The People’s Republic Obituaries

Moro, Sherman County, Oregon

The following are the death notices and obituaries contained within the pages of The People’s Republic, on the microfilm roll containing the issues from April 21, 1898 to June 23, 1899.

April 21, 1898

• Found Dead.  From the Moro Leader.    Mark Hayden, about 60 years of age, a brother of Ben Hayden, of Salem, started to go to the Seeley ranch Tuesday, the 12th, from Wasco. He got within about a mile of his destination, when he dropped dead, apparently without much pain or struggle.  Saturday, friends not hearing from him, a search party, consisting of Mr. Lucus, B. F. Pike and Bud Clayton, left Wasco about 3 o’clock and found the remains, as stated above.  Mr. Clayton came at once to Moro, and an undertaker went to the sad scene, and Coroner Brown was telephoned for, arriving about 2 o’clock Sunday morning.  Upon investigation he decided it was not necessary to summon a coroner’s jury, death being evidently due to natural causes.  The remains were buried at Moro Sunday, it being impossible to delay the interment longer.  A son lives in Grant county, and a married daughter also in Eastern Oregon.

April 28, 1898

May 5, 1898

• Kent Items.  John and Ellen Shreeves buried their 2 week-old baby, last Sunday.  The funeral services were conducted by Rev. Hinton.

May 12, 1898

May 19, 1898

May 26, 1898

• We regret to learn that a little child of Henry Schadewitz, who lost one of his children not so long since, is quite sick.  Mr. Schadewitz resides in the south end of our county and is post-master at Kent.  [John William  b. 1896  d. 1898 son of Henry and Emma]

June 2, 1898

June 9, 1898

• In Memory of Mrs. Miller.  The Observer reports the death of Mrs. Susan E. Miller, who died at her home, near Moro, Sherman county, Oregon, at 11:30 p.m. May 31st, 1898, aged 67 years, 10 months and 19 days.  She leaves to mourn her departure six children, three sons and three daughters, all of who are married, 19 grandchildren, and a number of loving friends.  She was a member of Moro Baptist Church, and died as she had lived, a firm believer in the power of Jesus to save.

June 16, 1898

• Sudden Death.  William Brown, father of J. B. Brown of Wasco, was found dead at his home on his farm near Denver, on May 27th.  His son, J. B. Brown, who had gone to Denver on the 26th returned on the 27th, although his father was not at home when the son returned, he did not look for him until the next day, when he found him dead about 40 rods from the house.  Mr. Brown was 77 years old the 20th of March, and is supposed to have died of heart failure.  The old gentleman left five sons, all living: J. C. Brown; J.E., the eldest, W. L. and T. J. Brown, all of Adel, Iowa; and J. B. Brown, of Wasco.William Brown moved from near Danville, Illinois, to Dallas county, Ia., in 1846.  He was however a resident of Colorado for more than thirty years, living most of this time near Denver.  It is over 18 years since his son J. B., who has just received a letter bearing the above sad news, has seen his father.

June 23, 1898

• Died — At Grass Valley, Oregon, June 18th at 7 o’clock a.m., Mrs.___ Dunn, aged 39 years 4 months, and 1 day.  The deceased was the wife of John Dunn.  The cause of her death was pulmonary consumption.  The funeral discourse was preached by Rev. M. F. S. Henton, at the Baptist church, and the interment took place at the Odd Fellows cemetery.  The deceased left a husband, three sons, and a daughter to mourn her loss, the latter of whom is the wife of Milton Zell, near Prineville.  [Mary M.]

June 30, 1898

July 7, 1898

July 14, 1898

July 21, 1898

July 28, 1898

• Last Saturday, W. L. Gosser was summoned to The Dalles by the sad news of the death of his father, Geo. Gosser, Sr.  Mr. Gosser had for the past two months, been rendered helpless by rheumatism, and died Saturday morning at 4 o’clock.  The funeral services were held on Monday.

