Elza Maxson 1839-1907

MAXSON, SAINT, TODD, WYANT, BELL

Posted By: Sharon Elijah (email)
Date: 1/17/2018 at 17:15:26

14th March 1907 - West Branch Times

Elza Maxson was born Oct. 17th, 1839, near the present site of Muscatine, Muscatine County, Iowa, and departed this life Feb. 28, 1907.

He was the fourth son of William and Delila Maxson, of a family of six children. The other children, Jent Maxson of West Liberty, Ia., H. K. Maxson, T. W. Maxson and W. H. Maxson of Springdale, Iowa, and Mrs. Louisa Saint of Oakland, Cal., all of whom survive him and were present at the funeral, excepting the sister. A few weeks after his birth the family moved to Cedar county, Iowa, and located in a log cabin in the timber near Gray's Ford on the Cedar river. After about two years they moved to what is known as the Maxson farm. This place is about a mile distant from the timber and was the first permanent improvement on the prairie in Cedar county, on the west side of the Cedar river. His early life was spent on this farm. In 1860 he married Maria Todd and from this union five children were born: they are Mrs. O. B. Wyant of Winfield, Kas.; Mrs. A. D. Bell of Mason City, Iowa; L. S. Maxson of Tipton, Iowa; R. W. Maxson of Cedar Rapids; Hazel Maxson of Springdale, Iowa; all of whom with their mother, survive him, and were in attendance at the funeral.

During the winter of 1857-8 John Brown and his men were preparing for their raid on Harper's Ferry and spent the winter on the Maxson farm. During this period the deceased became a member of John Brown's Company; later on he joined a company organized for the protection of Barclay Coppock, one of Brown's men, who escaped after the Harpers Ferry raid and was a fugitive from the law.

With the exception of a few weeks following his birth and a few months near Des Moines, his whole life was spent in Cedar county, within a few miles of the old home place. His was a life simple and pure, his acquaintances and friends many. To know him was to love him. He was a man of firm convictions and always stood out boldly for what he believed to be right and just. His door was open to the strangers as well as the friend and it always seemed to be a pleasure to lend a helping hand to the sick and needy. He died as he live, firm in the convictions of higher and better life.

The funeral was conducted by Will J. Erwood, a noted Liberal and Spiritualist Lecturer, of Peru, Ind. It had been arranged to hold the funeral services at the home of the deceased, but owing to the inclemency of the weather, the kind offer of the Friends church was accepted. He was interred in the Springdale cemetery.