Obituary

Death has again invaded the rapidly thinning ranks of the Civil War veterans by removing from our midst, William Dalton, who for more than half a century had been identified with the life of the community, first as an original homesteader in 1871 and since as a prominent farmer of Lakin township.

He had been in pour health for the past two years but was able to be up and about the house up to within two weeks of his death which came peacefully at 6:15 Friday morning after he had laid in a state of coma for five days.

William Dalton was born in St. Lawrence county, New York, Feb. 19, 1839 and died at Halstead, Kansas, April 13, 1923, aged 84 years, 1 month and 24 days. At the age of three he moved with his parents to Delavan, Wisconsin where he grew to young manhood and at the beginning of the Civil War he enlisted in Company D, 10th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. He served under Gen. Thomas through a number of important battles and after a long service in the field he was captured by the Southerners and was an inmate of the famous prisons at Libby, Florence and Andersonville for nearly fifteen months when he was exchanged and reached home in broken health.

He was maarried to Jane Freeman in 1867 and with her moved to Missouri, coming to Kansas in 1871. A few months after arriving here, his wife died and he returned to Wisconsin. In 1876 he again came to Kansas and has resided her ever since. In 1879 he was married to Inez Williams, to which union one child was born, Bertha, who lived only nine years to gladden the hearts of her parents. After her death, he received his niece, Mrs. Bertha Lawrence into his home and she became his adopted daughter.

In 1883 he united with the Methodist Church. He was a loving husband and kind father and besides his wife and daughter, he leaves to mourn his death, his son-in-law, Harry Lawrence, three grandchildren, two brothers, Nathan Dalton of Indianapolis and Henry Dalton of Delevan, Wisconsin, one sister, Mrs. Ellen Redford of Seward, Nebraska and amd other relatives and friends.

Funeral services were held from the late home which were largely attended by old friends and neighbors who wished to pay a tribute of respect to the pioneer and Civil War Veteran whom they knew so well and esteemed so highly. The five surviving veterans in and near Halstead are W. C. Cadwell, John M. Hoover, Fred Fein, James Mounts and John Hoffman who were present to honor the memory of their Comrade as was also Comrade Pitzer of the Centenial neighborhood.

Burial was in Halstead Cemetery. The American Legion was well represented and they carried out the details of a military funeral at the Cemetery where the salute was fired and taps sounded as the remains were deposited in their last resting place.