Obituary

Enoch Mead

After long usefulness he rests well

His death at his Rockingham home Tuesday afternoon

- the outlines of a career filled with good deeds for his fellow men

- a pioneer preacher and teacher.

At his home in Rockingham, this city, at 5 o'clock on Tuesday morning, occurred the death of Rev. Enoch Mead. This news, notwithstanding the advanced age of Mr. Mead, will be a surprise of a sad nature to the people of this city. In spite of his 83 years Mr. Mead was active, blest with what seemed to be the vigor of a truly green old age, and it was not generally known that he had been stricken with serious illness. He had, however, some trouble of a dropsical nature. This, with the many minor infirmities of old age, combined to bring his life to a close. Six weeks ago he began to fail, though three weeks ago he was able to come to the city and transact some little business as had been his wont for so many years. He was perfectly conscious and rational till very near the end. He died, as he had always lived, peacefully, confidently, serene and untroubled.

Mr. Mead was born in Greenwich, Conn., Sept. 2, 1809. His father was Col. Ebenezer Mead, and with his mother was of Puritan descent. His grandfather, Gen. Ebenezer Mead, is well known to students of American history of the period of the revolution. He was a friend of Gen. Israel Putnam, of revolutionary and wolf den fame. The farm on which he lived at the outbreak of that struggle, and on which his son, the colonel, lived after him, and on which the subject of this sketch spent his early boyhood, included the rocky precipice over which Gen. Putnam rode his horse headlong down a flight of stairs, with a troop of British dragoons in full cry behind him, safely escaping. Gen. Mead stood hard by and saw this historical event, familiar in many history books of today. Our lamented townsman was never weary of referring to his boyhood home, and treasured its associates very dearly, holding to them with closer grasp as his years increased.

At the age of 14 Mr. Mead left the farm to enter school at Stamford, Conn. Two years later he passed the examination for Yale. In September, 1826, he entered that institution. In September, 1830, he graduated, one of a class of 70 members. Soon after he entered the theological seminary at Auburn, NY, studying for the Presbyterian ministry. Before his three year course was finished he was licensed to preach, in April, 1833. His first public appearance in the pulpit was at Lockport, NY, Jan. 8, 1834, he was ordained to the ministry, and installed as pastor of the Congregational church at New Haven, Vt, succeeding Rev. Dr. Bates, afterward president of Middlebury college. In addition to his clerical work he was appointed chaplain of the 3d brigade of the Vermont militia.

The severe weather of the Vermont winters decided Mr. Mead to seek a milder climate, and he set his face toward the then new west. He resigned his pastorate in the spring of 1837, boxed his library and household goods and sent them by river to this place and with his wife and small son in a wagon set out for the overland drive of more than 1,200 miles. This undertaking, unthought of in this day of rail communication, was carried out without serious difficulty. The arrival here was made in a month's time after the start. He had previously made the trip by way of the Ohio river and the Mississippi to this city, or the pace where it was soon to be. While he was stopping at Alton for a few days recovering from the ardors of a 3-week's journey, a pro-slavery mob looted the office of the Alton Observer, published by Owen and Elijah Lovejoy, and the latter was ruthlessly murdered. The funeral was attended by Mr. Mead, and he assisted in the obsequies, being the only clergyman present. From Alton he went up the Illiois to Peoria and thence to Knoxville, near Galesburg, after which he walked to Rock Island. He crossed the river to this place, then consisting of about half a dozen families. He went on to Rockingham, the county seat at that time and far more important than Davenport. He was heartily welcomed. A preacher was then the one thing needful on this side of the river, and the field opened so auspiciously before him that he could but choose to stay. It was after thus fixing in his mind the place where he was to live and work that he went back to New England and brought to the west his little family.

Mr. Mead entered heartily into the work before him at the outset. He gathered a congregation at once, organized a Presbyterian church, and officiated at its minister till the town declined by reason of the greater growth of this city. He organized and taught the first school in Rockingham, or on this side of the river in this vicinity. He made himself useful in every way possible, and was a gentle but none the less positive power for the good of the community.

The decline of the town in which he had located did not draw Mr. Mead from its confines, as was the case with most of the other residents. He retained his residence there. When the church that he had founded and ministered to dissolved because all its members had removed, he devoted himself to the outside work of a local missionary. He made tours to the distance of 100 miles from home, exposed to all the vicissitudes of the prairies and the weather, till his failing strength admonished him that better care must be taken of his health or it would fail him, when he gave up this hard life and settled down in Rockingham, devoting himself to his small fruit farm and living a quiet, retired but very useful though unobtrusuve life. During his missionary work he planted the standard of the gospel in many neighborhoods in this and surrounding counties where it had not hitherto been raised.

After his retirement Mr. Mead played the part of a good citizen by taking part in church work where he could, by doing all in his power to alleviate the distresses of the poor and unfortunate, and by trying, as fell in his power and province, to make those around him wiser and better. He was an enthusiastic member of the Old Settlers' association, and served as its president. He served one term as county supervisor, though not by his own seeking, and filled other offices of trust and responsibility as became a good citizen. He took an active interest in horticulture, and was for years a well known member of the Iowa State Horticultural society, and often attended its annual conventions. His home was a pleasant one, well filled with standard books and current literature of the first order. His life continued in this even tenor down to its close.

Mr. Mead was married, at Middlebury, Vt., Jan. 20, 1835, to Miss Mary E. James, daughter of a veteran of the war of 1812. They had two children, both of whom are living. James R. Mead is a well to do citizen of Wichita, Kansas, and Miss Mary Elizabeth Mead is at home, the stay and comfort of her aged mother, who is thus saddened by the death of her companion of nearly sixty years.