Mr. Sprott and his wife, Frances, were pioneers in the Last Chance neighborhood, west of Derby in southwest Lucas County's Union Township. And he certainly led an interesting life.
The Sprotts also were Spiritualists, a religious expression widely practiced in the United States during the latter part of the 19th century but rare in the south of Iowa, a region populated largely by more conventional Methodists, Baptists, Catholics, Disciples and Presbyterians.
Like the LDS (Mormon) church and the Millerites (parent of the Adventist movement), U.S. Spiritualism grew out of what sometimes is called the Second Great Awakening in upstate New York during the late 1830's and 1840's, but never gained quite as much traction as the other two.
Here's the obituary:
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J. W. Sprott was born in Beaver county (now Lawrence county), Pennsylvania, on July 30, 1826, and came with his parents to Iowa in 1845. He went to California overland in 1850 and returned in the fall of 1852. He was married to Frances Ann Brown at Montrose on March 24, 1853. They raised five daughters and one son, the latter now deceased. He joined the I.O.O.F. in June, 1853 and was a charter member of Derby Lodge, No. 320. He came to Lucas county in 1858 and greatly improved the farm on which he lived. He did not belong to any church but was a firm believer in the immortality of the soul. He also believed that under proper conditions he could commune with the spirits of the so-called dead.
The above brief sketch was written by Mr. Sprott himself on the 18th of March, this year. He had been in failing health for many months, and succumbed to the inevitable on Friday morning at 1:30 o'clock. Funeral services conducted by Joseph Parkin under the auspices of the I.O.O.F. were held at the family residence in Union township on Sunday afternoon, August 9, at one o'clock, after which a large concourse of sorrowing friends followed the remains to their last resting place in the Last Chance cemetery.
In the same village where he was born, Mr. Sprott received a liberal academic education in the same schools with Hon. Matthew S. Quay (U.S. senator from Pennsylvania and Medal of Honor recipient). He was of fine Scotch Irish parentage, his ancestors having migrated to America in 1768. Several members of the family rendered valuable service to the government at various times, more especially with General Anthony Wayne in 1798 in his memorable campaign against the Indians, three members holding special commissions during this notable period. Large tracts of valuable land in Pennsylvania was ceded to these three by the government for their services, much of which remains among the descendants at the present time.
The subject of this article followed school teaching for a time after finishing his education, but the East was too slow and easy for his energetic nature, hence he emigrated, coming to the then territory of Iowa in 1844 and settling near Keokuk. He studied medicine, but when the gold fever of 1849 broke out, with only his brother he joined a cattle train and landed in California six months later. The greater part of the trip was through the "enemy's" country, and it was necessary from the time they crossed the Missouri river to have pickets out nights to prevent attacks by the Indians. After a successful period spent among the gold fields, he returned home via the ocean route walking across the Isthmus of Panama from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico.
Later in life, he made a trip to the Oregon and Idaho mines with similar results, returning as before, undergoing the terrible experience of a 72 hour's raging storm at sea off the coast of Oregon, which is the roughest point along the Pacific ocean.
He moved to Lucas county in 1858 where he has since resided. He and his estimable wife celebrated their golden wedding anniversary last March.
He was raised to manhood a strict Presbyterian, but was a non-sectarian. His education being liberal, he became a great and constant reader and a deep thinker. He was generous to a fault and no one left his door hungry. He became an Odd Fellow in 1853, hence had spent a half century in the order, whose mottoes represented the very tenets of his social makeup. Friendship, love and truth were to him the great and lasting fundamental principles of an honorable life. One of his greatest hopes was to live to witness the federation of all great political powers in the interest of peace and harmony; that there be no more wars.
In instituting the Derby lodge, he personally furnished the funds with which to build their first lodge room. Politically, he was a pronounced and active democrat and a valued counsellor in their ranks, having been president of the company which publishes The Democrat, the leading paper of his county, for several years past.
"Uncle Joe Sprott" was one of the few remaining old landmarks of the early days of Iowa, and especially Lucas county. Chariton was his post office in an early day and he has long been a familiar figure in our city where he has piloted more than one man out of financial distress on to a secure and lasting footing.
His was a life well-spent; until the last few years he was active and energetic, but the last three or four years has witnessed a constant decline until at the time of his death he was a mere shadow of his former self.
Perfectly reconciled to the future, he welcomed death, feeling that in the twinkle of an eye he would be transformed from this world and its fleeting enjoyments into the world beyond, where all those gone before awaited him at the door, where we are never more parted from our loved ones and where in the great and universal lodge of brotherly love, no retiring pass word is ever used.
Mr. Sprott leaves to mourn his death a wife and five daughters, Mrs. G.N. (Sarah) Mitchell of Benton township, Mrs. I.C. (Joan) Chapman and Mrs. Geo. (Laura) Parkin of Derby, Mrs. J.T. (Kate) Robison of Whitebreast township and Mrs. J.L. (Alice) Washburn of Bondurant. In their sorrow these relatives have the sympathy of the entire community.
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| Find a Grave photo by "brilltwin2" |
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