Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Roe, Joseph November 24, 1880
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Marilyn Ransom mlnransom@chartermi.net July 15, 2010, 3:35 pm

The Portland Observer, Wednesday, December 1, 1880
Died – at his home in Portland, November 24th, 1880, Mr. Joseph Roe, aged 66 
years, 7 months and three days.  

Our people were startled about five o’clock last Wednesday afternoon by the 
report that Mr. Joseph Roe of this village had committed suicide by hanging 
himself in his barn.  The report proved to be true, and when a representative 
of the Observer arrived at the spot, the body had been carried into the house 
and life was pronounced extinct.

The particulars of the sad affair as we learn them are as follows:  The 
deceased had not been in a tranquil state of mind for some time, owing, it is 
said, to matters regarding his new store.  The forenoon of that day had been 
spent by Mr. Roe, his two sons, and A. F. Morehouse in talking over matters, 
and endeavoring to draw up papers for the transfer of the property to his son 
Frank.  Mr. Roe at times appeared very much agitated over the matter and at 
noon the papers had not been executed.  Mr. Morehouse said he would be back 
during the afternoon, but business detained him at his office until nearly 
dark.  He then left his office in company with Mr. Roe’s two sons, William and 
Frank, who had left their father’s earlier in the afternoon, and proceeded to 
the house.  On not finding Mr. Roe in, Frank inquired for his father, and Mrs. 
Roe said he went out to the barn to do the chores and had not returned.  Frank 
ran to the barn and returned a moment after, saying that his father had hung 
himself.  

A physician was sent for, and Mr. Morehouse and the two boys went to the barn, 
where they found Mr. Roe partially reclining on the barn floor with a slip-
noose around his neck and the rope hanging over a beam.  It is supposed that 
Mr. Roe placed the slip noose over his head, got up in the rear end of a wagon 
that was standing near, threw the rope over the beam, and taking hold of the 
loose end, jumped from the wagon, and in this way accomplished his object.  He 
was found in this position by Frank, when he entered the barn, and as he took 
hold of the body and attempted to raise it, the hands unclasped and he fell to 
the floor.  

Mr. Morehouse considered it unnecessary to summon a jury, as the circumstances 
pointed out plainly the manner of his death.  The cause is attributed to a 
deranged state of his mind brought on by worry and nervous excitement of the 
building and disposition of his store and he seems to have concluded that to 
end his existence would bring an end to all his troubles.  As is well known, 
Mr. Roe was in excellent circumstances, and had it not been for his trouble 
about his new building, doubtless all would have been well.

The deceased was 67 years of age at the time of his death.  He came to 
Michigan from Ohio in 1840, settling in Howell.  He removed from Howell to 
Ionia, and then back again to Howell, coming to Portland in 1843.  He first 
opened a tailor shop in this village, but afterwards removed on his farm three 
miles west of Portland.  For the past 15 years he has been a resident of this 
village, and has been engaged in loaning money and looking after his farm. He 
had the confidence of every one as an upright man in his deal, never failing 
to fulfill all his agreements promptly.  He leaves a wife and four grown up 
children, two sons and two daughters.  His funeral services took place at his 
late residence on Friday afternoon, Rev. T. B. Gregory officiating.



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