HON. S. A. POWERS DEAD

Passes Away at His Home Early Friday Morning

   Hon. Stephen A. Powers, whose lingering illness has been 
mentioned from time to time in the columns of the Republican, 
succumbed to the ravages of disease and passed into the great beyond 
at an early hour last Friday morning.  For some days he had been 
rapidly failing and his death was no surprise to those who were 
acquainted with his condition, although the loss is keenly felt by 
nearly every citizen of Steuben county, who counted Mr. Powers as a 
friend.  His death was due to diabetes, from which he had been a 
sufferer for several years, and it reached an acute stage last 
February, when he was confined to his home, and the battle for life 
became serious.  Mr. Powers showed a remarkable vitality in the long 
siege, at times seeming to have the upper hand, but other 
complications later set in and the strength of the sufferer 
gradually weakened under the violent attack until Death put him at 
rest.
   The funeral services were conducted from the late home Sunday 
afternoon by the Rev. John Humfreys of the Congregational church, 
and the body was buried in the Ferrier lot in Circle Hill cemetery, 
where the Odd Fellows lodge, of which he was a member, conducted a 
brief burial service.  The members of the Bar Association of the 
35th Judicial Circuit attended in a body, and a number of these 
served as honorary pall bearers, the active bearers being chosen 
from the Odd Fellows lodge.
   The floral tributes were beautiful and profuse, and the large 
attendance at the funeral was a silent tribute of great respect for 
this able jurist, wise legislator and worthy citizen.  The obituary 
read at the funeral was as follows:
   In the year 1836, five brothers left their homes in Ontario 
county, New York, and came to the eastern part of Steuben county, 
Indiana, York township, which was then an almost unbroken and 
trackless wilderness, and founded what has since been known as the 
"Powers Settlement."  They were hardy, honorable men, and did much 
to develop the new country, and lived long enough to contribute 
generously to the general welfare and good of the community, and to 
be held in universal respect and esteem by all who knew them.
   One of these five brothers was Clark Powers, father of Stephen A. 
Powers, whose life has just closed.  Clark Powers received a liberal 
education considering his situation and those early times and lack 
of educational advantages, and was a man of more than ordinary 
natural ability, and represented Steuben county in the Indiana 
legislature for the (line missing from the article, continues thus) 
eral years.  In 1887, he and the late William G. Croxton entered 
into partnership for practice under the firm name of Croxton & 
Powers, which partnership continued until the fall of 1888, when Mr. 
Powers, then but 36 years of age, was elected judge for the 35th 
Judicial Circuit, which was at that time composed of Steuben, DeKalb 
and Noble counties.  He served the people in this official capacity 
for the full term of six years, and during that time tried and 
disposed of many of the most noted and important cases ever tried in 
this circuit.  He retired from the bench at the close of his term of 
office, taking with him the respect, confidence and esteem of all 
who knew him, and universal commendation for his honesty, fairness 
and conscientious regard for the right.
   At the close of his judicial term, in 1894, he resumed the 
pactice of law alone, and later A.C.Wood was admitted into 
partnership with him under the firm name of Powers & Wood, which 
continued for several years, after which he continued his practice 
alone and almost to the day of his death.
   At the fall election of 1908, Mr. Powers was elected state 
senator to represent the joint senatorial district of Stebuen and 
DeKalb counties,(another sentence missing) acts of kindness and 
charity.  He was an ardent lover of nature, of trees and flowers, 
and all the good and joyous and happy things of life.  He possessed 
that rare quality of overcoming age, and maintaining perpetual 
youth.  All the burdens of accumulating years and increasing ill 
health, while they told upon his bodily strength, rested lightly 
upon him, and never seemed to worry or overtax his fervor and 
enthusiasm, nor dim or obscure his vision of the bright and sunny 
side of life, in the very midst of it all, engrossed with its 
activities, planning bravely and ambitiously for the future, 
surrounded by his family and friends, and all the things he loved, 
death beckoned to him.  Hopefully, reluctantly, but with heroic 
resignation, he stepped out of the busy ranks and followed that Grim 
Messenger away across the valley and through the shadow into the 
great beyond.  This world has been made better by and through 
Stephen A. Powers and his having lived in it.

The above information was found in Book #15 in the black notebook 
collection, #1 through #22, compiled by Audree Siebel Lewis, located at the 
Steuben County Library Reference Section, Angola, Indiana.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

   Stephen Arad Powers, 28 Dec 1851 - 01 Aug 1913, son of Clark and Hannah 
(Ketchum) Powers, married Isadora [Dora] (Ferrier) Powers, 27 Apr 1857 - 05 
Aug 1938, daughter of William and Olive (Thompson) Ferrier.
   TWINS:  Dale Ferrier Powers, 09 Aug 1877 - 07 Oct 1877, and Merle 
Ferrier Powers, 09 Aug 1877 - 22 Apr 1878.
   Clela Ferried (Powers) Luse, 27 Feb 1880 - 1963, married Raymond Jesse 
Luse, 13 Mar 1880 - 1955.
   Ruth (Powers) Stewart, 27 Mar 1886 - 1955, married Olus Jesse Stewart, 
27 Jan 1884 - 1962.
   Clark Ferrier Powers, 11 Jun 1890 - 04 Feb 1920, married Jean 
(VanCleave) Powers, 21 Sep 1887 - 1965.

"Cemeteries of Steuben Co., Ind., 1990" by Audree Siebel Lewis, Vol. II, 
pages 1164, 1463, 1464, 1465, 1467, 1753, 1754.  "Powers Family History", 
pages 42, 83, 184, 185, 187.

Submitted by:  Mona Hilden-Beckwith
e-mail:  hilbeck123@att.net