CEDAR COUNTY, NEBRASKA - ROWELL William ==================================================================== NEGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. This file was contributed for use in the NEGenWeb Archives by Carol Tramp. Permission granted by: Rob Dump, Editor, Cedar County News ====================================================================== Hartington Herald – 5-16-1928 WILLIAM ROWELL IS Called to Rest - civil war vet Old Pioneer and Civil War Veteran passes Away at the age of 83 years William Rowell, 83 years of age died at his home in St. James last Wednesday evening at 7:00 pm. Death being due to old age and a lingering illness of two years. Mr. Rowell was an old pioneer and settler of St. James coming to that place 58 years ago, where he homesteaded. Mr. Rowell was born on February 9th, 1845 in the state of Illinois. He came to St. James in his early 20’s and a short time later married Mrs. Josephine Barker, the wedding occurring in the St. James Church. Mr. Rowell was a civil war veteran having enlisted in the Illinois Infantry. For seven months during the war he served in Libby prison, famous after the war for the atrocities inflicted on northern soldiers. The prisoners were treated with cruelty and lived in filth and starvation until he was traded over. This beloved man was a pioneer mason of this territory, and he is thought to be the only mason here at that time. For two years he followed the butcher business, but as he was a mason by trade, he continued this work. Many a mile he traveled by horse and wagon to plaster a house or church, going as far as going Lawn Ridge, and he plastered the Bow Valley Church, sometimes going as far as Menominee, being absent from his home for a week at a time. Mr. and Mrs. Rowell remembered well the day of the Wiseman massacre, as they lived only three miles form the Wiseman home. Mr. Rowell was very prominent in politics and was one of the founders of the Peoples party in the county. On May 25, he and Mrs. Rowell would have celebrated their 53rd wedding anniversary. Mrs. Rowell is an unusually active woman of 84, and although frail, she has done all of her housework and the washing with which her husband assisted her many times. She had been ill for a number of years, but she is bearing up under the shock of her husband’s death. Mr. Rowell had two step-sons, Tom Barker living near Hartington and M.G. Barker of Morocco, Ind., who arrived a short time before his step-father’s death. A brother Sam who is living in North Dakota, also survives him. Funeral services were held Friday afternoon at 2:00 pm at the Methodist Church of Wynot. Rev. Steiner officiating and burial was Made in the Wynot Cemetery. Mr. and Mrs. Ed Soost of near Bloomfield, Mrs. Frank Kirkpatrick and Mr. and Mrs. Lisle Walt of near Coleridge were present at the funeral services.