Keen W. Field, One of Shelby County's Oldest Citizens, Passes Away.
Shelby county's pioneer citizens are fast passing away.
By the death of Keen W. Field, which occurred at his home on North Third
street, at 2 o'clock Friday afternoon, one of the oldest men in Shelby
county has passed over the great divide.
He has been a remarkably strong and vigorous man, and death resulted
from a general breakdown consequent to old age.
Keen W. Field was born in Gibson county, Indiana, February 11,
1817, and died at Shelbyville, Illinois, at 2 o'clock Friday afternoon,
March 2, 1906, aged 89 years and 19 days. Mr. Field was three times
married, his first two wives being sisters. He was married to Judy
Duncan, of Patoka, Indiana, in August 1837. Three children were born
to this union, all of which died in childhood. The wife died in the
early part of the year 1841, and in the same year he was married to Miss
Sarah Duncan. Ten children were born to this union, five of whom
survive, and are: Mrs. Cordelia Rawlings of Strasburg, J. W. Fields, living
2½ miles southeast of Shelbyville, Cynthia Fling of Rock Island,
Texas, Benjamin S. Field of Rock Island, Texas, and K. H. Field of Langdon,
Kansas.
In the fall of 1869 Mr. Field moved with his family, from Indiana
to Illinois, settling on a farm south of Windsor, in Richland Township.
On June 20th, 1875, his second wife died, and on October 28, of the same
year, he was married to Nancy D. Wilhite of Oakland, Indiana. This
wife, five children, twenty-two grandchildren, sixteen great grandchildren,
one great great grandchild, and a host of friends, are left to mourn his
death.
A few weeks ago he sent for Rev. O. P. Wright, to whom he signified
a willingness to embrace the Christian religion. By reason of his
weakness he could not be taken to the Christian church baptistry so a large
sized bathtub was taken to his home, and used as a baptistry.
Short services were conducted by Rev. O. P. Wright at the family
home, at nine o'clock, Monday morning, after which the remains were taken
to Ash Grove cemetery for interment. Rev. Wright accompanied the
funeral party to Ash Grove church, and conducted a second service at that
place, at one o'clock Monday afternoon. On account of the inclement
weather and the bad roads, the body was taken on the train as far as Windsor.
Mr. Field always had a warm place in his heart for his native
country. Since his moving to Shelbyville in 1892, the editor of The
Democrat has become quite well acquainted with him.
He loved to read the papers, and it was his greatest delight to
tell about his having taken his home paper, the Princeton (Ind.) Democrat,
for more than fifty years. All the children of the deceased were
here to attend the funeral of their aged father. Mr. Hugh Randolph,
a grandson, of St. Charles, Mo., was also here, and attended the funeral.
Shelbyville Democrat, Thursday, 8 March 1906, pg. 1, Shelbyville, Shelby County, Illinois. Keen W. Field was the oldest child of Abraham Field and Grace Rainey and a grandson of Keen Field and Anna Lewis.
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