Thaddeus W. Maxson 1837-1934

MAXSON, NEGUS, HOLLOWAY, YATES, BAKER

Posted By: Sharon Elijah (email)
Date: 4/20/2018 at 07:53:16

8 February 1934 - West Branch Times

Word came Wednesday morning of the death of Thaddeus W. Maxson, 96, at his home at Pasadena, Calif., following a fall in which his hip was broken and a subsequent attack of pneumonia. Mr. Maxson was formerly of Springdale and well known here. He was a member of the G.A.R. Post during its existence at West Branch and was prominent in public affairs.

His sons Rufus of Omaha and Willard S. Maxson of this place were with him when he died. Two daughters, Mrs. Edwin Negus of Springdale and Mrs. Nannie Holloway of Iowa City, and another son, Hillis of Des Moines, also survive. Burial will be made in the west. An obituary will be published in the Times next week.

15 February 1934 - West Branch Times

Thaddeus W. Maxson, the last survivor of the immediate Wm. Maxson family, passed away at his home in Pasadena, Calif., on Feb. 6th in his 97th year, he having been born June 30th, 1837, in Harrison county, Ohio.

At an early age the family left Ohio, loading their possessions on a flat boat and floating down the Ohio river to its junction with the Mississippi and to the boat landing near Muscatine. This was in 1839. They settled on the farm known as the William Gray farm.

He was a friend and supporter of John Brown and was associated with Brown and his men during the time they spent in his father's home in the winter of 1857 and 1858. Three years later came the Civil War and he enlisted in October, 1861, in the 10th Kansas Infantry, and was in service three years, after which he received his honorable discharge.

He returned to Iowa and was married to Miss Lydia H. Yates of Ashtabula, Ohio. To this union five children were born, Hillis A. of Des Moines, Willard S. of West Branch, Rufus Y. of Omaha, Mrs. Edwin Negus of West Liberty and Mrs. A. C. Holloway of Iowa City, all of whom survive. His wife died in 1902. Mr. Maxson later went to California and in 1908 was united in marriage to Miss Hattie S. Baker of New York, who survives him.

Mr. Maxson's early life was very active, engaging in farming, stock buying and he was also a successful auctioneer. He was public spirited, always taking an active place in all civic affairs and doing all he could to make the community a better place in which to live. In 1892 he was made chief doorkeeper of the Iowa House of Representatives, to which position he was appointed for five consecutive terms. He enjoyed good health throughout his entire life until a month before his death, when he had pneumonia and while convalescing fell and broke his right hip which resulted in his death. His sons Willard and Rufus were at his bedside when he passed away. The funeral services occurred at Pasadena on Thursday afternoon, Feb. 8th, from the Turner and Steven Co. funeral home and interment was made at the Mountain View Mausolemn.