Obituary: Rock County, Wisconsin: Benjamin Sargent HOXIE

************************************************************************
Submitted by Ruth Ann Montgomery, <rmontgomery@cishome.com> April 2008

© All rights reserved. 
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
************************************************************************
Died: Thursday afternoon, Dec. 5 at his home in this city. Mr. B. S. Hoxie,
aged seventy-four years.

Mr. Hoxie was born in Orneville, Piscataquis Co., Maine, August 6, 1827. He
came to Wisconsin with his father's family and settled in Cooksville in
1845. Here, in January 1852, he married Miss Ellen Woodbury, and continued
to work at his trade of carpenter until Jan. '82 when he moved to
Evansville.

He has held various public offices in town and state and was a man of
general good estimation among the people where he has resided. Mr. Hoxie
was a member of the Congregational church from which society he will be
greatly missed.

He leaves besides his wife, three daughters, Mrs. E. Van Patten of this
city, Mrs. Mary Kemp of Madison and Mrs. E. J. Green of Walters, Minn.

The funeral will be held from the late home, Sunday afternoon at one
o'clock.

December 7, 1901, The Badger, Evansville, WI

In Memorium

Benjamin Sargent Hoxie passed from this life at his home in Evansville,
Wisconsin Dec. 5th 1901. He was born at Orneville, Maine, August 6th 1927,
he came to Cooksville, Wisconsin in the summer of 1846 and resided there
until 1882 when he removed to Evansville.

Mr. Hoxie was of Quaker ancestry and inherited the sterling qualities that
made him a strong, positive character.

His was an altruistic nature, he had great faith in humanity and earnest
were his efforts of its betterment. He never lost an opportunity to
champion, by voice and pen, any movement that had for its object the
advancement of mankind. His was a full statured soul, far above, in thought
and deed the narrow limitations that mark small characters; a positive
nature, prompt to decide and quick to act when matters were referred to him
for adjustment.

Mr. Hoxie was a christian in the truest, broadest sense of the term. "Do
good to all, live a true life, be a manly man a womanly woman" were some of
the tenets of his belief. He believed that God is and we are His children;
that it is the life a man leads, the character he develops and maintains
that will determine his standing in this world or the world beyond.

Those who were privileged members of the home circle knew best the kind
heart, the active mind that planned and wrought so unselfishly for others.
All with whom he came in contact felt the quality that too few in this
world possess, the power to touch lives to finer, better issues and there
are those in our midst today who reverentially say, "I owe all that I have
made of myself to Mr. Hoxie."

He was charitable to the last degree; he looked for good in people and was
adverse to admit that he found ought else.

In a memorial address given by him at the annual meeting of the Wisconsin
State Horticulture Society in 1900, he said: "Why is it that we must wait
until grim death comes before the asperities and prejudice of our natures
can be smoothed down and planed away to the extent that we may do men
justice? Why is it that we are dumb in the praise of men until death has
put its seal upon his senses and then we stand around his bier and there
proclaim our affection, our regard for him as we would not think of doing
while he lived? There are many of you my friends, many of use whose
whitening hairs and whose increasing and deeply penciled wrinkles year by
year are proclaiming to all the world that time will soon cease for us; we
will soon be made the target of that archer who finally comes to all. May
not this thought teach us that now, today, tonight, is the time to have a
broader and deeper, purer and holier charity for all friends who live?"

These words emphasize the large heartedness of his nature better than
anything we can say of him.

His influence in moulding the character of the communities in which he
lived was strong. He wrought for the young and for the old.

Through his influence legislation was secured for Arbor Day in Wisconsin
and for the better preservation of our forests. He has been president of
the Wisconsin State Forestry Association since its organization. From one
of his addresses I quote the following: "And so trees, forests, and
woodland always claim my earnest thought and the wanton waste and
destruction of the forest growth without proper regard for the perpetuity
of some portion of it is worthy the consideration of the philanthropist and
statesman."

Mr. Hoxie was by profession an architect and builder; he believed that
everyone should have an avocation as well as a vocation, and for many years
his avocation was horticulture and floriculture; he delighted to grow
fruits and flowers and it was one of his greatest pleasures to share them
with his friends.

He became a member of the Wisconsin State Horticulture Society at an early
period of its history and nearly always sustained official relations to it,
serving as its secretary for six years.

To him, life was always full of possibilities and he was ever ready to
avail himself of its opportunities. Although he had lived longer than the
allotted "three score years and ten" he never grew old, the active mind
sounded no weak note to tell of declining years.

The world has great need of such characters and because of it we sorrow for
his departure.

Suddenly and without a moment's warning he went away leaving a wife and
three daughters, Mrs. Everett Van Patten of Evansville, Mrs. Geo. Kemp of
Madison and Mrs. Ellsworth Green of Walters, Minnesota to mourn their loss.
His going away was like his life, strong, courageous, hopeful.

"I cannot say, and I will not say That he is dead. He is just away! With a
cheery smile, and a wave of the hand, He has wandered into an unknown land.
And left us dreaming how very fair It needs must be since he lingers there.
And you-O you, who the wildest yearn For the old-time step and the glad
return, Think of him faring on, so dear In the love of There as the love of
Here, Think of him still as the same I say He is not dead--he is just away.
Communicated

December 14, 1901, The Badger, Evansville, WI