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From: "Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert" <>
Subject: OBITUARY - REV. DANIEL WINTERS
Date: Fri, 02 Mar 2001 12:00:57 -0500

The Decatur County Journal
July l7, l886

OBITUARY:

REV. DANIEL WINTERS who departed this life at his home near the old town
of Peoria, Wayne County, Iowa, on the l0th of July, l886, was one of our
oldest settlers, and the name of Gospel Ridge was given on account of
his being the first settler and a preacher.

MR. WINTERS came to Garden Grove to look at the country in the summer of
l879, from Lee County. He entered a section of land mostly covered with
timber. Everyone thought it a great investment but it did not prove so,
as the prairie land arount it became most valuable. First settlers have
to profit by the experience of others.

In the fall, MR. WINTERS and MORDECAI SMITH, with their families came,
and the former moved directly on his land, and the latter, across the
way, thinking it government land. He built the log house that still
stands across the road from the school house, but finding it had been
deeded by someone, left and made a claim across from ALLEN BYOR'S. Both
camped while building their houses.

The subject of this sketch was born in Virginia, in l805, and came to
Greene County, Pennsylvania when quite young, and to Jefferson County,
Ohio, in l82l. He was married to a widow BUMGARNER at Ironton, Ohio,
about l828, where they resided a year and a half in Lee County, Iowa,
before coming to Decatur County. Of the nine children, MRS. REBECCA
HUFFORD, died in California; MRS. MATILDA NORRIS, rests on Gospel
Ridge; JOSEPH, the sacrifice for the Union, died of sickness at Cairo.
The only child now living near the old home is MRS. R.M. MCBROOM. MR.
WINTER'S first wife died in the spring of l872.

After a few years, he married MRS. GREEN, a widow of one of his
parishioners in Wayne County, and for a few years past has lived there.
His health has been failing for some time, yet death came suddenly, and
owing to the extreme heat, his family here were not at the funeral.
He is buried at the Rush burying ground. He had been a minister in the
Missionary Baptist Church for over fifty years. He has launched many
out on matrimony's uncertain sea. During these long years among us, he
has made the last prayers, spoken the words of comfort to friends, and
watered with his tears the graves of departed ones. He is bound by the
strong tie that holds all old settlers in memory.
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Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert

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