Obit: Davis, Sidney (1869 - 1905)

Contact:stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Davis

----Source: Granton News (Granton, Clark Co., Wis.)  12/29/1905

Davis, Sidney (1869 - 25 DEC 1905)

A telegram on Christmas day conveyed the news to Thode Davis of this place that his son Sidney who was confined to the state hospital at Mendota, had that day passed on and out of this life.

Sidney was a young man of 36 years, who was born here on the farm where his father now resides.  He was a self-made young man, self-supporting since 17 years of age, at which time he left home and made his way out into the world among strangers, where he won the respect and esteem of all whom he became in any way associated with.  He attended and graduated from the Northwestern Business College at Madison in 1888.  Then he started in business for himself and for several years his headquarters were at Minneapolis where among a considerable business class he was well and favorably known.  Some seven years ago his mother and two brothers, Luzurne and Niram died within a month’s time and his surviving relatives can now recall that Sidney appeared strange at that time and they, attributing it to the shock of these 3 deaths in such rapid succession; thought little of it; but it now appears that through over study and excitement in religious matters he suffered a decline in health and the idea of becoming a missionary took firm hold of him, since which time it has consumed his entire thought and filling his soul with great unrest, his over wrought imagination leading him to do strange and uncanny things, necessitating those near and dear to him, having him examined as to his sanity and taking him to the Mendota Hospital about the middle of July.  They talked with him and told him what they proposed to do and he went uncomplainingly.  For the first few weeks he seemed comparatively tractable, but his mind was busy with plans to escape from there.  Trying all avenues, he succeeded once in getting away and to a distance of 9 miles before being intercepted.  For several weeks past he had been very noisy and troublesome, necessitating his being removed to another ward and the night watch often visited him during the night in the endeavor to quiet him.  Sunday night last no sounds emitting from the room after midnight, the watch thought not to disturb him and did not visit him until 4 o’clock in the moring, and when he died so he found him dead.  He had hung himself by means of the bed sheet.  The remains were brought here Wednesday morning and the funeral services held from the Adventist Church at 2 p.m., Rev. Mallory officiating, with interment in the family lot in the Windfall Cemetery.