Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 January 1909 — Distinguished Former Resident Dies. [ARTICLE]

Distinguished Former Resident Dies.

Miss Sarah E Rees, who makes her htfmo in Rensselaer with her half brother, Yf. C. Babcock, recently received a clipping from an Ocean Fa k, Cal., newspaper, which reviewed the life of William D. Lee, her sister’s husband, whose death occurred on Dec. 23rd. As Mr. Lee one time lived in Rensselaer and will be remembered by many of our older resident we here publish in full the account of his life from the Ocean Park paper: Former Judge William D. Lee, a pioneer of New Mexico, and a member of the celebrated Lee family of Virginia, died yesterday afternoon at his home in Ocean Park, surrounded by all members of his family except one son. His death ends a life that was closely related to many men of national importance, to the history of New Mexico, and, In a domestic way, one that had been blessed with over fifty years of conjugal felicity, his golden Wedding ce'ebfation at Albuquerque two years ago having been shared by the whole Territory. Mr. Lee went to New Mexico with Gen. Lew Wallace, author of “BenHur,” in 1876, and, while the famous author was Territorial Governor, was his companion in many excursions through the wild country. On one trip they were lost in the mountains for days, and were just about to give up the fight for life when a light shone suddenly in the darkness. It was in the home of a mountain prospector, and Lee often said he believed that, if the light had not appeared, the world would never have known “Ben-Hur.” Mr. Lee was born in Richmond, Ind., November 8, 1830, and was married to Naomi A. Rese at Rensselaer, that State, in May, 1856. He studied law at Ashbury University (now Depauw,) and practiced until the Civil War began, when he enlisted and was Imade a captain in the One Hundred and Thirty-fifth Indiana Volunteers. After the war he went to Terre Haute, Ind., where he was associated in the practice of law with ColRichard W. Thompson, who was Secretary of the Navy in h Cabinet of President Hayes. Lee was active in politics in Indiana befoe he left the State to take up practice at Las Vegas, N. M. Among his fast friends; other than Gen. Wallace and Col. Thompson, was Benjamin Harrison, afterward president, and who appointed him Territorial Judge for the Second District of New Mexico. His home was at Albuquerque until two years ago, when he moved to Ocean Park. He leaves, besides the widow, five Children —Victor H. Lee, of Raton, N. M.; Mrs. Rose Lee Hunt, of Ocean Park, Fred W. and Harry F. Lee, of Albuquerque and Fred E. Lee, of Imperial, also twleve grandchildren. All the children except the son, Victor, were with him at the time of death.