James Madison Mannon was born in Washington county. Penn., Feb. 1, 1827 and was reared to manhood and married in the county in which he was born. At the breaking out of the rebellion he entered the Union army as a First Lieutenant in Co. C 140th Pennsylvania Vol. Reg. and that his services were highly appreciated is known from the fact that he was promoted to a Captain's position in less than two years. In 1863 he resigned on account of sickness in his family and subsquently moved to Otoe County, Neb. and settled on the Nemaha River near Nebraska City. In 1882 he migrated to Butler county and settled near David City where his son O.F. Mannon was buried a few weeks ago. In 1891 he moved to the locality in this county in which he died, and since that time his life has been indentified with the people of Western Nebraska, always taking an active part in whatever pertained to the public good, filling some place of trust in the community which was always filled with honor to himself and to the eminent satisfaction of the public. His fidelity to any cause he espoused was always unquestioned and wherever he was found no one doubted his sincerity. He early in life connected with the Baptist church but afterward connected with church organization where he was located not deeming the dogmas and creeds of any denomination of such consequences as to be an excuse for staving out of the church.

For the past three years his health has been rapidly declining, and at times he has been almost totally blind, but he bore his affliction with a heroism that never murmured and occupied his thoughts with the literature of the times that was read to him by his wife and children by whom he was almost idolized. His death, though at times not unexpected, came suddenly. For the first time in a year he expressed a desire last Friday to leave his home and visit his children, and although doubtful of his physical ability, his wife accompanied him to the residence of his daughter Mrs. Frances Matthews where he was taken violently ill and died April 30, 1901.

He leaves a wife and seven children, four having preceeded him to a better life.

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Early in life he had been connected with the Masonic and Odd Fellow fraternities, but his burial was under the auspices of the Grand Army of the Republic. The funeral services were conducted at the M.E. Church where a most able funeral service was pronounced by Rev. Thadeus Windsor. The sermon for the occasion being a specially strong one, showing that each individual has a life separate from the world peculiarly his own, known to the Lord and himself in which his triumphs and sorrows are hid from human eyes and yet they make up the strong parts of a human life in this world and the next, maintaining that we will through eternity retain our own personality, only casting off the frailty of time for the immortality of the world to come where the enfeebled steps grow strong and the dim vision of age will see with the clearness of youth.

No more in this world will the tottering steps weaken us,
No more in this life will the vision grow dim
The life he now knows is a glorious vision
Of faith that was based on earth upon Him
Who uses the heart and hears the prayer
Of those who would enter those mansions there
Which Christ said, "I'm going for you to prepare."
In a home not made by human hands
Beyond time's limit of drifting sands.

Mrs. J. M. Mannon, an early settler of Keith County, was brought from Silgo, Colo., and buried in the Ogallala cemetery on Tuesday, Jan, 3rd, 1922.

Mrs. Mannon was born in Washington County, Penn, in 1842 and was married to James Mannon before the close of the Civil War. He preceeded her to a better world in April, 1901.

Her life was distinctively a pioneer life. In 1863, she and her husband migrated to Otoe co., Nebr. and settled near Nebraska City. At that early date, eastern Nebraska had not been favored as a part of the rain belt consequently they knew the hardships of raising a family in a drouth.

In 1890, nothing daunted with a resolution born of experience, Mr. and Mrs. Mannon again joined the westward procession and settled in Keith County about ten miles from Keystone.

This was in the days of financial stringency and modern conveniences were unknown-- yet their home was always open to the stranger and the needy. Roads in the sand hills at this time were not inviting, yet they showed their zeal in right living for themselves and neighbors by attending Divine services in locality of Keystone. At this date there was no semblance of a town, much less a railroad. Frenquently they not only drove to and fro but furnished a lodging place to men who at the time felt they Missionalizing on the Great Plains.

Without ostentation, Mrs. Mannon so lived that no declaration of the faith was necessary for her friends and neighbors to know she was a Christian. Her kind cheery, devoted life made glad the hearts of those who cared for her even after she was helpless.

During her widowed life, she lived with and was given every comfort possible by the youngest daughter, Mrs. Severn.

Of her eight children, four daughters and step-son survive her. Forest Mannon of Keystone, Mrs. Tillman of Valley, Nebr., Mrs. Curtis of Seward, Mrs. Matthews of Glenrose, and Mrs. Severn, of Silgo, Colo.

Funeral services were conducted by Rev. Wilson of Keystone, who gave a beautiful logical view on "Divine writ of the life and death of a Christian.

Undertaker Arrowsmith had charge of the burial services.

We regret to hear that Oscar Mannon is still in very poor health. Dr. McCabe, of the Platte, is tending him.

Oscar Mannon has been taken to his father-in-laws [Thomas Grigsby & Didama Shaw Grigsby, the very northwest corner of Lancaster County, NE] home near, this state.

A message was received at Paxton last night bringing sad intelligence of the death of Oscar Mannon. Mr. Mannon has been an invalid for almost a year and a times his life has been despaired of, but at the time of his departure for Valparaiso he seemed so much better that his friends built high hopes of his recovery. Particulars of his death will be given next week.

E.M. Mathews of White Tail returned home from the burial of Oscar Mannon this week.

Word was received from Mrs. Oscar Mannon indicates that she will endeavor to keep her six little children together and send [them] to school. They will reside near Valparaiso where her husband is buried. Oscar Mannon was born in Otoe County [Nebraska] and was 36 years at the time of his death. He afterward resided in Butler County where he married to Miss Maggie Grigsby. They moved to Keith County in 1890. He leaves a wife, six children, a father, mother, one brother and four sisters to mourn his loss.

To our many friends and neighbors of Keystone and community who so kindly assisted us during our recent affliction, we wish to extend our heartfelt thanks.

MRS. MAGGIE MANNON AND PARENTS