Obituary: Green County, Wisconsin: W. W. MCLAUGHLIN ************************************************************************ Submitted by Ruth Ann Montgomery, May 2005 © All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ************************************************************************ W. W. McLaughlin Mr. J. W. Hazeltine, of Brooklyn, has handed us a copy of the Monroe Sentinel, containing an account of the death of Mr. W. W. McLaughlin, together with a brief sketch of his life. Mr. McLaughlin died in April last, but this brief sketch of his life will be none the less interesting to many of the old settlers here, who were co-laborers with the deceased, and knew him well while he was a resident of Brooklyn. Another of Green County's early settlers is gone. W. W. McLaughlin, died at his residence in the town of Brooklyn on the 3rd day of April 1877, after an illness of about three weeks, of heart disease. His funeral was attended at his home on Thursday, the 5th inst. An immense concourse of the people of his town and the surrounding country being present on the occasion. The funeral services were conducted by Revs. Aspinwall and Sturgess. The sermon delivered by Mr. Aspinwall from the words, "I have fought the good fight; I have finished my course, etc.," after which the following sketch prepared by J. W. Hazeltine, was ready by Hon. E. W. Dwight: SKETCH BY J. W. HAZELTINE W. W. McLaughlin was born near Urbana, Ohio, in the year 1807. Was converted and joined the M. E. Church when about 16 years of age. Was married to Miss Sarah Robinson in 1830, came to La Porte County, Ind., in 1836, and was married the second time in May 1838, to Miss Emeline Hazeltine. He came to Wisconsin in the fall of 1842, and at the urgent solicitation of the writer; settled on the land occupied by him up to the time of his death, April 2d, 1877. The winter of 1842-43, is known to all the early settlers of Wisconsin as the hard winter. About the first of November this year, 1842, he moved into his first log cabin, and on the 6th of November winter set in in good earnest, with six inches of snow, the snow continuing till the 23d day of April the next spring. During this long and severe winter he struggled with great difficulties and hardships, drawing straw fifteen miles, and out of a stock of 34 head of cattle had but a few left; and an extire flock of sheep disappeared before spring came. Such hardships as he endured during this long winter would now appall the stoutest heart. During the winter, or the next spring, the first Methodist class was formed in this neighborhood, and Mr. W. W. McLaughlin was its leader for many years. As the years passed on, the time came that tried men's souls, the great War of the Rebellion. In this he was most active and efficient in raising men to avoid drafts on the town for soldiers. He was twice elected to the Legislature from the Northern Assembly district in this county. Has been chairman of the town board many years, and has assessed the town of Brooklyn 12 or 13 times. In all these trusts he was never known to make an unjust charge, or to have in the least degree, betrayed the confidence reposed in him by the public. He was so disinterested and unselfish that he was much more apt to wrong himself than others. He was too unselfish to succeed in acquiring great wealth in this world, but his riches were laid up out of sight of human vision. If the Christian theory of treasurers laid up in Heaven be correct, we think he is almost infinitely rich; more than a millionaire in Heaven's dollars. Only last Monday morning he called the writer of this to his side. He said he was about to depart, was going to leave us; said he would be glad to depart, to lay his weary, worn body down to its long rest. Such a sight is seldom the lot or mortals to witness. reprinted in the Evansville Review, July 11, 1877, p. 3, col. 4, Evansville, Wisconsin