Former Blair Editor Died Last Sunday Morning and Body Was Brought Here Yesterday

Chester Blashfield Sprague is dead. Almost everyone in Washington County knew him, for he lived in the county almost forty years; thirteen years as a farmer out near Fontanelle and the balance of the time as the editor of The Blair Republican.

Four years ago he sold the Republican to Thos. T. Osterman and retired from active business, living most of that time with his daughter, Dora, now Mrs. Victor O. Johnson, at Pawnee, Okla.

After an illness of about five month’s duration from anemia of the brain, death came to set his spirit free from old and worn “tenement of clay”. It had inhabited for over 71 years. At 8:30 Sunday morning the final separation took place and the joyous soul winged its way to a “land that is fairer than this”. A brief funeral service was held at Pawnee before the body was brought here for interment.

A second service was held at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Wm. Cheely, at 3:45 yesterday afternoon, Rev. A. E. Marsh, of the Episcopal Church, officiating. Interment was made by the side of his son, Charles, who died nine years ago, just as he had come to manhood’s majority.

Besides the son and two daughters above mentioned, there was another daughter, Edith, who married Herman Shields and died a little over a year after their wedding day. He leaves also his faithful wife, who suffered a paralytic stroke some time ago and was unable to come up from Pawnee to see her husband laid to rest in the narrow room we shall occupy someday.

Deceased was born in Appleton, Me., Nov. 16, 1837, and when a young man was attracted by the broad, free life of a sailor.

He was married to Miss Sibyl Meservey in 1864 and in 1867 they came to this county, settling on a farm out near Fontanelle, where all but the oldest child were born.

In 1880 he bought the Blair Times and soon thereafter changed the name to the republican, which he edited up to about four years ago. His health was failing then and he became so despondent he was unable to continue his editorial work.

As a newspaper man he was always clean and conscientious and stood for what he believed to be the better things in the social and political life of the community. He was a reformer by nature, not of the brilliant or erotic type, but of the quiet, earnest, type who is willing to work and to wait.

Mr. Sprague had seven brothers and two sisters. Only one brother, W. H. of Charleston, Mass., and one sister, Mrs. Eveline Summers of Appleton, Me., survives him. One brother, Alden S., died only about two weeks ago at the age of 83. For almost sixty years he was editor of the Rockland (Me.) Free Press, one of the most influential papers in the state. He was a person friend of the late James G. Blaine.

On account of his absence from Blair for so long he will not be missed so much, but we have all lost a good and faithful friend, a loyal and loving citizen, and our hearts feel the touch of sorrow the passing of a noble soul must ever bring.

Tribune 17 Feb. 1909

Chester B. Sprague

The old editor has laid down his stick and closed his forms forever and he who set up many an “obit” has become the subject of one. He has passed into the presence of the Great Editor, who, with pencil in hand, is ready to pass judgment on the life story of an old Blair newspaper man’s career, and who shall say that he shall not find thousands of good deeds and acts recorded in Sprague’s copy that have been hidden from the prying eyes and ears of the rabble he left on Earth. The old editor was human; with the broad humanity of the newspaper fraternity “that leads all the rest”. He often made mistakes in settling up his copy and sometimes carelessly read proof, but he was always ready to apologize in the next issue. When the call of “30” came down the line, it found the old man ready to lay down the shears and cast aside the pencil. Our old friend and contemporary is dead and with his passing the world has lost a country editor whose splendid work was a model of its kind.

Chester B. Sprague was born in Appleton, Maine, Nov. 16, 1837. He was a veteran of The United States Navy. For fourteen years he was a farmer in Sheridan Township and the teacher of the first school of the township. He became editor and publisher of the Blair Republican in 1880. Mr. Sprague died at Pawnee, Okla., at 8:30 Sunday morning.

Democrat 18 Feb. 1909

Death of C. B. Sprague

News reached Blair Sunday conveying the information that C. B. Sprague, a former resident of the city, had died at his home in Pawnee City, Oklahoma, after an illness that had lasted several months.

The remains arrived in Blair Tuesday afternoon and short funeral services were held at the home of his daughter, Mrs. W. B. Cheeley, and interment made in the Blair Cemetery. The remains were followed to their last resting place by a large concourse of friends who had known the deceased for many years, he having been one of the early settlers in the county and a resident of Blair since 1850.

Mr. Sprague was born in Appleton, Maine, November 16, 1837, and in his younger days was a sailor. He came to Washington County, Nebraska, and settled on a homestead in Sheridan Township in 1866, where he lived for fourteen years, and taught the first school opened in that township. IN 1880 he moved to Blair and purchased the old Blair Times, changing the name to the Blair Republican and remained in the newspaper business in Blair until 1904, when he was succeeded by the writer and the name of the paper changed to the Blair Democrat.

Soon after retiring from the newspaper business, Mr. and Mrs. Sprague moved to Pawnee City, Oklahoma, where their son-in-law, V. O. Johnson, was engaged in the real estate business and practice of law. The health of both Mr. and Mrs. Sprague was somewhat better down there, but some months ago Mr. Sprague’s began falling and the end came last Sunday morning.

Mr. Sprague had many, many warm friends in Blair and Washington County, and all will regret his death. He was a good citizen and a faithful husband and father.

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

Find a Grave Memorial #9921975