August 4, 1898

• Died  —  John Reid, a well known farmer, near Rufus, died at his home Monday morning at 1 o’clock, from diabetes.  Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. the same day.
• Grandma Moore‘s Funeral.  Tuesday night, after many wearisome weeks of sickness & severe suffering, Grandma Moore, mother of the Moore Bros., all of whom are widely known as business men of this county, passed away.Every attention been given the aged mother by her boys, an experienced nurse having been constantly at her bedside for weeks and even months up to the hour of her death.  The funeral took place at 5 p.m. Wednesday at the Presbyterian church of which grandma had been a faithful communicant for many years.Rev. J. M. Morrison, her pastor, preached an excellent funeral discourse, full of elevated christian sentiment, consolation and hope, most appropiately magnifying grandma’s perfect faith in the plan of redemption.  The funeral was largely attended, considering the mid-harvest season and the brief notice.  All the bereaved have the sincerest sympathies of a wide circle of friends and, too, it was apparent to the most casual observer that an appropriate and delicate regard was had by all who participated in the last sad rites of their mother.  Death leveled all distinctions, and new no differences.  [Sarah J.]

August 11, 1898

• On Saturday last, the sad news was received of the death of John A. Ginn, of Moro, Friday night at 11:30.  He was aged 30 years, 2 months and 11 days, and had been for a long time a sufferer from kidney troubles.  On Monday of last week he went to Walla Walla, and on Tuesday entered the St. Mary’s hospital, at which place he died of inflammation of the kidneys.  He was buried at Weston, Umatilla county, Sunday evening, funeral services being conducted by Rev. Galagher, the United Brethren minister of that place.
• Robert Ginn of Moro was in Wasco Tuesday, on his way home from the funeral of his brother, John Ginn, at Weston.

August 18, 1898

• Death of Claude Marquis.   A gloom was cast over Grass Valley Tuesday morning by the death of Claude Marquis, a brilliant young man of excellent character.  Young Marquis had a host of friends, in fact all who knew him speak well of him and seem to share sincerely in the sadness his untimely death has brought to the community.  Age, misfortune, and failures of life sometimes make “The King of Terrors” a welcome visitor but never, never to the young man standing upon the threshold of life with all its possibilities before him and the many bright prospects of America’s young men of ambition and good character to lure him into unexplored fields.  What though such a life has humble beginnings?  It is our country’s boast that from such walks come our richest and greatest and noblest.By the sudden death of young Marquis, in the vigor of youth and the bloom of manhood, we are reminded of the quoted but ever beautiful lines from the gifted pen of Mrs. Hermans:Leaves have their time to fall,
  And flowers to wither at the north wind’s breath,
  And stars to set — but all —
  Thou has all reasons for thine own, O Death.By the death of Claude Marquis a kind father, an affectionate and devoted mother, a younger and an older brother, and a wide circle of sincere friends are caused to mourn an irreparable loss. The many friends of the family far and near join in tendering sympathy more than words can express to the grief-stricken parents and bereaved brothers. Claude was twenty years old; was sick only a few days, and was supposed to be greatly improved, when his malady suddenly took a fatal turn.

August 25, 1898 

September 1, 1898

• There is considerable sickness in the vicinity of Monkland, two deaths having occurred from typhoid fever in a family named Rogers.Sad Bereavement.  A family recently from the Willamette valley, living at Monkland, are passing through a very sad and trying experience.  Typhoid fever has taken from the family one son and one daughter during the last week, within a day of each other.  The son, L. D. Rogers, age 26, died at 1 o’clock a.m., Aug. 25, and was buried the evening of the same day.  About 3 o’clock a.m. on the 26th the daughter, age 13 years, 10 months and 2 days, followed the brother, the funeral taking place in the afternoon.  The funeral services for both were held at Monkland, Rev. Morrison preaching the sermons, and the interment was in the Odd Fellows’ cemetery at Moro under the care of Moro Camp No. 351, W. of W., of which order the young man was a member.  The father was sick at last accounts, but not seriously.  The bereaved family have the sympathy of all in this their hour of double loss.   — Moro Leader.

