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Llewellyn Lewis

1845 - 1941

 

 

Funeral Services Held Today For Civil War Veteran Lewis

Llewellyn Lewis Died At His Home Here Sunday Morning

Was Last Civil War veteran In Hancock County And One Of Few In State

Llewellyn Lewis, last Civil War veteran in Hancock County and one of the few in the state of Iowa, died at his home in Klemme Sunday morning, January 5th, having reached the age of 95 years, 4 months and 28 days.

Funeral services were held this Wednesday afternoon at the Klemme Methodist church at 1:30 o'clock, with Dr. William Zabilka giving the funeral address.

Lewellyn Lewis was born August 8th, 1845, at Syracuse, New York, the second of a family of four children born to his parents, George W. Lewis and Rachel Mellisse (nee) Castle.

His parents were natives of New York state and were of Welch-Scotch extraction. His father owned and operated a saw mill in the woods of western New York.

At the age of one year, his parents moved to Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, where they went into the General Merchandise business.

He had just completed his common school education at Beaver Dam, Wis. when President Lincoln sent out the call for Civil War volunteers. Lew Lewis enlisted on October 12th, 1861, at the age of 16 years.

The first winter was spent in training at Camp Randall, near Madison, Wis. And the next spring his regiment became a part of "Sherman's Dashing Yankee Boys" who marched from Atlanta to the Sea. In 1862 he fought in the Battle of Shiloh, Georgia, which he said was a tough engagement and the hardest battle of his career as a soldier. He also took part at Vicksburg and was with the boys when they marched through Atlanta.

In 1865, while in North Carolina, he and his squad of soldier boys were foraging for food, when a party of Confederate soldiers surrounded them unawares and took them as prisoners. They were sent to Richmond Virginia, and placed in Libby Prison. He said the prisoners were not fed too well, twice a day they received one piece of cornbread and once a day a small piece of meat. But the war was soon over, and he was only in prison for a few months.

His address while in the army was: Company C, Volunteer Infantry, 16th Wisconsin Regiment, 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 17th Army Corps.

He received his honorable discharge August 25th, 1865.

After the war he returned to Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, and worked in logging camps, in saw mills and even as a sailor on a river boat.

When the first settlers began to arrive in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, Lew Lewis was with them.

In the spring of 1879, Lew Lewis and Elmira McGrady were married at the home of the Bride's parents near Clear Lake. They commenced housekeeping on a 400 acre farm southeast of Clear Lake. Two children were born to them, Gertrude (Mrs. Henry Yahnke) and Charles Lewis. After five years the home was saddened by the death of the wife and mother.

Mr. Lewis discontinued his farming operations and a few years later, December 29th, 1886 was married again, this time to Blanche McGrady, and to this union six sons were born.

They commenced housekeeping at Porter's Siding which was a side track on the B. C. R & N. Ry, a mile north of where the town of Klemme now is located. They built a little home on the wide and treeless prairie where Mr. Lewis had rented many acres of grassland. This was cut for hay, bailed and shipped to eastern markets by the carload.

In 1890, four years later, the spring after the town of Klemme was platted, our Hay Merchant moved to the new town, he built a large hay barn, of 10 car capacity, on the lots where the Aug Lau residence now stands.

It is interesting to note that the railroad company built a short length of track up into his barn so that he could load several bales of hay onto a hand car and push it to the side track for easy loading into the car.

Mr. Lewis stated that the oat crop in 1889, was the best ever raised here, many fields averaged 100 bushels per acre and sold for 12 cents per bushel.

Mr. Lewis and his family were among the very first settlers in the town of Klemme.

During the half century that Mr. Lewis lived in Klemme, he served this community in various positions, as a member of the town council, as town clerk, and as secretary of the school board.

It is remembered that when he resigned as secretary of the school board, on account of his advanced years, the board members presented him with a gold-headed cane.

In December 1936, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis had been married fifty years and celebrated this Golden Anniversary at their home in Klemme. The following year, Mrs. Blanche Lewis passed on to the great beyond.

And since then Mr. Lewis has continued to reside in his home with the help of a housekeeper and the help of his three sons and their families who live nearby.

Three of his sons were volunteers in the World War, Holly with the Infantry in France, Verner with the Navy in the North Sea, and Ernest with the Navy in Home Waters.

Two sons, George and Ira died in early childhood.

Mr. Lewis was leisurely and moderate in his habits. He always had time to visit with his friends, and always had time to go fishing. He was a friendly man in the community, and it seems Nature likes this type of person very well, and as a reward she allowed him to live nearly a century.

He leaves to mourn his passing: six children, Gertrude, Mrs. Henry Yahnke of Garden City, Minn.; Charles and Holly Lewis, of Long Beach, California; Henry, Verner and Ernest E., all of Klemme, Iowa. Also 12 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. One brother, A. C. Lewis of Chicago, Ill, and a host of more distant relatives and friends.

source: Times, Klemme, Iowa, 8 Jan 1941, page 1, column 1

 

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