ransom mlnransom@chartermi.net September 19, 2010, 2:58 pm

The Belding Banner, Thursday, April 19, 1900


It is impossible for words to describe what a feeling of sadness and gloom 
pervaded the entire city last Friday afternoon as the word flew from mouth to 
mouth that all hope had been abandoned by the attending physicians and Geo. 
Crippen’s life was measured by a few brief hours.  Seldom if ever was a more 
heroic and determined struggle made to stay the progress of disease and 
restore him in health to his friends but all unavailing.  The physicians state 
that he was doomed from the time he was taken with the final attack.  

Friday morning Mr. Geo. P. Richardson arrived from Chicago bringing with him a 
celebrated surgeon from that city, Dr. G. P. Marquis, and he with Drs. Graves 
and Hilliker, of Grand Rapids and Dr. Ferguson, of this city, who was the 
faithful attending physician in the case, proceeded to perform another 
operation.  They found that the bowels were absolutely dead, there being no 
life in them, which rendered them powerless.  Friday afternoon he began to 
fail rapidly and death came to his relief at about 9:30 that evening.  His 
suffering and pain during the period of a little less than a week, during 
which his sickness lasted, was of extreme severity and death brought a calm, 
peaceful rest in which respect it was welcome.

The funeral services were held from the residence Sunday afternoon at 2 
o’clock and were largely attended.  It was under the auspices of the F. & A. 
M. lodge of which he was an honored member and the members of the order and 
also the ladies of the Eastern Star lodge attended in a body.  The services 
were conducted by Rev. J. J. Staley, Rev. R. A. McConnell and Rev. G. Quick.  
The pall bearers were Guy Weter, W. B. Reed, W. P. Hetherington, Walter Meach, 
E. E. Fales and T. Frank Ireland.  He was tenderly laid at rest in the 
Riverridge cemetery, and although the grass may grow green over the grave it 
will not be more so than his memory in the heart of his friends.  The flowers 
with which the casket was laden were very beautiful and were the last tribute 
possible from friends.

Geo. N. Crippen was born in Fond du Lac, Wis., Nov. 12th, 1858 and was 
accordingly 41 years of age.  His father and mother are both yet alive and 
residents of that city but are in quite feeble health.  He also has a brother 
there who has been an invalid for about six years, and one sister.  Another 
brother and sister reside in the state of Washington. It was one of the sad 
features of the funeral that on account of the poor health and distance at 
which they reside none of the relatives of either Mr. or Mrs. Crippen were 
able to be present.  But there was no lack of friends to extend sympathy and 
do all that friends possibly could do.

In 1879 Mr. Crippen went to Rockville, Conn. and began learning the trade of 
dyer in Belding Bros. & Co.’s silk mill.  Upon the establishment of the 
Richardson silk mill in Belding he was chosen to take charge of that 
department of the business and came here thirteen years ago this month.  He 
seemed to be gifted with exceptional ability in his chosen vocation and his 
death means a loss to the company whom he had served that is almost 
irrepairable.

He was a first class citizen, a beloved friend and neighbor, but to his own 
family the blow will be heaviest, and the fond wife and three sons will indeed 
miss the kind, true and affectionate husband and father to guard, guide and 
shield them.


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