FIRE CAUSE OF DEATH - SAMUEL FARQUHAR

FARQUHAR

Posted By: Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert (email)
Date: 11/12/2001 at 19:31:10

Decatur County Journal
November 4, l909

SAMUEL FARQUHAR, one of Leon's pioneer
business men and a representative
citizen, met death last Friday afternoon
shortly before four o'clock in
a fire at his home on south Main Street in
this city.

Just how the fire started is not
definitely known as MR. FARQUHAR was
alone at the time, MRS. FARQUHAR having
stepped across the street to the
home of MR. and MRS. L.P. SIGLER for a few
moments. MR. FARQUHAR smoked
a great deal and it is thought that
perhaps he dropped a lighted match
upon some papers upon the floor which the
fire started. Some of the
physicians think it possible that MR.
FARQUHAR might have expired from
an attack of heart failure and his pipe
falling upon the floor caused
the fire. MISS GEORGIA GARDNER, who was
passing the house, and WM. RAY
and CHARLES GUNTER, who were across the
street and a little south, near
the SIGLER home, discovered the fire about
the same time.
MISS GARDNER saw that the building was on
fire inside and she ran to the
door finding that the south room occupied
by MR. FARQUHAR, was in
flames. She ran to the house of MR.
FARQUHAR's son, HORACE FARQUHAR, a
few steps away, and notified MRS.
FARQUHAR. MRS. FARQUHAR telephoned an
alarm to her son, ED FARQUHAR, at the
store and then ran to the home of
her father-in-law.

She entered from the rear and found that
the south room was burning
fiercely. In a few minutes many people
were running towards the house,
and an alarm was sounded from the electric
light plant. As the people
arrived at the scene, they discovered that
MR. FARQUHAR was in the house
and that his death had certainly occurred
as a result of the fire. Upon
arrival of the fire department chemical
fire extinghishers were brought
into use in addition to the fire engine,
and after some hard work the
flames were subdued sufficiently to allow
the removal of the body. As
the men who carried the body from the
house, entered, they found that he
had been sitting in a chair at the foot of
the bed where his death had
occurred. The remains were tenderly
carried to a spot near the HORACE
FARQUHAR home and an undertaker summoned.

The death is a sad one indeed and the
bereaved wife and relatives of the
deceased have the sincere sympathy of all
in their sad bereavement.
The funeral was held on Saturday afternoon
at the home of his son,
HORACE FARQUHAR, the services being in
charge of the Masonic Lodge, of
which he was a beloved member. As a mark
of respect to the man who had
done much for the development of Leon and
Decatur County, the stores of
the city closed during the funeral.

SAMUEL FARQUHAR was one of a family of ten
children being the seventh
child of DAVID and JUDITH FARQUHAR. He
was born in Tyrone County,
Ireland, June 22, l837, and died November
5th in his 73rd year. He
emigrated to America in l854 at the age of
l7. He remained in New York
State for a short time and then coming
west, he settled at Garden Grove,
in Decatur County, Iowa, in l858, where in
the same year he was united
in marriage to MISS MARY F. MARSHALL who
survives him. To this union
were born two sons, HORACE and GEORGE R.,
who also survive him. He was a
tinner by trade and worked at that in
Garden Grove until l862 when he
came to Leon and engaged in the hardware
and tinning business. He was
active in that most successful business
until l887 when he turned the
store over to his sons, HORACE and GEORGE
FARQUHAR, and has since that
time lived a life of retirement.

In the later months of his life, he has
been an invalid under the gentle
care of his devoted wife and children. He
was made a Mason in the Grand
River Lodge of Leon in l866 and from that
time has been a valued and
enthusiastic member of the fraternity. He
was one always willing to
stretch forth a helping hand to a fallen
brother.

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Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert
November 7, 200l
*There is a picture along with this
article; it is not a very clear one,
however, I will scan and send it to anyone
who might want it.