Decatur County Journal Leon, Iowa Thursday, March 28, 1912 BENJAMIN DREW DEKALB, son of SAMUEL and SUSANNA DEKALB, was born in London County, Virginia, on the 17th day of July, 1841. Died March 29, 1912, being 70 years, 8 months and 3 days old. He studied medicine and graduated from Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the year 1865, going from there to Sharpsburg Maryland, where he practiced with Dr. A.A. Biggs until 1868. Here he was married to MARGARET A. SMITH on the 18th day of January, 1866, who with four children, HARVEY DUNGLESON, at home; Mrs. L.P. VAN WERDEN, Leon, Iowa; Mrs. E.H. SHARP, Leon, Iowa; Mrs. L.J. LANDIS, Grand River, Iowa, survive him. In the fall of 1868, they came to Leon, Iowa, and lived in the house with Dr And Mrs. Gardner until the following spring when they moved to the farm which has been their home for 43 years. He followed his profession after coming here, riding miles and miles over the prairies and unbroken country, over rough roads and trails frequently being called into adjoining counties and into Missouri, enduring the trials and hardships that came to the pioneer doctor. In 1880, on account of poor health, he gave up active practice. From then on he engaged in managing his farm, in mercantile and banking, until 13 years ago when he retired from all business. Nine years ago the disease that caused his illness developed, and while he has been a continuous sufferer, yet he bore it all patiently and was ready to go when the summons came. He united with the M.E. Church, at Sharpsburg, Maryland, when 25 years of age. After coming west being so far distant, he was denied church privileges but never lost faith in his God. Funeral services were conducted at the home Friday at 1 o'clock by Rev. J.L. Boyd, Glidden, Iowa, formerly Pastor of the M.E. Church, Leon. The remains were then borne by train to Leon and tenderly laid to rest just as the sun was going down behind the western hills. The floral tributes were many and beautiful. Dr. DEKALB was a man of strong and admirable character. Quiet and retiring by nature, he was nevertheless firm in his convictions, persistent in his purposes, steadfast in his friendships and faithful to every trust. How sad it all is! One instinctively shudders in imagining the disorder and havoc and chaos which might characterize this sphere of mortal habitation, if it were not for the innate conviction that death cannot possibly end all and that the curtain which veils our eyes and refuses us permission to see the morrow or beyond the grave is simply the dividing line between two realms of existence. ---------------------------------------------------- Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert December 28, 2009 [email protected]