Luman Lewis Bixby

A Sudden Summons L. L. Bixby Died a Few Minutes After Retiring Saturday Night He Was In Usual Good Health L. L. Bixby, for many years a respected citizen of Estherville, died very suddenly at his home on East Des Moines street at about 10:30 o'clock Saturday [December 2, 1905] night. He was in apparent good health and about town Saturday afternoon, remarking in the course of a conversation with a friend that he never felt better in his life. He spent the evening at his home with his family, retiring about 10 o'clock, and in less than half an hour had passed away. The attending physician gave valvular insufficiency of the mitral valve as the cause of his death.

Luman Lewis Bixby was born in Westford, Vermont, April 5, 1839. He was married at Underhill Center, Vermont, November 12, 1859, to Miss Ellen M. Wells of that place. The family moved to Waterloo, Iowa, about thirty-five years ago and came to Emmet county in 1882, residing on a farm for five years and coming to Estherville eighteen years ago. Thirteen children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Bixby, nine of whom, with their mother, survive. The children are Luman J., Arby A., Clarence M., Charles D., Adelbert, Archer and Daisy, wife of J. M. Hale, all of this city; Roswell of State Center, and Mrs. Amanda J. Manning of Waterloo. All were present at the funeral.

Mr. Bixby served as a private in company B Tenth Vermont infantry during the civil war and was a member of the local G.A.R. post, and the pall bearers, chosen from his comrades, were H. C. Coon, C. I. Haines, R. E. Ridley, J. C. Irwin, M. C. Parriott and Amos Ketchum.

The funeral services were held at the residence, 1015 East Des Moines street, at two o'clock Tuesday afternoon, Rev. C. E. McColley of the Free Baptist church officiating. The remains were interred in the East Side cemetery.

The deceased was quiet and unassuming, courteous and agreeable in his demeanor he had many friends who will miss his friendly greeting. He was a good husband and father and loved to have his family about him. For some time he had followed no vocation and spent much of his time at his home. (Estherville Enterprise, Estherville, IA, December 6, 1905)

The Sudden Demise of L. L. Bixby Death Comes as a Great Shock to Community Veteran of the Civil War Retired in Good Health Saturday Evening. At 10 o'clock was Dead. Another one of Estherville's highly respected citizens has passed to his reward. This time death has claimed for his own Mr. L. L. Bixby of East Des Moines street, who died very suddenly Saturday night at about 10 o'clock. He was apparently as well as ever during the day and evening and retired at 9:30 without any evidence of illness, but in about half an hour afterwards life was extinct, death coming without a struggle.

At the time of his death Mr. Bixby was sixty-six years of age and had generally of late years enjoyed excellent health for a man of his years.

Funeral was held from the resident Tuesday afternoon. Rev. Cole preached the funeral sermon but the burial ceremonies were in charge of Vanderburg Post G.A.R. The body was laid to rest in the East Side cemetery, the pallbearers being Henry Coon, Amos Ketchum, R. E. Ridley, C. I. Haynes, J. C. Irwin and M. Pariott.

Lumon Louis Bixby was born at Westford, Vermont, April 5th, 1839, where he spent his boyhood days. On the 12th of November 1859, he was united in marriage to Ellen M. Wells, at Underhill, Vermont. Thirteen children blessed this union, nine of whom are still living, seven boys and two daughters as follows: Mrs. O. E. Manning, of Waterloo, R. W. Bixby, of State Center; Mrs. J. M. Hale, Luman J., Clarence M., A. A., C. D., A. R. and R. A. of Estherville.

When the war broke out between the north and south he responded to the call for soldiers and volunteered his services, enlisting in the 10th Vermont infantry on the 1st of September, 1862, in which capacity he served until he was mustered out on account of physical disability, in 1863.

In April, 1869, Mr. Bixby came to Iowa, locating at Waterloo, and in 1881 he came to Emmet county settling on a farm in Twelve Mile Lake township, where he remained until 1887, when he removed to Estherville, residing here ever since, being engaged most of the time in the harness and meat market business. He was a man of strong personality, a kind and indulgent husband and father and a good citizen. In 1902 he was elected a member of the city council from the Second ward, a position he held with distinction. At the time of his death he was a member of Vanderburg Post G.A.R. of which organization he had been commander in previous years.

Besides the children he is survived by his wife. (Vindicator and Republican, Estherville, IA, December 6, 1905)

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