The venerable John Harmon is called to his reward.
Another of Keokuk's venerable citizens has been called to his reward. John Harmon died at 3:30 o'clock yesterday morning at his home, 1911 Reid Street, from ailments incident to old age, his final illness extending over a period of four weeks. He was 87 years, 2 months, and 22 days old.
John Harmon was one of the pioneers of Keokuk and Iowa having spent over half a century here. During that time Keokuk has grown frmo a village to a prosperous city and Iowa has become "Queen of States." His was an eventful and well spent life. A few years ago he once said, "I have lived loyalty to the law of my country and the law of God and have never been in a law suit, preferring to suffer loss rather than enter into one." That was no idle boast. And what a proud record! But it was entirely like the noble Christian gentleman he was.
Mr. Harmon was born May 30, 1805, in Jonesboro, TN, but was taken to Harrison county, Indiana when a child and when Indiana was yet a territory. There he grew to manhood enduring the hardships of pioneer life. He remembered when the Indians came into his neighborhood on a marauding expedition and killed, several families, the able bodied men being away from home serving under General Harrison. Mr. Harmon was married in 1829 to Miss Stacy Witt, who died, and in 1840 he married Miss Butler. She was the companion of his days until three years ago when she died.
In 1841, Mr. Harmon came to Keokuk , making the trip by boat down the Ohio and up the Mississippi. There were then but three houses here, they being built of logs. A frame house was under construction about on Third and Johnson streets and he helped complete it. Where now the Wells School stands, he settled a claim in the timber.
Despite his advanced years, Mr. Harmon could not remain idle when his country called for defenders, and at the breaking out of the civil war he enlisted in the Thirty-seventh Iowa, the famous old "Gray Beard" regiment, and was mustered in at Muscatine, Dec 15, 1862. Lacking nine days, he saw three years of service, enduring all the hardships of war and more than once being thought dead. Beside his own service, he gave to his country the lives of two sons who sleep on Shiloh's field. Previous to the civil war he did military dity, having for fifteen years been a member of a rifle company, similar to our present militia. When, during "Old Hickory" Jackson's rule, South Carolina first got the, secession fever, he turned out with his company to help bring the rebellious state into line.
Mr. Harmon was a republican in politics. He was a warm admirer of "Old Hickory" and helped elect him to the presidency. When the Whig party was born, he became identified with it and when it was merged into the Republican Party became a republican. He was a true and conscientious Christian, being identified with the First Methodist church at the time of his death. Or late years that work he did was in the form of market gardening.
Two sons, William and Leroy, and three daughters; Mrs. R.M. Criswell and Mrs. Sarah Hicks of Keokuk, and Mrs. A.J. Mefford of Oklahoma, survive him. By his request the funeral will take place from the family residence at 2 o'clock this afternoon. His remains will be buried in the Prouty Cemetery.