JAMES WILLIAM MCEWEN
KITTITAS CO., WASHINGTON

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Contributed by:  Shelli Steedman 4/20/2007


JAMES W. MCEWEN PIONEER IS DEAD.  CAME TO THE KITTITAS VALLEY IN 1871.
HEALTH HAD BEEN FAILING FAST FOR TEN MONTHS AND WAS CONFINED TO ROOM 4
MONTHS.   James William McEwen, pioneer of the valley died yesterday [July
15, 1915] afternoon from leakage of the heart.  He was born October 24, 1853
at Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa.  As a child his heath was very poor and
the physician advised the father to bring him to the west, which he did when
William was a lad of only six years, crossing the Sound country in the fall
of '59, where they lived until '71, when with his father he came to this
valley, where he has since resided.

January 3, 1884, Mr. McEwen married Miss Sarah Agnes Banister and located on
their farm four miles east of Ellensburg where they lived for twenty years
when they moved to Ellensburg.  Four children have blessed this union, Mary
Ellen [Mamie] and Leslie who both died in infancy and Cora and Martha who
have grown to young womanhood in this city.

Twelve years ago Mr. McEwen was converted and united with the local Baptist
Church under the ministry of Pastor Willis E. Petticone, and has for much of
the time has been a member of the official church board.  His health has been
fast failing since September of last year and for more than four months he
has been confined to his room and much of the time to his bed.  Though he
himself said he was feeling much better, the end came very suddenly July 15,
at 3:45 p.m.  Several members of the family were notified of the change of
his condition, but so severe was the attack of suffocation, that he passed
away before any of them could get there.

Of his immediate family he leaves a wife and two daughters, Cora Belle and
Martha Amelia; also three sisters, Mrs. J. Ferguson of four miles east of
this city, Mrs. A. L. Wheeler of Kittitas and Mrs. Wilford Gore of this city;
also one brother, Harvey McEwen of Toppenish, Wash.  Besides those there is a
number of near relatives with a host of acquaintances and friends to mourn
his departure.

Funeral services under the direction of M. L. Bridgham will be held from the
Baptist Church, Sunday at 2:30 p.m.,  Pastor Yager preaching the sermon and
the interment will be in the IOOF Cemetery.


FUNERAL NOTICE, July 22, 1915:

After an illness extending over several months, James William McEwen died at
his home here and was buried from the Baptist Church Sunday afternoon, the
funeral being one of the largest seen in the city in a long time.  Having
come here with his father in 1871, Mr. McEwen was really a pioneer and as
"Billy" he was known to all old timers and many others.  He owned a farm east
of town but had lived here for several years.  Besides a wife he leaves two
daughters, Misses Martha and Cora, Mrs. Wheeler, Mrs. Ferguson and Mrs. Gore
are sisters.  He was 62 years old and had a wide circle of friends.