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John C. Davis of Wiconsco – His Last Year, 1918
Posted By Norman Gasbarro on October 24, 2018
John C. Davis, was born 18 May 1846, in Wales, and emigrated to the United States only a few years before the Civil War.
In 1890, he was living in Wiconisco, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, and reported to the census that he had served in the 179th Ohio Infantry, Company G, as a Private.
The above Pension Index Card from Fold3 shows that in August 1903, John C. Davis applied for and received a pension based on that service. Following his death, which occurred on 25 September 1918 at Wiconisco, his widow, Jane [Price] Davis, applied for benefits, which she received until her death in 1919.
Four interesting articles appeared in area newspapers in 1918. The first, from the Lykens Standard of 26 April 1918i:
Monday 23 April at 10:30 A.M., sermon by the pastor, Rev. John J. Hunt, on the text, “We Would See Jesus.” 7 P.M. Flag Presentation Service. A splendid American flag will be purchased and presented to the church by Mr. John C. Davis of Wiconisco. Mr. Davis, a veteran of the Civil War, is giving the flag to the church out of the patriotism of his heart and for the cause of liberty….
The second article was from the Lykens Standard of 12 July 1918:
A Krokonole social was given on Friday evening, the 4th, at the home of John C. Davis and wife at Wiconisco, in honor of their son Charles Davis, a student at Dickinson Law School. First prize was carried on by Charles Davis and Miss King, Mr. Hensel and Miss Hoy receiving second. Those present were: Rev. T. W. Rowbottom, wife and daughters Elizabeth Rowbottom and Florence Rowbottom. H. G. Hunter and wife; Prof. Rowas and wife; Daniel Jones and wife; Miss Powel of Pittsburgh; Sara Hoy; Mary King; Jean Byerly; Mabel Workman; Ella Jones and Elizabeth Jones; Retta Powell; Eliza Spendlove; H. G. Metz; Chester Hensel; Thomas G. Davis; and Charles Davis, Wiconisco.
Note: Krokonole, or krokinole, is a game in which take turns shooting discs across a circular playing surface, trying to have their discs land in the higher-scoring regions of the board, while also attempting to knock away opposing discs.
From the Lykens Standard, 27 September 1918:
DEATH OF JOHN C. DAVIS
John C. Davis, one of Wiconisco‘s most prominent citizens, and a former inside foreman at Short Mountain Colliery, died Wednesday.
The funeral service will be held at his late home at 2 P.M. tomorrow. Relatives and friends are invited to attend.
Finally, from the Lykens Standard of 4 October 1918:
Obituary of John C. Davis
Was Prominent Citizen of Wiconisco and a Former Mine Official
In the last weeks issue of the Standard brief mention was made of the death of John C. Davis of Wiconisco which occurred suddenly on the 25 ultimo. At that time we were unable to give a fitting interpretation of his life, but since then, in response to our request, the family has kindly given a full account of his career, which follows.
He was born across the seas in Wales in 1846, and came to America with his father when a boy of eight years of age and settled in the south. Some years later he came to Lykens and obtained employment at the mines. After his marriage to Jane Price, daughter of the late Thomas Price and Dorothy Price, he removed to Wiconisco, where he has lived ever since with the exception of eight years spent in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.
Approximately eight years ago he retired as inside mine foreman at Short Mountain Colliery of the Susquehanna Coal Company after having served in various official positions during a period of twenty-seven years.
He became a member of the Wiconisco Methodist Episcopal Church in 1885 and served in official capacity almost continuously since that time. At the time of his death he was President of the Board of Trustees and as such worked most seriously in the erection of the beautiful property, which was dedicated in 1915.
He was well known. To know him was to appreciate and love him. In patience, practice and prayer, he was exemplary. All speak of his kindly disposition, and give him full credit for possessing the Christian virtues
to a marked degree. In his dealings with his fellowmen, he breathed brotherliness and by his brotherly sympathy he was influential in causing many to lead a better life. In prayer he bore his hearers heavenward, and made them forget all but God…. In thought he was vigorous and stood for what he conceived to be right. He was a man of conviction and determined purpose, and… there was a sense of fairness in his character that made him friends true and lasting.
His spiritual life was to him a great joy. He was intelligently religious. His Christian experiences were intellectual, but this did not….
He was an uncompromising foe of the saloon curse, and earnestly endeavored by voice and vote to rid the country, which he loved and fought for, of its blight. He was a soldier in the Civil War and a Post Commander of Heilner Post of the G.A.R. of Lykens.
Only those tho knew him could appreciate him most. We shall greatly miss him.
The church and community will hardly be the same.
When at the age of seventy-two, his life-voyage ended, he entered the Heaven of Rest, and the entire community rises up to call him blessed — he well deserves the praise they have for him for he wisely discharged the duties God placed upon him….
The funeral services were held at his late home, Saturday afternoon, 28 September 1918…. A quartette… sang two favorite hymns of the deceased. The interment was at the Wiconisco Cemetery….
The name of John C. Davis appears on the Lykens G.A.R. Monument as a Corporal who joined the Heilner Post after its organization.
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News clippings from Newspapers.com.
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