Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Dinsmore, John B. March 17, 1898 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Patricia Currigan currigan1932@concast.net April 12, 2024, 11:22 am Portland Library Scrapbook - March 1898 T'WAS UNEXPECTED John B. Dinsmore had no Warning of Death's Approach A WELL KNOW CITIZEN AND BUSINESS MAN MARCH 22, 1898 Born in Portland Fifty-six Years Ago John B. Dinsmore's little shoe store on Bridge street was not opened Saturday morning. The proprietor, who had closed the place as usual Friday night, was lying dead at his home on Smith street.It was another sudden summons-the taking off of a prominent citizen so abruptly that people could scarce believe the first reports. Mr.Dinsmore arose, Saturday morning apparently in his usual health.He did the chores around the house and had brought in a scuttle of coal.When he attempted to lift it to the stove he seemed to have been seized with a fainting spell and sank into a chair.His wife was quickly at this side and seeing his condition she at once sent for physicians, using hot water remedies in the meantime.Neighbors were notified and Asa Newman, R.P.Baldwin and Frank Chalker helped the stricken man to his bed.He gasped a few times and was dead before the arrival of Dr.Allen. Dr.Alton came a few moments later.Neuralgia of the heart was given as the cause. Friday night Mr. Dinsmore was taken with a spell in his store. He was not known to have suffered from heart trouble but on this occasion complained of a pain near the heart and a feeling as of suffocation. It soon passed off. Mr.Dinsmore was prominently identified with the universalist church and for years had been a member of the choir.Of late years he had been an active worker in the prohibition party, his name being on the ticket several times.When the silver question became an issue he identified himself with the silver party.He was one of those who were willing to look into the merits of new isms that he might pass upon them in the light of his own observations and had taken some interest in Spiritualism. He witnessed a seance recently and gave out a day or so after that he had done with manifestations which were made in the dark. He did not condemn the higher tenets of the faith but would not countenance what he believed to be a fraud. For several years he was engaged in the harness business at the stand now owned by Lewis Wilhelm. After his retirement he opened a shoe store at the old postoffice building, Bridge and Maple street, and had built up a paying business. Most of his years were spent in farming, near the homestead, south of town. All of Mr. Dinsmore's life had been spent in Portland.He was the son of Wm. Dinsmore, who served as supervisor of the township for many years.The elder Dinsmore was a shoemaker and farmer, owing 100 acres on the section of ____. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ionia/obits/d/dinsmore47538nob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/mifiles/ File size: 3.3 Kb