OBITUARY

As briefly mentioned last week, George R. Willsey suddenly and unexpectedly departed this life at 10 o’clock A.M. on Thursday, June 28. The immediate cause of his death was heart failure. The remote cause is unknown. He had been confined to his bed about ten days being taken down first with a severe diarrhea which some days later developed into a slight fever, but his condition was not considered serious or dangerous by the physician in attendance up to about four hours before his death. He had been feeling somewhat unwell for two or three weeks before his final sickness but was able to keep about his regular business.

He rested well the night previous and up to daylight the morning of his death was thought to be improving and likely to be up in a day or two. Death was painless and came on so suddenly that if he knew it was coming he gave no word or sign of it, though it is said when first taken down he told his physician that he knew he was going to die; yet except this he made no intimation of this opinion nor his reason for it nor did he make any business arrangements whatever.

Geo. R. Willsey was born in (sp?) Renssellaerville, N.Y. and had he lived to July 26 would have been forty-four years old. He was married Oct. 25, 1875 at (sp?) Onconta, N.Y., to Mary H. Uebel, the widow who survives him and together they soon after came to this county where they resided on a farm a few miles southwest of Blair until 1880 when they moved into this city where he has since worked several teams in a general dray and heavy hauling business. His immediate family consists of the widow and four living children: Cora, aged 15; Ada, aged 12; George, aged 9 and Frank, aged 4. He also leaves one brother, Berea M., of this city and an aged father, Grandpa Willsey, who will be 83 years old on the 30th day of this month of July.

Geo. R. Willsey was well known as a man of strict moral and financial integrity, a good citizen and highly respected member of church, social and business circles.

For six years or thereabouts, he has been a very prominent and active member of the M.E. church. He had also held several positions of public trust with honor to himself and satisfaction to his constituents. Since early manhood he was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and became an Ancient Odd Fellow on joining the Blair lodge.

The funeral services were held at the family residence Friday afternoon by Rev. Malo, pastor of the M.E. church, assisted by Rev. Millard, a former pastor now stationed at Wayne. At the appointed hour a large body of I.O.O.F. members accompanied by the sisters of Blair Rebekah lodge marched from the lodge room to the house and at the close of the services there the Order took charge of the remains and at the grave the impressive ceremonies of the Order were rendered, the venerable Rev. Chas. Cross, of Herman, an Ancient Odd Fellow, acting as chaplain. Probably no more imposing and extended funeral cortege has ever been witnessed in this city. The citizens turned out almost enmass and following a marching column of members of the I.O.O.F. on foot, were nearly 100 carriages in line.

By industry and frugality the deceased had accumulated considerable property being the owner of a good home and several tenements in this city with some personal property and money in the bank, besides all of which he was carrying $6,800 of life insurance in three good associations, all of which will likely be paid, so that the family is left in quite comfortable circumstances financially.

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

FindaGrave #74358448