.
-Transcribed from the manuscript
of 'Life and History of Warren Eugene McCord' written in 1908/9 (pages
379 - 380b)
Chapter 41
On Friday evening,
November 13th, 1913, I received a message from Hallie Hayward saying, 'Father
passed away at seven fifteen this evening.' In June Jud went into the woods
to look over a tract of timberland thinking he could stand as much as when
he was a younger, over-did himself, and as was afterwards found by post
mortem examination, aggravated his old disease of cancer of the stomach.
In Chippewa Falls, in 1877 he was taken with bleeding from the stomach
and that was likely the same cause, and after it passed off at that time,
he was troubled except slightly at times, until the final attack.
On August first he was compelled
to take to his bed from which he was never again able to arise. He realized
long ere the ending that he could never get up, and long for the end to
approach. To illustrate the clearness of his mind, and his gigantic will
power; he retained consciousness up till the very last and conversed with
his wife less than two hours before his death, and two days prior told
his son and son-in-law what disposition to make of some personal property,
describing a team of horses, giving their weight, color, peculiarities,
etc., but death was stronger than he and he was obliged to go. He was prepared
and awaited it with true Christian spirit, and well founded faith in the
blessedness, and laying aside all earthly cares passed through the silent
waters of the ever flowing stream, to enter the bounds of everlasting bliss,
from whose satisfying borne no earthly traveler ever returns. At his bedside
when the messenger called him, were all of his children whom he blessed
with his last fleeting breath, giving then each wise council, as had always
been his custom, and assuring them that he was willing and eager to go.
He left his family all well provided for, giving each of his three children,
Emma, Myron, and Hallie, $50,000 worth of stock in his gold and silver
mine; his wife Martha, $100,000 of the same, and the balance of his property,
about $150,000 he divided equally amongst them. And thus passed away one
of the most energetic men that it has ever been my lot to meet. Having
known him for over fifty years I know that there was no guile in his make
up. He was uprightness itself. In all his dealings, he hewed close to the
line, letting the chips fall where they might; full of charity for frail
humanity, but slow to forgiveness for deception or untruthfulness. He was
buried from in residence in Tacoma, the Blue Lodge conducting the funeral
with an escort of Sir Knights. We deposited his remains in that beautiful
white mausoleum out near Lake Steilacoom, where the beautiful Masonic burial
ceremony was performed amid friends and relatives, and there may he rest
in peace:
He has gone to that home
where his parents await him,
With their friends here
on earth they may mingle no more
But hands clasped in hands
hey will stand in a circle,
To welcome their loved
ones that land on that shore.
From: W.E Mc Cord
555 Sherlock Building
Portland, Oregon
November 14, 1913
To: Appleton, Wisconsin
Dear Ward,
Mr. Hayward died
last evening at 8:15 and will be buried from his house at 2:00 pm. I will
go up on the train tomorrow morning leaving here at 7:25 arriving there
at 12:35.
There is a lot of
old fashioned grip going the rounds here. Mrs. Mc Cord has it very severely.
Things are pretty
quiet here in a business way and will remain so, I think until about April
first next. Then if the Conway Bill is soon passed I think times will get
better. There seems to be quite a lot of inquiry about timber. People seem
to be getting the information to be ready for a boom when it starts but
are parting with very little of their hard earned cash. I traded my ranch
off with all the stock and furniture and so forth and the forty acres adjoining
it and paid $1,450.00 to boot for seven million feet of fir in the southeast
of Oregon City. I find it is fine timber, for miles from the electric lines.
Now I presume I will have to try to pick some more to go along with it
to make enough for an operation.
I guess I wrote
that we found Mc Cord's body and buried it in the River View Cemetery.
I had a letter from
Brodrick saying he will soon send a statement of scale.
Yours truly,
W.E. Mc Cord
.
