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DEATH TAKES PIONEER, 83, SATURDAY

John McDonald Succumbs-To Three Week Illness

THE FARMER POET

John McDonald, age 83 years, 8 months and 21 days, passed away last Saturday morning at his home south of Blair.

Deceased was known to, perhaps, more people than any man in the county, having for a long term of years operated a threshing outfit that took him all over the county. In this work he not only made a wide acquaintanceship but also a wide circle of friends.

JOHN McDONALD--A PERFECT RECORD AT THE OLD SETTLERS' PICNIC

John McDonald was the oldest of a family of ten children. He was born in Oskaloosa, Iowa, prior to the time when the elder McDonalds moved west across the Missouri. In August, 1856, when Omaha was but a village, the family saw its first glimpse of Nebraska. Moving at once to the farm which the McDonald families have since occupied, they began farming activities. A few months later, however, they moved to Decatur, where a trading store with the Indians was opened. Barter was the common method of exchange at that time, and many of the present-day necessities of life were exchanged for the furs and hides which the Indians possessed. Indians were especially anxious to obtain salt and gunpowder and the elder, Thomas McDonald, enjoyed a flourishing business at his trading post.

After two years of trading, it was decided to go back to the farm on which they had originally settled. The house had been unoccupied during the time of the family’s absence, and everything was found as it had been left two years before. Since that time they have lived in that immediate vicinity.

Known for his kindly disposition, John McDonald was always a favorite, loved and respected. Being a member of a pioneer family and a pioneer himself he felt a great interest in the county and its development. For forty-eight years he lived on the farm where he died and in respect for the old days he and his brothers have kept intact the old log house erected by the father in the pioneering days.

On April 15, 1934 he and his good wife celebrated their golden anniversary.

He was, in his youth, abreast of the times in his farming operations as was shown by the fact that he operated the first horse-power and later the first steam-power threshing machine in this county which business he followed for forty-five years.

As he grew older he relinquished his threshing operations, living happily and contentedly on his farm where he had reared a family of eleven children. He loved poetry and while working about his home he wrote many poems that were inspiring and disclosed his spirit of real friendliness.

He was a member of the local Methodist church and he and his wife were present at the meetings of that organization whenever possible. He was always interested in the Pioneer and Old Settler picnics and at the last meeting last August he was the oldest pioneer to register.

JOHN McDONALD PASSES AWAY AT HOME SATURDAY

He also took a great interest in the activities of the Wilde Woods Circle and at several of the meetings he furnished music on an old violin, more than a hundred years old which formerly belonged to an early settler of Blair, Alex Reid.

Of the eleven children, ten are still living and with the devoted wife mourn deeply their loss. They are Mrs. Oscar Rood, Manville, Wyoming; Thomas W. McDonald, Herman, Nebraska; Mark A. and Clyde E., Omaha, Nebraska; Mrs. William Grabe, Ralston, Nebraska; Delmar F. McDonald, Papillion, Nebraska; Charley McDonald, Ralston, Nebraska; Mrs. Lawrence Miller, Blair, Nebraska; Mrs. Clarence Olson, Tekamah, Nebraska; Russell McDonald at home. Besides these two brothers survive, George and Henry and four sisters, Mrs. Frank Overman, Mrs. Frank Shipley, Mrs. Mark Shipley and Mrs. Frank McBride; also thirty one grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Funeral services were held at the Methodist church on Monday afternoon at 2 o’clock with Rev. R. P. Rasmussen officiating, and interment was made in the Blair cemetery.

~~~The date of death, November 11, 1939 was verified by his granddaughter~~~

Obituaries courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society – Newspaper clipping on file in the Blair Public Library in Blair, Nebraska.

FindaGrave Memorial # 7672013