September 8, 1898

 September 15, 1898

• During our visit to Moro Tuesday we learned of the death of a Mr. Rogers, the father of L. D. and Irene Rogers, who died at their home near Monkland recently.  The bereaved family have the sympathy of the community.
• On Saturday last — the sad news was received of the death of Ethel, the little daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Surgen of Chamberlin Flats, Klickitat county, Washington.  The little one was 3 years, 3 months and 28 days old, and death was caused by measles.
• The 15 months old son of Mr. and Mrs. Bert Newcomb near Grass Valley died Sunday.  Funeral services were conducted Tuesday at the Grass Valley Baptist church, and the remains interred in the Odd Fellow’s cemetery.  The parents have the heartfelt sympathy of the community.

September 22, 1898

Ray Sink Killed.  Probably the Victim of a Deep Laid Plot.  Expected To Be Married Soon.  A Body Supposed to be His Found Floating in the Willamette.

• A telegram was received Wednesday evening from the sheriff of Marion county announcing that Ray Sink had been killed, but no particulars were given.  T. E. Sink, a brother of the murdered man, and C. H. Belchee, his brother-in-law, immediately started for Salem with the intention of bringing the body home this evening.  A telegram from them is expected hourly.Ray Sink was a farmer, owning considerable property in Sherman county and living about two and one-half miles north of Wasco having lived here about 15 years.  He was about 37 years of age and in easy circumstances.There seems to be considerable mystery connected with the case and it is probable he was murdered for money though he only had $125 when he left Wasco.It is generally understood that Mr. Sink went to the valley with the intention of getting married and also to buy the necessary furniture for housekeeping.  He left Wasco September 4th and went to Silverton, the home of Miss Cora Cox, who he expected to make his wife, and after seeing her went to Salem, since which his friends were unable to locate him until the sorrowful message from the sheriff was received.Last week the family became uneasy and his brother Ev. Sink started on the 14th to search for him, but after visiting several towns where Ray had been the brother found a man in Portland named Billy Magers, who told him that the missing man was visiting old friends in Newberg and would meet him (Magers) in Portland Saturday.  This allayed all fears and the search was abandoned.It is now known – that the intended marriage spoken of had been arranged through this Magers who was employed by Ray on his ranch since last spring, and who left for the valley about a week ahead of his employer to get everything ready.  The young woman and her family bear a good reputation at their home in Silverton, but Magers, who has acted as a go-between, is an ex-convict and whether or not he is a party to a deeply laid plot to get hold of Mr. Sink’s property is a matter of conjecture.It is believed by friends here that the body found in the river at Salem September 20th was that of Ray Sink and if such is the case he was probably at the bottom of the Willamette when his brother was searching for him.  The description given by the Oregonian of the ghastly find is as follows:Salem, Ore., Sept. 20. — With hands and feet securely tied and each weighted with iron, a body was found floating in the Willamette river, 200 yards below the steel bridge, near the Polk county side, today.  The discovery was made by boys in rowboats.  Coroner Woods, of Polk county, was notified, and held an inquest on the river bank opposite Salem this afternoon.  A wound made with a blunt instrument in the forehead, a knife wound below the right jaw and evidence of a hard blow in the mouth, breaking the upper jaw, were found.  In the pocket was a business card of William Gadsby, house furnisher, represented by McGrath, Portland.”  A business card of “R. H. Weeks, warm air furnaces, was also carried.  An excursion ticket on the O. R. & N. from The Dalles to Grant’s, good until October 15, and a rebate check on the Southern Pacific, from Junction City to Brooks, dated August 17, were also found on the person, and an open-faced gold filled watch, which had stopped at 7:12.Elmer Herritt, living two miles from Salem, on the Wallace road recognized the weights as those taken from a patent gate at his farm on the night of September 9 or 10.The body was fairly well dressed in a brown sack suit, tan shoes, celluloid collar and cuffs and a silk necktie.  The height was about 5 feet 10.  The body was one of a person partially baldheaded, with sandy hair and mustache.
• Died.  Simeon James Andrews died at his home near Wasco, September 17th 1898, aged 75 years, 5 months and 24 days.Deceased was born in Middlefield Center, Otsego county, N. Y., March 23, 1823, and was married to Rachel Wigley, February 8, 1849, at Cherryville, N. Y., the result of this union being three sons and two daughters, all of whom survive.  Four of the children, C. M. Andrews, W. H. Andrews, Dell Andrews, and Mrs. May Murchie, are residents of Sherman county, and the other daughter, Mrs. J. McHenry is now living in Missouri.  Grandpa Andrews, as he was familiarly called, was a good neighbor and citizen and had a wide circle of friends, having been a resident of Oregon since 1884.The funeral was conducted by Rev. Jenkins at the Christian church, of which deceased was a member, and the services were largely attended.  The remains were interred in the Masonic cemetery.

