Obituary: Marquette County, Wisconsin: Alma CARPENTER ************************************************************************ Submitted by Joan Benner, April 2008 © All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ************************************************************************ From the Central Union [Westfield, Marquette County, Wisconsin], February 17, 1922 Alma Carpenter passed out of this life Thursday morning, February 9, 1922, at his home in this village. His passing marks the rmeoval of one of our oldest and best known citizens, his having been a resident of Westfield for the past forty years. Alma Carpenter was born in Villanova, Chautauqua County, New York, October 15, 1834. He was the oldest son of William and Nancy (Dodge) Carpenter and was the second child of a family of seven children, two of whom are living: Mrs. Eliza Heath, Portland, Oregon and Mrs. Helen Martin, Poynette, Wisconsin, who were connected with the earliest settlement of America. In 1843 Mr. Carpenter came west to Illinois, and in 1846 he removed to Wisconsin, locating in Walworth County, removing from there to Marquette County in 1851. He grew to manhood in the Badger State and followed the occupation of carpenter. All of his interests, both as soldier and carpenter have been identified with those of Wisconsin. He was a Civil War veteran, having enlisted at Westfield, August 15, 1862, in Company A, First Wisconsin Heavy Artillery for the term of three years. He served until the close of the war and received honorable discharge at Milwaukee, July 14, 1865. The artillery men of Battery Rogers were stationed at Washington when President Lincoln was assassinated. On December 28, 1859, he was united in Holy Matrimony to Mary Jane Martin, who departed this life May 10, 1902. Five children came to bless their union, all of whom survive and with the exception of Mrs. Coulson were present at the funeral. They are: Mrs. James Jones (Sarah), Mrs. W. J. McWilliams (Mary), Mrs. J. A. Crawford (Flora), and Walter Carpenter of Westfield, Wisconsin, and Mrs. Henry Coulson (Ella) of Santa Cruz, California. There are also fourteen grandchildren and seventeen great- grandchildren. Mr. Carpenter had early religious training, his parents being very strict and pious. Although he was never versed in scripture and the teaching affiliated with any church, the lessons of his youth clung to him throughout his lifetime. He was a man of temperate habits; generous almost to a fault and possessed of a patient, good-natured disposition. Since the death of the wife and mother, his daughter Flora has kept his home and lovingly cared for him all these years. The funeral was held at the home Saturday, February 11, at 2 p.m. under the auspices of the Grand Army of the Republic. The Rev. W. J. Semelroth, Pastor of the First Presbyterian church, delivered an appropriate address, and the impressive service was concluded at the South Cemetery by the T. B. Crawford Post. Members of the American Legion acted as pall bearers.