Sherrill Joseph Clarke was the eldest child born to Alvit and Sarah Davis Clarke. He was born in Plainview, Otsego Co., N. Y., December 8, 1827. At nine-thirty on Wednesday morning, November 9, 1921, while sitting in his easy chair, suddenly and quietly he slipped away into his eternal rest, just as a ripened leaf releases its hold upon the parent stem and silently flutters to its place among those who have fallen. His going was "a beautiful taking off".
He is survived by two sons, Irving Benton of Milton Junction, Judson Dwight, of Milton, and a daughter, Ann Cora of Milton; five grandchildren, Mrs. Alice Crandall, of Los Angeles, Cal.; Howard I. Clarke, of Arlington, Cal.; Roy C. Clarke, of Minneapolis; Harlow and Walton, of Milton; eight great grandchildren, and by two brothers, Wellington, of Milton, and Henry, of Waterloo, Iowa.
Sherrill because he was the eldest of the family of ten children, had to take a big share in the support of the large family. Wages were low, products were cheap and the maintenance of the home required the closest economy and the utmost united efforts of the able-bodied members of the household. Sherrill had an aptitude for mechanics and found employment in shops and sometimes in the old-fashioned upright sawmills. Often he rolled logs into the sluice and tended the saws until long into the night while "the head of the water was on". Because he was so employed and his help was so much needed at home, his schooling was limited to a few terms in the district schools. Before he came west he was employed in the woodworking shops of John Babcock, of Leonardsville, N. Y. 'Twas here, as he used to relate, that he built one thousand and fifty of the revolving wooden horse rakes which were in great demand by the farmers in that vicinity.
On October 13, 1852, Sherrill was married to Miss Harriet Saunders, the eldest daughter of Spicer Saunders, of Plainfield Center, N. Y. This devoted couple began their homemaking in Leonardsville where they lived four years. In 1856 they came to Wisconsin and established a home south-east of Milton on a farm purchased by Deacon Levi Bond, a part of which is now owned by James Bennett. Ten years later they built a home on the farm now owned by their son Dwight. In 1904 they moved to the village of Milton to the home in which each of them died. For more than sixty-four years they lived together, interested in every progressive helpful cause, devoted to each other, their family, to religious and spiritual objects. Mrs. Clarke died January 23, 1917.
Brother Clarke early expressed his determination to live a Christian life. It was during the pastorate of Elder William B. Maxson that he publically professed Christ and became a member of the First Brookfield Seventh Day Baptist Church at Leonardsville. He brought his letter of membership with him when he came to Milton and entered into the activities of the church. Full heartedly and conscientiously he has, in this relationship, honored his God, his Christian profession, and the church to which he was earnestly devoted.
In his youth he was passionately fond of music and was a singer of no mean ability. While he was living in central New York he became one of a male quartet who styled themselves the "New York Harmonians". They were in especial demand for temperance rallies and campaigns. Mr. Clarke was choirister of the Milton church for twenty-five years and helped establish and maintain a high standard of church music.
Politically, for the greater part of his life, he was a staunch supporter of the temperance movement and an ardent uncompromising third-party prohibitionist. He early signed the pledge of the "Washingtonian Movement". "He came to believe that the saloon was a public curse; that to license a public evil by taking money is a weak and nonsensical way to decrease crime and misery and to elevate morally the people of any nation".
Mr. and Mrs. Clarke were loyal supporters of the cause of education. At one time when Milton College was in financial straits they mortgaged their farm to obtain money to help relieve the distress of the college.
Some of the outstanding characteristics of his life were, his self-reliance, his absolute integrity, his honest effort to be on the square with himself, with his family, with his fellow-men and with his God. He showed at all times an unhesitating and an uncompromising hostility towards all forms of evil. He never sold his birthright for a mess of pottage. Unswervingly he adhered to the Bible, the Sabbath, truth and righteousness.
Farewell services were held at the church on Sabbath afternoon, November 12, 1921. Elder George W. Burdick spoke of Mr. Clarke's loyalty to principle. Pastor E. D. Van Horn offered prayer. Pastor Jordan read messages from the Scriptures and made a brief address. The songs which the male quartet (C. A. Nelson, Leslie Bennett, Prof. G. Crandall and Prof. A. E. Whitford) sang had years before been selected by Mr. Clarke for the service. Henry N. Jordan