September 29, 1898

• Magers Caught.  Charged with the murder of Rank Sink.  [One and three fourths of a column long]
• Funeral services.  The body of Ray Sink, which was brought in from Salem last Saturday evening was buried at the Masonic cemetery Sunday.  Funeral services were held at the residence of his father and the attendance was the largest of any funeral ever held in the county.

All issues of the month of October, 1898, are missing.

November 3, 1898

• Died — At Portland hospital, Tuesday, November 1st, 1898, of typhoid fever, Miss Laura Rogers of Monkland, aged 28 years.  Miss Rogers was taken to the hospital about two weeks ago and received the best of medical aid, but skilful treatment and careful nursing were of no avail.  This is the fifth death in a family of nine within two months, the father, two sons and two daughters having been laid to rest.  The mother and one child are also lying very ill.  The body of the deceased was brought to Wasco Wednesday evening on the train and taken to Moro this morning where funeral services were held and the remains interred in the cemetery at that place.  The sympathy of the entire community is extended to the bereaved survivors

November 10, 1898 Missing

Moved from Wasco to Moro

November 17, 1898

November 25, 1898

December 2, 1898

December 9, 1898

• Edward Snodley, [Snoderly] aged 21, of Prineville, who was thrown from a stage which he was driving near Arlington about three weeks ago, and who was taken to Portland for medical treatment, died at the hospital last Sunday night.  The remains, charge of Mr. J. Shaeffer, a brother-in-law of the deceased, were taken from Portland to Prineville for interment, passing through Moro Tuesday morning, and being accompanied from here by Mrs. Shaeffer.  The sympathy of all who known them is extended to the bereaved family in this their hour of affliction.

December 16, 1898

• The Ray Sink Murder Case.  Court proceedings.  — [Two and three fourths columns long]
• The body of John Grant, buried in Antelope about a year ago, has been exhumed and taken to Tilbury Ontario, Canada, by James Grant, a brother of the deceased.

December 23, 1898

December 30, 1898

• Grants.  —  We were all very much pained to hear of the sudden death of our friend and neighbor Mr. Emory Fuller.  He will be greatly missed for he always had a pleasant smile and pleasant word for everyone.Emery Fuller, of Rufus, who was taken suddenly ill with typhoid-pneumonia last week, died in Biglow at the residence of his brother, Wesley, on Saturday and was buried Sunday at Wasco.  He was highly respected wherever known and leaves a wife and a large circle of friends to mourn his loss.

January 6, 1899

January 13, 1899

• Died — Saturday evening January 7th, Esther Pearl Peugh, age 4 years, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Peugh.  The funeral was held in the M. E. church Monday at 11 o’clock.

