Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 May 1910 — JUDGE THOMPSON DIES SUDDENLY. [ARTICLE]

JUDGE THOMPSON DIES SUDDENLY.

Was An Old and Prominent Citizen ot Jasper County. ■ ■ ■ ■ . • • END CAME SUNDAY EVENING At 6:30 After a Day In Which He Had Seemed More Improved Than for Some Time —Was Talking With His Son-in-law, H.' R. Kurrie, When the Death Messenger Suddenly Appeared—End of a Long and Active Career.

tx-judge Simon I*. Thompson I suddenly at his home in Rensselaer at about 6:30 o’clock Sunday evening. He had seemed more active than usual that day, had walked over to the home of his brother-in-law, Frank Foltz, nearby, and was out with his son Firman for a short auto ride during the afternoon. At the time Jhe summons came he sat talking ,with his son-in-law, Harry R. Kurrie, who had just told him the precise location of Charley Moody’s new house in Barkley tp., which Mr. .Thompson had never Mr. Kurrie asked Mr. Thompson if he understood him as to just where it was located, and he replied that he did. Then he suddenly gasped one? or twice and it was all over. The nurse, Miss McCarthy, had but a moment before stepped out of the room to close a window, and Mr. Kurrie was alone with him when he died.

Mr. Thompson had been in very poor health for several months, - and his immediate friends had realized that the end was not far off. Knowing this it ‘must certainly be a relief to them that his end was so peaceful and painless. Bright’s disease, with which he was afflicted, often causes blood poisoning from which much suffering ensues before death comes. Heart disease was the immediate cause of his death.

In the death of Judge Thompson Rensselaer and Jasper county loses one of her oldest and most prominent citizens and removes another of the few remaining pioneers of this section of Indiana, and soon they will all live only in the memory- of the generations left behind. One by one they are* passing to that bourne from which no traveler e’et; refturns, and Jasper county mourns to-day with the family and friends of one of the most prominent of these.

The funeral will be Tfejd from the residence to-day at 2 p. m., Rev. H. L. Kindig of Rochester, Ind-, conducting the services, assisted by Rev. C. L. Harper of Trinity M. E. chilrch of this city. The casket will be open for friends who wish to see the remains from 10 ( to 12 this forenoon, buj will be closed during the funeral services. Interment in Weston cemetery. "" - The following obituary was prepared by the friends:

[Judge Simon Parr Thompson, of Rensselaer, was judge of the judicial circuit comprising Jasper, Benton and Newton and for many years was a member of the bar and one of our post prominent citizens. He was born in Orange township, Hancock county, Ohio, May 8, 1838, his parents being David and Eliza (McCoy) Thompson. His father, David Thompson,was born in Loudoun county,. .Virginia, January .0, 1798, arid was but a small boy when his parents moved to Stark county, Ohio. July 7, 1825, he was united in marriage to Miss Eliza McCoy, a native o? Columbiana county; Ohio. David Thoinpson took his family to Hancock cqunty, Ohio, where he entered eighty acres of land and was a prominent figure in the history elf those days*. He was a man of in*dustrious- habits and sterling integrity, arid accumulated a large amount of land; enabling him to giye to each Of his children eightyacres. They were the parents of ten children, seven sons and three

daughters. Ou Christmas day, 1853, the parents and ten children held their last familj- reunion, as the family circle has been sadly broken since then. In less than two months, on February 16, 1854, thebeloved father passed to the invisible world, and September 20, 1861, the affectionate wife and mother also passed away. Since then all but one of. their children have joined them in the world, there to await the final reunion. Isaac Thompson, the remaining child, being with us to-day. The record is as follows: Matilda, born February 25, 1828, died July 19, 1864; Isaac, bom February 25, 1828; Alfred, born February 17, 1829, died in Rensselaer, March 3, 1896; Elizabeth, born July 2, 1831, died December 10, 1860; Hiram, born May 16, 1833, died March 4, 1864; David J., born September li, 1836; died July 12, 1901; Simon P., born May 8, 1838, died May 15, 1910; Thomas, born August 4, 1841, died July 18, 1899; Mary, born August 13, 1843, died September 28, 1961,; Hawkins L., born April 24, 1845, died September 28, 1862. The surviving brother, Isaac, resides near the old homestead ,Jn Ohio. .

The school advantages enjoyed by Judge Thompson were such as were usually found in new, thinly settled countries. He attended common school for three months in the year from the time he was of school age until he was fifteen. The building was a primitive affair, constructed of logs, and was reached by a walk of two miles through the timber. By the time he was fifteen years old he had acquired sufficient knowledge of the rudimentary branches to enable him to engage in pedagogy. A year later he suffered a severe blow in the lose of his father. About thisi time he entered an academy for a term, and the following year was a student in Otterbein University. He taught at intervals w*hile attending school, and it was not until 1859 that he was able to graduate at the Northwestern formal school at Cincinnatti. Three years' later he was elected' teacher of the school at Rensselaer, Indiana, where he taught two years;, w T as next appointed school examiner of Jasper county, and then accepted a position in the bank of McCoy & ‘Thompson, where he remained one year. In the meantime he had devoted all his spare time to the study of law, and haying fully determined to take up that profession he entered the law department of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and soon mastered its intricacies. He graduated there on January 1, 1866, formed a partnership with Robert S. Dwigglns, in this place, which lasted for three years'. He then became a partner id the law firm of Thompson & Brother, which until our subject was elected to the office 'of judge in 1896. In the meantime he had served as prosecuting attorney for four years—from 1872 to 1876. In 1886 he was elected to the senate of Indiana, and filled the office four years with credit to himself and his constituents. He displayed high ability as a legislator, and was a most satisfactory representative of the people. As prosecuting attorney he was called on to conduct some of the most important cases ever tried in the circuit.

For more than a quarter of a century Thompson & Brother was the leading law firm in Jasper county, and were deservedly popular, as the firm was public spirited and did all in its power to advance the public interests. The educational Interests of the county owe their advancements in a large measure to Judge Thompson, who, as a teacher and examiner, was the first to in-

traduce and advocate normal methods of instruction, and bis Influence as an educator is still manifest in the excellent school system of Jasper county And Rensselaer. His enterprise, was also manifested in other improvements, railroads, . grave! roads, highways, ditches, and public buildings having received substantial aid from him. both in time and money. It largely through, bis influence that the milldams on the Iroquois river were removed, resulting in great benefit to public health. He bought large properties of non-residents and sold to actual settlers. He reclaimed a large tract of swamp land in Union township by the construction of over fifteen miles of ditches, and thia land he has divided into a large number of farms, each bearing special names. Which he has placed on sale at such easy terms that poor men were enabled to become land owners. As a lawyer he was remarkably able and successful. His character was above reproach, and he received the respect he so richly merited. On October 10, 1878, he was married to Miss Mary Foltz, of Oxford, this state. She was born in Tippecanoe county, and is a daughter of Cyrus and Mary Foltz. Their union was blessed by the birth of five children, viz: Grace, born August 18, 1879, died February 10, 1907; Parr, bom July 28, 18 80, and died August 22 of the same year; Edna, born September 18, 1882; Rirman, August 27, -4880, and Simon, February 18, 1893. After retiring from the bench, on account of the health of his wife, he gave up practically the law prac tice and for the past few years has devoted his time in trying to restore his wife back to health, going south each winter for that purpose, spending this last winter in Florida. While there he became sick and returned to his home on Friday, March 25, 1910, and gradually failing until Sunday, May 15, 1910, at 6:30 o’clock, when he breathed his last. The remaining members of his family are his wife, his daughter Edna, and eons Firman and Simon.]