Solomon Barton

Solomon Barton was born near Kent, England, March, 30th, 1831 and died at his home in the Summers school neighborhood at 11:30 Sunday morning, Feb. 21, 1915, of bronchial pneumonia, after an illness of about four weeks, aged 83 years, 10 months and 21 days.

He came to America in 1856 and settled in Elgin, Illinois and moved from there to Edgewood, Illinois in 1860 where he was married to Miss Eliza Wilson, Jan. 19, 1865.

To this union were born 10 children, 5 boys and 5 girls, 9 of whom are still living. The living sons are: Wm., Solomon, Elmer and Lester and the daughters, Mrs. Lydia Pixley, Mrs. Francis Newkirk, Miss Anna Barton, Mrs. Stella McCowen and Mrs. Esther Nelson, all of whom reside in this county, except Mrs. Pixley, who resides in Brown County.

Mr. Barton, with his wife and seven children, came overland, from Edgewood, Illinois to Nebraska and settled in Washington County in Sept. 17, 1877, and has lived in the same township ever since, spending over 33 years in the house in which he died.

In his death the community loses another of the old and much esteemed pioneers, only a few of whom are left.

Mr. and Mrs. Barton celebrated the 50th anniversary of their marriage on the 19th of last month, being a quiet, family gathering with all the children and most of the grandchildren present, all of whom, together with the good wife, are now left to mourn their loss.

Of the immediate family of the deceased, only one sister remains, now residing in England. The only other relative living in America is a niece, Mrs. Adelaide Wilson, of Edgewood, Illinois. In his death the community loses a man who held the esteem of his neighbors, the widow a kind and devoted husband, and the children a loving and much revered father.

The funeral was held from the M. E. church in this city at 1:30 Wednesday, Feb. 24th, Rev. J. W. Lewis conducting the service.

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