January 20, 1899

• Jos. Marsh, Henry Krause, Chas. Akers and R. P. Orr came up from Wasco Sunday to attend the funeral of Arthur Henrichs.
• Died  – Of measles on Sunday, January 15, 1899, Arthur, the 10 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Henrichs.  Deceased was sick but a short time, having been out coasting only a few days before his death.  Funeral services were conducted at the church Sunday at 3 p.m. by Rev. Nickelson, and the IOOF of which Mr. Henrichs is a member, attended in a body, the remains being interred in the Odd Fellows cemetery.  A large number of schoolmates, with whom he had been a favorite, were also present.  The bereaved family have the heartfelt sympathy of the community.

January 27, 1899

February 3, 1899

• News was received this week of the sad death of Mrs. Bertha M. Rand, of Hood River, at the Good Samaritan hospital in Portland, on Saturday, February 4th.  The remains were brought to Hood River for interment.  Deceased was a daughter of W. V. Johnson of this city and was well known in the county, having taught several terms of school.  The sympathy of the Republic is extended to the bereaved parents and the large circle of friends who mourn her loss.

February 10, 1899

February 17, 1899

• Died at Rufus, Oregon, Saturday February 11, of consumption and pneumonia fever, Dora, the daughter of R. A. Titus of Rufus.  Deceased was born in Linn county Oregon, June 3, 1884.  The interment took place at Wasco on the 13th.  Many relatives and friends were present at the funeral, among them Mr. Lewis and daughters of Moro.

February 24, 1899

• Died – On Monday, February 20th, at his residence northwest of Moro, Christopher Guinther, aged 70 years.  Death was caused by a stroke of paralysis followed by neuralgia of the chest.  Funeral services were conducted by Rev. Gray of The Dalles, at the Presbyterian church in Moro, February 22nd, 2 p.m.  Burial ceremonies were also held at the grave by the A. O. U. W. of which organization he was a member.
• Died — On Thursday, February 16, at the Hotel Brewster in Portland, Herman R. Sears, only son of Col. and Mrs. C. D. Sears, aged 17 years.  The remains were taken to The Dalles for interment, which occurred on Sunday last.Young Sears was taken sick a year since with lagrippe, from which he never entirely recovered.  He was ambitious and was out last fall with a party of surveyors on the Columbia Southern.  The work was too hard for him, and he returned to his home in Wasco, where the family reside.From this time on he slowly but surely succumbed to that dread disease, consumption, and was recently taken to Portland for treatment.  He was in the hotel the afternoon he died, complained of feeling weak.  He was helped to his room and there he suffered a great deal till he became unconscious half an hour before he died.He was known at his former home in Walla Walla by the youngest set as an affable, good-natured boy.  The many friends of the family in this and other places will hear the sad news with regret.  — Wasco News.Mrs. Sears received a telegram last Friday that her son Herman who was sick in Portland had died Thursday evening.  She and her family went to The Dalles Friday afternoon.  Mr. Sears who was in Portland accompanied the remains to The Dalles where the funeral took place.
• March 3, 1899
• In our last issue we were called upon to chronicle the death of C. Guinther, an old and respected resident of Sherman county, and now it is our sad duty to record the demise of his sorrowing wife, Catherine Guinther on February 23, she having survived her husband only four days.  Deceased has been in feeble health for several years and death was the result of a stroke of paralysis which followed nervous prostration caused by grief.

March 10, 1899

March 17, 1899

• Frank Smith of Biglow was stricken with paralysis on Wednesday of last week, and died in a few hours.  Mr. Smith was a member of the G. A. R. and respected by all who knew him.

March 24, 1899

March 31, 1899

Missing All of April, 1899

Missing May 5, and May 12, 1899

May 19, 1899

May 26, 1899

June 2, 1899

June 9, 1899

June 16, 1899

• Died – Mrs. Nancy Daugherty, aged 74 years, at Kent, Oregon, Monday, June 12th.  Funeral services were conducted at the house by Rev. Nickleson, and the remains were interred on the old homestead at 3 p.m. Tuesday.

June 23, 1899

• The 3-months-old baby of Reed Hulse died last Friday and was buried Saturday.  The family has the sympathy of their friends and neighbors in their bereavement.