Dickinson Webster (1827-1889)

DICKINSON, DALEY, PERRY

Posted By: Barry Mateer (email)
Date: 1/27/2018 at 06:02:34

Dickinson Webster, one of the early settlers of Clarke county, died at his residence in west Osceola, Sunday morning, March third, 1889, of tumor of the stomach. Mr. Webster had been a great sufferer for several years prior to his death from the above cause. He was born in the state of Delaware, near Newcastle, May 14, 1827.

His father, Dickinson Webster, was also a native of Delaware, born in 1792, and his mother whose maiden name was Mary Daley, was born in Maryland in 1799.

In 1829, Dickinson Webster, Sr. moved with his family to Perry county, Ohio, living there until the fall of 1849, when he emigrated to Iowa, and in the spring of 1851, located in the southern part of Clarke county, in what is now Franklin township. When the county was organized in 1851, he was elected one of the commissioners, and served two terms.

He was a sturdy, energetic man, and was one of the prominent citizens during the early days of the county, assisting materially in its development. He died January 22, 1860. His widow survived him, having uniformly good health. She lives with a son-in-law at Plum Creek, Nebraska. This family consisted of fourteen children, twelve of whom lived to man and womanhood. Dickinson Webster, Jr., was one of the eldest of the family. He was but two years of age when his parents settled in Ohio, and in that state he grew to manhood. His educational advantages were necessarily limited, and would not all told, exceed one year’s attendance at school. He remained with his parents till manhood, and accompanied them to Iowa.

In April 1852, he was elected school fund commissioner of Clarke county, at that time a very important position, and served two terms, nearly four years. In June, 1854, he moved to Osceola where he lived till his death. He was engaged extensively in farming, owning at one time over nine hundred acres of land. He was married in 1852, to Miss Louisa Jane Perry. They had four children, T.B., Maggie M, (deceased) Edward A. and Hattie C.

Mr. and Mrs. Webster have been for many years members of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he has held important official positions. He was a member of the order of Free and Accepted Masons, and of Osceola Lodge, No. 77. His wife is lying now at the point of death, and at his request his body will not be laid away till her death occurs. This couple have led exemplary lives here, and are loved and respected by all who know them.

Osceola Weekly Sentinel March 7, 1889

An autopsy upon the body of Dickinson Webster, was made last Sunday, by Dr. Lawrence, at which the physicians of the town generally attended. The conclusion arrived at by the doctors assembled, was that Mr. Webster’s … was cancer of the form known as Colloid, originating in the spleen, and involving by proliferation almost all the abdominal viscera. The operation was very nicely performed, and reflects great credit upon Dr. Lawrence as a skilled surgeon.