LONG-TIME BLAIR RESIDENT SUCCUMBED HERE SATUR- AT AGE OF 87

MILITARY RITES AT MEHTODIST CHURCH

LAST SURVIVING MEMBER OF JOHN A. DIX POST OF THIS CITY, MR. McCRACKEN KEPT ACTIVE DESPITE ADVANCED AGE; NOTED AS AN ORATOR

Last surviving member of the one-proud John A. Dix post, G.A.R., of 168 members, and one of the few remaining Civil war veterans in eastern Nebraska, J.E. “Jake” McCracken died early Saturday morning at his home, 506 west Jackson street, following an illness of one week. He was 89.

He and Mrs. McCracken had been residents of Blair and vicinity since 1868, and would have observed their 68th wedding anniversary September 25, plans for a family reunion having already been made.

Refusing to admit that he was “growing old,” Mr. McCracken had followed an arduous daily routine at his home for many years, raising a garden, doing vigorous manual exercises and, until last year, driving the family automobile almost daily.

NATIVE OF ILLINOIS

Mr. McCracken was born in Effengham, Ill., January 19, 1874, and resided there during his earlier years. Although only 14 years old when the Civil war broke out, he enlisted with a company of Illinois volunteers and served with the Union army throughout the war, seeing action in many historic battles.

Honorably discharged from the army when the war was over, Mr. McCracken was married September 25, 1868 and he and his bride, on their honeymoon, came to Washington county in a covered wagon. They liked this region and stayed here, farming near Blair over 30 years. Over a quarter of a century ago they retired and moved into Blair.

Mr. McCracken had always been an automobile enthusiast, and until last year drove the family car. The family “made him quit” driving, he said last winter.

Noted locally as an orator, Mr. McCracken made frequent public appearances, notably during the World war enlistment period. His most recent public address was at a county banquet of the American Legion in the basement of the Episcopal parish hall slightly more than a year ago.

FOUR CHILDREN SURVIVE

Surviving him besides his wife are three sons, John and Walter McCracken of Blair, and Hugh of Omaha, and a daughter, Mrs. Minnie Millray, Omaha.

Military services were conducted Monday at 2 p.m. at the Methodist church, the Rev. D.A. McCullough delivering the sermon. Members of Washington County post, Veterans of Foreign Wars, of which Mr. McCracken was an honorary member, and the American Legion, had charge of ceremonials. VFW members served as pall-bearers. The Legion firing squad officiated at Blair cemetery where interment was made.

Enterprise, September 10, 1936

MILITARY FUNERAL HELD AT PASSING OF LAST G.A.R. VET

SETTLER OF 1868 PASSES ON SEPT. 5, BLAIR’S LAST CIVIL WAR VETERAN

Blair’s last and dearly beloved Civil war veteran, J.E. McCracken, died at his home in Blair last Sunday, aged 89 years, 7 months and 17 days.

“Uncle” Jake as most of us knew him was a man of more than ordinary ability and that ability had been sharpened in the school of life. As a child he was left an orphan and in a large manner was forced to shift for himself.

He was born in Vandalia, Illinois, January 19, 1847 and at the early age of fourteen he joined the Union army in the Civil war, serving as a drummer boy. For three years he served his country and was discharged August 31, 1865.

He was united in marriage to Elizabeth Armstrong, September 25, 1868, in Edgewood, Illinois, and immediately set forth in a prairie schooner for Nebraska. He and his wife landed in Cuming City township October 20th of the same year and he bought school land about five and one-half miles northwest of Blair and here they established a home residing there until their retirement in 1903 when they moved to Blair.

To Mr. and Mrs. McCracken five children were born, four of whom still live and with the wife now 85 years old mourn deeply the loss of the father and husband. The living children was Walter and John of Blair; Hugh, of Omaha; and Mrs. Minnie Milroy, of Omaha.

The funeral services were held Monday afternoon at 2 o’clock from the Methodist church of which he was a member with Rev. D.A. McCullough officiating. At the grave the American Legion had charge and with the impressive ceremony and the army salutes showed their deepest respects for their aged brother-in-arms, who, like they, had fought to preserved a principal of equal rights and liberty so dear to the American breast and as the flower bedecked casket with its burden representing all that was left of their departed brother sank into the bosom of mother earth who gave it being the last of the Civil war veterans of Blair passed from the stage of action and all that we have left is the memory of his cheerful, manly personality that made him a general favorite.