Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 April 1902 — M. F. CHILCOTE DEAD. [ARTICLE]

M. F. CHILCOTE DEAD.

One of the Oldest Practitioners at the Jasper County Bar Answers the Death Summons. '4 Capt. Mordecai F, Chilcote, whose serious illness had been noted in these columns recently, died very suddenly at his home on North Division street in this city about 9 o’clock Sunday night. His health had been very poor for some years and during the past few weeks he had been very dangerously sick.’ He had apparently nearly recovered from this illness, however, and was out buggy riding Sunday afternoon, between two and three o’clock. In the evening he appeared better than usual and chatted with his nurse, Mr. Imes, for sometime before retiring, which he did about 9 o’clock. Shortly thereafter Mr. Imes heard him breathing heavily and at once went to his bedside, but he was even then dead, so sudden had the summons came. "f. The funeral was held yesterday at 2:00 p. m., from the Presbyterian church, Rev. A. G. Work conducting the services. As a tribute of respect to an old, prominent and honored citizen, the business houses closed during the funeral services. The G. A. R , F. <fc A. M., and K. of P’s. attended the funeral in a body, and the burial ceremonies were under the direction of the Masons, of which order deceased had been a member for over 40 years. The interment was made in Weston cemetery.

[Mordecai F. Chilcote was the fifth child of a family of fourteen children, eleven boys and three girls, and was born in Polk, formerly Wayne, now Ashland county, Ohio, Nov. 4, 1840. He was named for both his father and grandfather, each of whose names were Mordecai. His father was a carpenter by trade and located in Perry tp., Wood county, Ohio, in the early thirties.- This was at that time the Western frontier. In November iB6O, Mordecai came to Jasper county and taught school at Pleasant Grove during the winter of 1860-61. In April, 1861, he enlisted in Col. Milroy's regiment in the three months service, returning home at the expiration of his service, and being taken sick did not re-enlist with his old regiment, but in September he enlisted in Co. K, 38th Indiana Vol., and served until the close >f the war, being promoted to Captain of his Company. A peculiar coincidence in connection with ms sickness was that Willis J. Imes of this city, nursed him during his sickness when he first came home from the war, nursed him in a sickness some years ago, and was acting in a like capacity at the time of bis death. He had five brothers in the war of the rebellion—James and Samuel, (twins), Thomas, John C., and William B. James was wounded and taken prisoner at the battle of Strawberry Plains, in East Tennessee, and was taken to Andersonville prison, Georgia, where he died in prison. Samuel died in 1892. Thomas, John C., and William B„ still survive. He was married to Lizzie Hammond of Barkley tp., Jasper county, a sister of Judge E. P. Hammond, now of L.afayette, Sept. 26, 1865. To this Union two sons were boin, Fred L., of this city, and Gaylord H. of Los Angeles, California. His wife died in 1886. In 1866 7 Mr. studied law here with E. P. Hammond and Thomas |. Spitler. He wae admitted to the lasper county bar in 1866, and Judge Thompson is the only living attorney whose membership antedated Mr.Chilcote's. He had practiced law here continuously since his graduation and held many local appointave offices, such as member ol school board, republican county chairman, commander of the G. A. R., Post, etc. He was a member of the G. A. R., post and also a Mason and K. of P., member, in both of which orders he had held h'gh offices. While never elected to any office he was once or twice a candidate for the republican nomination for circuit ‘judge and was once a candidate for the legislature, being defeated by George H. Brown, and was a very prominent citizen. Mr. Chilcote leaves two children, an aged mother, five br itners—Thomas C., of Elma, Wash., John C., and William 8., of Rensselaer; Addison S., of Fredonia, Kan.; Biuce 8., of Eckford, Mich.—and one sister, the wife of Dr. Merry of Mt. Ayr.]