Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Jennings, James Charles December 1, 1895 ************************************************ 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: Nan Wheaton wheaton1624@yahoo.com May 9, 2017, 9:30 pm Ionia Sentinel - thursday, Dec. 5, 1895 James Charles Jennings, son of the late James L. Jennings, and well-known as a prominent Grand Army man died very suddenly at his home in this city between seven and eight o'clock Sunday evening. Mr. Jennings' health had not been good for years, and he was drawing a pension for disability incurred in the service, but he had no premonition that the end was no near and was in his usual health and spirits yesterday. In the morning he and Mrs. Jennings attended communion service at the M. E. church. In the afternoon they spent some time calling at a neighbor's and he joined in the conversation and even in the singing, and was apparently feeling as well as ever or as any of them. If he was not he gave no sign. Returning to their home he proposed going to church again but they decided not to go and retired a little after seven o'clock. In a few minutes after he fell asleep Mrs. Jennings noticed that he was breathing very heavily and tried to arouse him. Failing in this she went to an adjoining room and called their son, but by the time they reached the bedside he had breathed his last. Dr. Defendorf was called and he pronounced the cause of death apoplexy. James C., or "Charley" Jennings as he was best known, was born in Genesee county, New Your, September 17, 1839, and came to Ionia with his parents. In 1861 he enlisted in the First Michigan cavalry and served in Company "F" of that regiment three years. In 1865 he was married to Miss Mary Bell, second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A. F. Bell, who with three sons survives him. "Charley" Jennings was a big-hearted, generous, man whose death will be mush regretted, especially among the members of the Grand Army of the Republic of which he was a loyal and honored member. His death undoubtedly is a result of the hardships and exposures he underwent when serving under the old flag. Broken health is the legacy that was left to many of those old veteran and those who were intimate with the deceased knew that he was ailing for years and that as a matter of fact, he never saw a well day. He was of a very sensitive disposition and shrank from the ordeal of having to prove his right to draw a beggarly pension from the government which he sacrificed his health to save. The funeral services for the late James C. Jennings, were held at 2 o'clock p. m. Tuesday, from the residence on Lafayette street, there being a large attendance, 65 members of Wm. H. Borden post No. 211 G. A. R., attending in a body. The remarks were by Rev. D F. Barnes, D.D., who spoke in highest terms of deceased, and in sympathy for the relatives and family. Dr. J.I. Buell assisted in the services and appropriate and beautiful music was furnished by Miss Laura Thompkins and Howard Moore. After the services the remains were interred in Highland Park cemetery. The remains were carried to their last and peaceful resting place by comrades Thomas Keyes, C. A. Cornell, W. S. Sanderson, J. Lee Fowie, J. M. Hathaway, and J. M. Fink. Nearly all the members of the post went to the cemetery and G. A. R. services was used at the grave. L. H. Jennings, of Chicago, brother of deceased, arrived Monday morning to attend the funeral. Additional Comments: Age: 56 Funeral: Tuesday, 3 December 1895 Highland Park cemetery #11-13 Co. F 1st Mi. Cav. b. 17 Sept. 1839 , Genesee Co, NY son of James L. Jennings & Fanny (Smith) married Mary (Bell) 1865 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ionia/obits/j/jennings6164gob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mifiles/ File size: 4.0 Kb