Obituary of Philip LeMaster, Muncie Star Press, May 15, 1915

Located the obituary of my paternal great-great granduncle, Phillip LeMaster, in the Muncie Star Press.  Philip was the son of the Rev. Luman Walker and Nancy (Young) LeMasters, and the older brother of my ancestor, Luman Walker LeMaster Jr.

Muncie Star Press
Muncie, Indiana
May 15, 1915, page 3

PIONEER DEAD

Philip LeMaster, a former resident of Madison township died at midnight Thursday after a lingering illness of kidney trouble.  Mr. LeMaster was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Newton LeMaster and was born in Madison township eighty years ago.  He is survived by his wife and an adopted daughter, Mrs. Bessie Henry.  The funeral services will be held Monday.  His nephew, Sheriff J.W.M. Cunningham, his brother, Walker LeMaster and two sisters, Mrs. John Petry and Mrs. William Wilson all of Greene township, will attend the funeral service.  Mr. Walker LeMaster had been at the beside of his brother and came home Thursday afternoon.

A couple of interesting things stand out in the obituary.  Besides the typographical error of his parents names - he was not the son of Newton LeMaster but the son of Luman Walker LeMaster - there is also the fact that the obituary mentions that his daughter, Mrs. Bessie Henry, was adopted.  Prior to this obituary, I knew that he had a daughter, but was not aware that she was adopted and had assumed that she was a biological daughter.  This gives me some other records to try and research to find out more about this adoption.

Phillip died in Spencerville, Allen County, Ohio though the obituary doesn't mention that.  It does allude to the fact that my ancestor, his brother Luman Walker, was at his bedside during the final days.

I also located a follow-up article in another Muncie area newspaper regarding his funeral:

Muncie Evening Press
Muncie, Indiana
May 19, 1915, page 2

John W.M. Cunningham, Mr. and Mrs. Walker LeMaster, Mr. and Mrs. John Petry and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Myron, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur LeMaster, Mrs. William Wilson, Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Jordan, all of this county, have returned home from Spencerville, Ohio, where they attended the funeral services of the late Philip LeMaster.

Philip was a Methodist minister and had pastored churches in Logan and Allen counties, Ohio.  He was married to Elizabeth C. Hoover in 1870 in Allen County, Ohio.  He is buried in the Lima cemetery.