Obituary Record

Thomas Walker Bottorff
Died on 10/3/1899
Buried in Allen (Pioneer Memorial) Cemetery

#1- From Find a Grave notations

Thomas was the son of Andrew and Elizabeth Ann (Mills) Bottorff and moved from Indiana with his parents to Nebraska in 1865.

Thomas served in the Co. F 130th Infantry of the Indiana Volunteers from 1863-1865.

He married Esther Purdo in 1870. He was the father of eight children: William, Francis, Rosella, Minnie, Adelaide "Addie", Charles, Tennie, & Zola.

There are two stones for Thomas Bottorff. 1st-The engraving on the back side of that of his parents, Andrew & Elizabeth, located at the (Allen) Pioneer Memorial Cemetery, Ft Calhoun Twp commemorates his life, military service & death. 2nd-A Civil War Veteran stone located in the Blair Cemetery, Blair, NE. records. Records of each of these cemeteries are unclear just where his body is interred.

#2-Published in the Blair Courier October 5, 1899

Tom Bottorff, who had his trial last week before Judge Fawcett for the raping of the 12-years old daughter of Milt Allen and found guilty by the jury and awaiting sentence, took sick at the jail last Monday evening and died the following morning, before receiving his sentence from the court. The body was taken to Pierce’s morgue and later taken to the home of the deceased’s sister, Mrs. W. H. Allen, from where the funeral was conducted on Wednesday. It is not often that a man gets a sentence of death for rape unless the Lord takes a hand in it. He did this time.

~~~Obituaries courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file at the Blair Public Library.~~~

Printed in the Blair Courier on 10/5/1899


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