Francis Britton (1819 - 1900)

Born 4 Jul 1819 in Charleston, Kanawha, West Virginia, United States

Descendants

Died 18 Feb 1900 at age 80 in Taylor, Loup, Nebraska, United States

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Biography

Francis was born in 1819. He passed away in 1900.

• Francis Britton was buried on Sunday, Rev. Wizner officiating. Grand Pa Britton was born in Virginia eighty - one years ago last July. His boyhood days were spent in his native state and Ohio and previous to locating in Loup County, about 1887, he resided in Iowa and Kansas. His wife died three years ago last June, since which he has failed in health very fast. He leaves four sons and four daughters; all in this county except three - two in Iowa and one in Kansas. He has been a member of the Baptist church for twenty years, which is as far back as we can learn at this writing.

On Tuesday, the 13th, ult., he left his daughter's residence in Taylor, Mrs. F.A. Wirsig, in the afternoon, saying he was going home, which he made with another daughter, Mrs. Jos. Ferguson, about five miles northwest. That was the last seen of him until his body was found on Friday, the 23rd, on the ice about nine miles up the river, and no one knew he was missing until the day before, Thursday, when Mr. Ferguson came to town and chancing to meet Mr. Wirsig, the question was asked, "How is father?" As he could not be found at any of his usual stopping places it was soon noised around that he was lost north of the river and in a short time there were thirty or forty over there searching which was kept up until dark, The next morning over 50 started out and scoured the north side of the river when they found the body on the ice, and that is all that is known of his wandrings after he left town 13 days before. Had the finding of the body been delayed another day the chances are it would have been under the ice and there is no telling when it would have been found, perhaps never. You all remember that was the Tuesday afternoon when the big snow storm commenced and continued for nearly 24 hours, and that Wed. night the wind blew quite hard, then of Fri. the wind blew so hard the snow was drifted into the low place and where there was anything to check it was piled up two foot deep or more. Consequently every track of whatever description made before Thursday morning was completely obliterated. Mr. Britton had very poor eyesight - could not recognize an old friend ten feet distant, unless spoken to - so you can judge the condition he might have been in, as he had to face the storm. It would have staggered a well and strong young man. We are told this was the third or fourth time he strayed out of his course, but under more favorable conditions. This is the saddest occurence we have ever been called upon to chronicle. Sad, to contemplate. Sad, for the manner of his death. Sad, to think that he, an old, feeble, blind, decrepit person should be allowed to start off, alone, in the face of such a storm. Sad, to think that a human being had been wandering indescriminately, lost, and finally obliged to lay his aching benumbed and weary body down on the cold ice with no covering to shield his emaciated form from the cold blasts of winter except the stars above, to breathe his last, almost within hailing distance of succor. No news, probably, has ever shocked or caused the cold shivers to course through the veins of our community as did this. For four or five days past the air has been full of criticisms, etc., but if there is any blame to be laid at the door of any one for the sad occurences, we will leave it with the JUDGE of Judges.

• According to Cora Ferguson: he left Fort Madison, Iowa as a young man when gold was discovered in California in 1849. He sailed down the Mississippi river to the Gulf of Mexico. He boarded a ship and sailed around the southern tip of South America and back up to California where he searched for gold for several years. He didn't find any so he worked his way overland back to Fort Madison where he packed up his family and went to Nebraska.

Sources

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/32165314/francis-britton: accessed April 21, 2024), memorial page for Francis Britton (4 Jul 1819–18 Feb 1900), Find a Grave Memorial ID 32165314, citing Kent Cemetery, Taylor, Loup County, Nebraska, USA; Maintained by SE Iowa Historian (contributor 46970903).