Obit: Niles, Ira Anthony #2 (1850 - 1919)

Contact: Ann Stevens
Email: ann@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Niles, Hewett, Bass, Carter

----Source: Neillsville Times (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 2/6/1919

Niles, Ira Anthony (26 JAN 1850 – 31 JAN 1919)

Ira Niles, one of the early settlers of lower Clark County, died at St. Paul last Friday morning. He had been sick but a few hours at his home at Spring Valley, Wis., and was taken to the hospital at St. Paul where an operation was performed for appendicitis on Jan. 25th. He appeared to be getting along nicely until last Thursday morning, when he was taken sick again and died on Friday morning.

Ira Anthony Niles was born at Eagle, Clinton County, Mich., on Jan. 26, 1850. He was born on a farm and lived there until he came to Neillsville in 1879. He was foreman in the woods for James Hewett for several years, Mr. Hewett having married his mother a few years previously. On Feb. 27, 1882, Mr. Niles was married to Sarah A. Bass, at this city, and he bought a farm adjacent to this city where they lived for a number of years. Mr. Niles had charge of burning coal at the coal kilns until they were torn down. He sold his farm in 1891 and moved to Rice Lake, living there one year and then moving to Spring Valley where he took charge of the coal kilns at what was known as the mines a short distance from Spring Valley. He worked here until this industry quit and then went to work for the Spring Valley Iron Co., looking after the estimating and cutting of their timber and selling their lands. For the past few years he had been in charge of the Frank Carter Lumber Co. at Spring Valley and was in the employ of this company when he died.

Mr. Niles was a man of whom everyone who knew him spoke good. He was genial and pleasant and industrious and honest and his high integrity was recognized during all the years of his residence here. He is survived by his wife and step-brother, Frank Hewett. The remains were brought here on Friday night and the funeral was held on Monday afternoon, services being held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Jos. Bass and interment being made in the Neillsville Cemetery.