King, James

It was reported Sunday morning to the G. A. R. post that an old soldier by name of James King, formerly a section boss at Blair had died at Tekamah, and his dying request of his wife was to be buried in the Blair cemetery by John A. Dix post, and that his remains would come down by train that day. Arrangements were all made for his funeral, when by telegraph it was learned that the man was still alive. His death, however, is momentarily expected, and will be from cancer cause by missile from a bursting shell striking him on the head in an engagement during the war. He removed from here to Tekamah about fifteen years ago, and has been sorely afflicted for seven years.

Blair Courier 18 Apr 1894

He is Dead

Died, at his residence in this city, Saturday, April 7th, 1894, of cancer, James King, aged fifty-six years.

Mr. King was a private in Captain James McHughs’ company A, thirty-fifth Indiana, known as the Irish regiment. He was enrolled December 16th, 1863, to serve three years, but was discharged September 30th, 1865, at Victoria, Texas, by reason of General Field’s order No. 1, department of Texas, September 7th, 1865.

He was born in Louth, Ireland, in 1838, and was soon after with his parents came to America. After his discharge from the war in 1865, he came to Nebraska, and ever since then has resided in Washington and Burt counties.

The cause of his death was indeed a sad one. For years he has suffered with a cancer, for the past three years in an aggravated form, at the time of his death, his whole ear being eaten off leaving a hole sufficient to place a hand into the cavity. At the time of his death he was merely a mass of skin and bones.

He was buried Monday. There were no funeral services proper, a prayer only being offered at the house by Rev. J.W. Kimmel. The G. A. R. took charge of the body, assisted by the W.R.C. and Sons of Veterans, who followed the remains to their last resting place in the Tekamah cemetery.

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

*Find a Grave has his burial in the Tekamah Cemetery #40428281