Lived to Ripe Old Age

Passing Sunday Morning, September 25 (1920), of William Myers long a resident of Oregon, terminates a local identity of more than seventy years duration. The deceased was nearly eighty eight years old. Born March 1, 1833 in Washington County, Maryland. William Myers as a lad of fifteen journeyed west with his parents in 1848, making the trip overland from the eastern state to Mt. Morris, where the family located and where for more than forty years he followed the trade of stone mason, having during that period constructed the masonry of a large portion of the bridges built in Ogle County. Coming to Oregon with his family, October 3, 1892 where they have since resided.

On April 29, 1960 at Old Town, a little settlement near Polo, occurred his marriage to Susan Gibbs also a native of Maryland state, having been born in 1840 in Frederick and experiencing a like trip west to the same objective Mt. Morris, the Gibbs family having made the journey in 1856, the time required with the prevailing transportation method being seven weeks. To this union was born seven children all of whom with the wife and mother to mourn the first break in the family circle during the sixty years. The children are Frank of Dubuque, Iowa, Sherman of Ottawa, Edward, Payne's Point, and Lillie, Clyde, Fred and Mrs. Nellie Wilson of Oregon. Two sisters of the deceased, Mrs. Elizabeth Pyfer of Haldone and Mrs. M. (Millard) Snyder of Rockwell, Iowa and two brothers John Myers of Rockford and Abram of Washington, D.C. Also. Also twelve grand-children and four great grand children.

The commemoration of the sixtieth marriage anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Myers was made a family event last April when an assembly of forty one immediate relatives celebrated this remarkable matrimonial epoch, on the day April 29. Not withstanding his advanced years Mr. Myers maintained a lively interest in affairs of public moment. He held a consistent identity with the Republican party having cast his initial ballot in behalf of John C. Fremount and sustaining his party (intel) throughout the years. He lived a wholesome, useful life, enjoying normally good health until a few months ago when the encroachment of his advanced aged, betokened a gradual breaking to which he succumbed.

The funeral services was held yesterday morning from the Church of God, Rev. S. J. Lindsay officiating, internment being made in Riverview Cemetery. Among those from a distance present at the obsequies were Frank Myers and family, Dubuque, Iowa; Sherman Myers and son and daughter, Ottawa, Harry Myers, Dixon and George Wilson, Chicago.

Contributed by Sherri Myers Wray, Racine, WI

Obituary came from a family bible that was in the possession of the Owen Myers family

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