Death of a Pioneer.
William H. Sterrett and his mother were, up to Thursday of last week, September 30th, the remaining members of the original settlers of Holt county, when on that date death came and claimed Mr. Sterrett, leaving the mother, at the age 92 years, as the only living survivor of original settlers.
At the age of four years he came with his parents, John Sterrett and wife and a sister, and located on section 8, township 59, range 37 now known as the Geo. Meyer farm. Of the original settlers of the county were Peter and Blank Stephenson the latter a married man: John Russel married, and his brother R. H., then single: these came in March 1838. Then came the parents of the deceased, coming in July 1838, and during the summer John Sterrett and his family lived in their wagon, coming here by ox team. During that fall they put up their log cabin of split logs, stick chimney and dirt floor. And here William H. Sterrett grew up from a lad of four summers, to a young man, undergoing all the trials incident to pioneer life.
As he advanced in years he became inclined to the mercantile life, and was among the early day merchants of our town, and thus for 71 years he has ever resided in our town, or within a few miles of it. In the 80's he built what was known as the Sterrett opera house, and moved his stocks of goods from the old frame store room, on the corner now occupied by the VanBuskirk-Proud block, into the ground floor of the opera house building. While he did but little or no business of late years, his store room was a museum, in many ways-upon its shelf could be seen the old fashion copper-toe shoes, and many articles of merchandise peculiar to the "befo' the wah days."
In his ways he was eccentric, but keen in a business transaction and strictly an honest man, and thus attained a goodly share of this world's goods, which he leaves to a widowed daughter, Mrs. Cora Burgess, and a son, Dr. Wm. H. C. Sterrett, of Corning. He also leaves a sister, Mrs. Delia McIntyre of Hopkins, Mo.
Mr. Sterrett was born in Tippecanoe county, Indiana, August 28, 1834, and died at his home in this city, September 30, 1909, age 75 years one month and two day. He was the second of a family of nine children, the mother and sister, Mrs. McIntyre only surviving. On June 17th 1866 he married Mary Dryden, who died a number of years ago, she bore him three children, two of whom as above stated survive.
The funeral was conducted from his home in this city, on Friday last, October 1st, by Rev. T.C. Taylor, of the M.E. church the interment being in the Maple Grove cemetery.
