John William Owen was born in Grayson County, Kentucky, December 26, 1849. John moved with his family to Riverside, Iowa. When a young man he came to Nebraska. On February 2, 1880, he was married to Charity D. Sanderson, at the First Baptist Church in McCool Junction, Nebraska. The young couple moved to their farm two and one half miles west of McCool and there made their home for 27 years. During this time, however, the family moved to Holyoke, Colorado in 1888, returning to their old home place in 1893. To this union were born six boys and one girl: William, now of Beaver Crossing; Frank of Ingham, Nebraska; Charles of Oakland, California; and Coleen Britt, of Lincoln. Three children, Leland, Lewis and Lyle; and three grandsons, Alan, son of William; John, son of Frank; and Byron, son of Paul and Coleen Britt, preceded Mr. Owen in death.

In 1907 the family moved to Farnam, Nebraska, where they resided until the death of Mrs. Owen April 21, 1923. Since that time Mr. Owen has made his home with his children, spending most of the last ten years with his daughter and family.

Mr. Owen had a patient quiet lovable disposition and was at all times a devoted husband and father, and a kindly neighbor and friend. When a young man he joined the Baptist church and has always retained his membership therein. He always enjoyed excellent health until the morning of December 1, 1939, when he suffered a stroke which caused him to be in a coma six days and never rallied from the coma and passed from this live at 7 A.M. December 7, 1939, in Lincoln, Nebraska, at the age of 89 years, eleven months and eleven days.

Mr. Owen leaves to mourn his loss, three sons, one daughter, three daughters-in-law, one son-in-law, one sister, eight grandchildren, and many relatives and friends. Mr. Owen’s last wish was that he be laid to rest beside his wife and near his old time friends. We who knew him best say of him now —

We shall meet, but we shall miss him, we shall hold his memory dear.
We shall linger to caress him for the love he gave us here.

Among those attending the funeral of John W. Owen at McCool were Mrs. Rhoda Meyer, a sister, Hastings, Nebr.; Miss Bernice Meyer, Hastings, Nebr.; Mr. & Mrs. Wm. Kistler, Roseland, Nebr.; Mr. and Mrs. Rufus Battreall, Lushton, Nebr.; Mr. and Mrs. Ray Hayes, Lushton, Nebr.; Mr. and Mrs. Wm. C. Muirhead, Hampton, Nebr.; Mr. and Mrs. Fred Carlisle, York, Nebr.; Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Lincoln and son of Lincoln; Mrs. E. W. Lincoln and daughter, J. F. Johnson, York, Nebr.; Maj. Wm. Morris, St. Louis, Mo.; and Wm. Martha, York, Nebr.; Mr. and Mrs. Temple of Lincoln.

The Beaver Crossing Times 34(50):1 Thursday, December 14, 1939