Obituary
The following was copied from a newspaper article in the ALEXANDER file at the Geneva (IL) Historical Society Museum. Wealthy (SIKES) ALEXANDER, married to Julius Tozier ALEXANDER, was the sister of Pamelia SIKES WORSLEY. The name of the paper had been omitted. This article should have been dated about March 29, 1893. Kearney is in Nebraska.

A resident of Kearney. Deep sympathy is felt for the bereaved ones.
At 10:25 A.M. of Pneumonia, Honorable J. W. SMALL
Aged 46 yrs., 5 mo. & 29 days

The funeral services were held on Thursday afternoon from the M.E. church of which deceased was a member. Rev. Duke Slavens preached a most eloquent sermon taking his text from First St. John, fifth chapter and 4th verse: "this is the victor that overcometh the world, even your faith." The remains were then followed to Greenwood Cemetery by his Masonic brethern, the G.A.R. post, of which he had been an active member, and a large number of friends of the family both from home and abroad. At the grave, the Masonic fraternity performed the last sad but beautiful rites in the manner peculiar to that organization, every line and sentiment of which is balm to afflicted hearts and advice and counsel to his living brethern.


Honorable James Warren SMALL was born on Grand Manan, an island in the bay of Fundy, belonging to the province of New Brunswick. He was the oldest of a family of 10 children, six of whom were boys and four girls. Those surviving him are Leonard, Judson, Alfred, John, Julia and Ellen. When he was 10 years old, his family removed to Lee County, Illinois, where they resided until 1868. In January 1862, when a lad of a little over 15 yrs., he enlisted in Battery G Second Ill. Light Art., in which he served with honor and distinction till the close of the war.

On November 21, 1869, Mr. SMALL was married to Mary Ann WORSELEY at Geneva, Illinois and since that time they have toiled on life's pathway together, their union being blessed with eight children, 5 girls and 3 boys. Their oldest child, a son, died in Red Oak, Iowa, and a baby daughter left this earth in Fairfield. The other six children still remain at home to cheer the mother's declining years.

In 1868, James Warren SMALL removed to Red Oak where he lived until 1873, in which year he again moved; this time to Clay County, Nebraska. A part of his residence in this state was spent on a farm near Fairfield, but most of his time has been spent in business. During his residence in Fairfield, Mr. SMALL purchased the Fairfield News at that time the only paper in the place, and in the capacity of printer on that sheet, this editor became first intimately acquainted with Mr. SMALL as editor of the News. Mr. SMALL proved his ability as a writer and earned the best wishes of the editorial fraternity all over the state. Later he became engaged in the banking business and later still in the handling of blooded draft horses. During this later period Mr. SMALL met with some very serious reverses financially and was finally forced into bankruptcy, largely through his trust and confidence in business men with whom he had been associated. Bankwrecker Mosher of . . .

The rest of the article was missing.

Submitted by:
Cathy Murdoch
[email protected]