Obituary Record

George P. DeTemple
Died on 5/12/1914
Buried in Holy Cross (Catholic Church) Cemetery

Death date taken from Holy Cross Cemetery records

Three newspaper articles.

# 1 - - - DEATH EXACTS HIS TRIBUTE

THREE WELL-KNOWN TO BLAIR PEOPLE PASS TO ETERNITY; ANSWERED LAST ROLL CALL

VETERAN DETEMPLE CALLED TO HIS LAST REST; WAS A PIONEER OF BLAIR

(veteran)

The announcement, early Tuesday morning, of the death of George DeTemple created much surprise and was a subject of comment during the day. So few knew that he was sick and others, knowing of his indisposition, not thinking it of a serious nature, that they were shocked to learn of his sudden death.

He was born in the city of Buffalo, N. Y., August 17, 1847 and lived there until the last year of the war, 1864, when he enlisted in the 78th, N. Y. Vol. Inf’ty, at the close of the war, enlisting in Co. H, 15th U. S. Reg.

Soon after the expiration of his service in the regular army, in the summer of 1869, he came to Blair and has resided here ever since. A wife and two sons, George and Frank, survive him.

Few citizens of Blair would be as much missed as George DeTemple. He was active in all matters of a political or civic nature. None ever gave more of his time and effort to the promotion of benefits for veterans of the civil war, social activities in G. A. R. circles and all things tending to assist or benefit in any way the old soldiers. He was a devoted Odd Fellow and one of the best posted members in the work of the order in the west.

The sons are natives of Blair, educated in the Blair schools, young men of good business qualifications, and social qualities. A few years ago they acquired a tract of land a short distance from Chadron, where they were in the employ of the railroad company, and have devoted themselves since to improving and stocking the land with livestock. They both arrived in time for the funeral, which occurred on Thursday, at 10 a.m., from the Catholic church, Fr. O’Driscoll officiating and interment being made in the Blair cemetery.

(Note: Although the headline says that three passed to eternity, the above article from The Pilot mentions only one person.)

# 2 - - from the Pilot, May 13, 1914

George P. DeTemple died very suddenly yesterday morning. He had been confined to the house for several weeks with inflammation of the knee joint but on Sunday Dr. Stewart detected the effects of a slight hemorrhage at the base of the brain. This increased until he became unconscious Monday forenoon. Death came peacefully at 4:10 yesterday morning. Word was sent to the boys, George and Frank, who live on a ranch about 13 miles from Chadron, of his death and they arrived this morning. The funeral will be held at the Catholic church at 10 o’clock tomorrow morning, Rev. Father O’Driscoll officiating. Deceased was born in Buffalo, N. Y., Aug. 17th, 1847, and his boyhood days were spent in that city. When the Civil war broke out he tried to enlist at the age of 15 years but was too slight a build, they wouldn’t take him. He finally did enlist in the regular army April 5th, 1865, in Co. H 3rd Bat. 15th Inf., and served a full term of three years, being mustered out at Louisville, Ky. He came to Blair in 1869 and has made this his home ever since. He was married to Miss Catherine Murray at her home at Plattsmouth, Neb., Oct. 2nd, 1873, and but the two boys’ George C. and Frank J., were born to them. He has been in the real estate and abstract business with Jas. H. Platz for a good many years. He has also served as police judge and Justice of the Peace. He was a faithful and interested member of the G. A. R., and also of I. O. O. F. Besides the wife and two sons, he is survived by one sister, out of a family of four, who lives at Cleveland, Ohio. His brother, Joe, died only last fall.

# 3 - - from The Tribune, May 13, 1914

GEORGE DETEMPLE DEAD

George P. DeTemple, a pioneer resident of Blair, aged 66 years, died at his home in this city at four o’clock Tuesday morning. He has been suffering for several months with sciatic rheumatism, which finally settled in his knee, where he had been wounded by a bullet when a boy. On Monday, he had a paralytic stroke.

Mr. DeTemple was born in Buffalo, N. Y., and enlisted at the age of 16 as a drummer boy in the Seventy-eighth New York volunteer infantry and later in company H, Fifteenth United States infantry of this civil war. He came to Nebraska in the late ‘60s and to Blair in 1869, the year that Blair City was laid out. He was married to Miss Catherine F. Murray on October 21, 1873, at Plattsmouth, Neb., who with two sons, Frank and George, of Chadron, survive him.

He had been connected with the J. H. Platz Real Estate company for over fourteen years, serving as justice of the peace and police judge for a number of years and filling the office of county judge on several occasions when the regular judges were absent. He was a member of the Odd Fellow’s lodge and Grand Army post of this city for over thirty years. The funeral services will be held Thursday morning at ten o’clock and interment made in the Blair cemetery.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~

FindaGrave memorial # 129649530

Printed in the Blair Pilot on 5/13/1914


[BACK]