In The Telephone of last week appeared a notice of the death by dropsy, Sept. 4, 1900, of Eli Stillman Nye, at his residence in Milton Junction, Wis. He had been affected for at least two years, with a liver trouble, contracted undoubtedly in the army during the Civil war; but in the past two months his disease took on the form of dropsy, from which he suffered at times, great weakness and subsequent depression of spirit. He was born Nov. 4, 1826, and was at death seventy-four years of age, lacking just two months. His parents were Benjamin Briggs and Betsy Maxson Nye, who spent the greater part of their married life in the town of Genesee, Allegany county, N. Y., on a farm. Here the deceased joined in youth the Seventh-day Baptist church in the neighborhood. When about twenty years old, he went to live with a sister, Mrs. Harriet Crandall, of Alfred, in the same county, and was engaged most of the time, while residing here, at farm work in the vicinity. He married Dec. 23, 1853, Miss Cornelia P. Sweet, a daughter of Rev. Spencer Sweet, of Alfred. On the following year this couple moved to the town of Milton, Wis., and settled on a farm just east of Grass Lake. Here was born to them a son, Ernest by name, who now has his residence at Brown's Valley, Minn.
During the Civil war, Eli, as he was familiarly called, served three years as a member of company K, of the Thirteenth Regiment of Wisconsin Infantry. This company was raised largely in the town of Milton and saw service mainly in the southern states of the lower Mississippi valley. Afterwards he moved with his family to the town of Logan in Grant county, Minn., where he remained until he returned to Wisconsin and made his home at Milton Junction. He was a respected citizen and a trusted friend, a faithful husband and an affectionate father. At his funeral services, held at his residence and in the seventh-day Baptist church at the Junction,
President Whitford, of Milton college, officiated and was assisted by Rev. G. J. Crandall, who preaches in the church above mentioned. The sermon on "Christian Patriotism" was based on Mark 12:17, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." A large number of relatives was present. Besides these nearly all the members of the Grand Army Post and the Woman's Relief Corps of Milton, and of the societies of Odd Fellows in the two villages of the town, were in attendance, the latter having charge of the exercises at the burial in the cemetery at Milton Junction. The widow and the son in their bereavement have the sympathy of a wide circle of acquaintances. W. C. W.
