Amos Wright's mind was just worn out ...

It is not my intention to make light of Amos Wright's passing back in September of 1903, but I was struck by the following description of his condition a few months earlier: "He is not insane, but his mind is worn out ...."

The same might be said for many of us in these troublesome times.

At the time of Mr. Wright's death, newspapers did not hesitate to publish personal details that even today are for the most part considered off limits, so his condition was reported upon in two of Chariton's newspapers when he was sent off to the Clarinda Hospital of the Insane during April of that year.

The Herald of April 23 reported,  "Amos Wright, of English township, was examined by the insanity board yesterday and was taken to the Clarinda asylum in the evening. Mr. Wright is one of the old residents of the county, and was a soldier in the Civil War. He is not insane, but his mind is worn out so that he is not conscious any more of what he does."

And The Patriot of May 7 carried a slightly more detailed report: "There was a pathetic leave taking at the home of Amos Wright,  of English township, who was adjudged insane recently and taken to the asylum at Clarinda. The unfortunate man was an aged veteran of the Union Army, serving in the 102 Illinois Infantry, and had been many years a resident of the county. His relatives who came on the sad occasion were a sister, Mrs. Ellen Delto, a niece, Mrs. John DeVald, Mr. and Mrs. Abbott, the latter a sister of Mrs. Wright, Mr. and Mrs. R. Strand, all of  Marion county; also a daughter and her husband, Mr. and Mrs. Amos Sheets."

Mr. Wright and his wife, Anna, had lived nearly 30 years in Wayne County, most of the time at Humeston, before moving to Lucas County to live nearer to their sons about 1895. So his remains were taken directly from Clarinda to Humeston for funeral services and burial in that city's cemetery.

Here's his obituary, taken from The Chariton Herald of Sept. 17, 1903:

"Amos Wright was born July 29, 1835, in Muskingum Co., Ohio. When a child he came to Illinois with his parents and there was reared to manhood near Rock Island.

"On August 23, 1862, he was married to Miss Anna Foster just as he was about to leave for the war in which he had enlisted as a soldier in the 102nd Illinois Infantry Regiment.

"After the close of the Civil War, Mr. and Mrs. Wright came to Iowa and have resided here since 1868, first in Decatur county. For nearly twenty years the family resided near Humeston, in Wayne county, thence to Lucas county, where Mr. Wright was a resident of English township at the time of his death.

"Ever since Mr. Wright's service in the army, he had not been a strong man and for the past twelve years he had been an invalid. Last April it was deemed best to send him to the hospital at Clarinda for treatment, and at that place on Tuesday evening, September 7th, he passed peacefully away at the age of 68 years, 1 month and 9 days.

"The deceased was the father of six children, three of whom have preceded the father into eternity. The other three are Jesse and Harry, residents of English township, and Mrs. Amos Sheets, of Wayne county, near Corydon.

"The son, Jesse, went to Clarinda and accompanied the remains of his father to Humeston, where interment took place on Thursday afternoon in the family burying ground. Funeral services were held in the Methodist church at Humeston, in charge of the pastor, Rev. Bradford, and the G.A.R. post of that city.

"The deceased became identified with the Methodist church over forty years ago and lived and died in that faith. To the wife and children the sympathy of the community is extended."