WILLIAM J. WILSON PASSES AWAY |
Round Lake, April II.--Surrounded by members of his family William J. Wilson, who in his youth was the companion of Sir Thomas Lipton,
the English tea baron, and who as a personal body guard of the Prince of Wales saved the life of he and his consort, died peacefully yesterday
afternoon at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Frank Bloom, in his 83rd year.
Mr. Wilson, had been confined to his bed for some time but his end was not expected.
Mr. Wilson was born August 28, 1841 at Glasgow, Scottland and is survived by seven children. Mrs. J.H. Sober, Waterford, NY.,
James Wilson, Omaha, Nebr., William Wilson, South Omaha, Nebr., John Wilson, Denver, Colo., Mrs. Frank Cline, Shelton, Nebr.,Clide C. Wilson,
Portland, Oregon; and Mrs Frank Bloom of this place.
His funeral will take place Monday at the home of Frank Bloom, at 2 P.M. The life history of Mr. Wilson reads like a page from a
melodramatic romance. With the early settings in far away England and later on a homestead farm in the western wheat fields of Nebraska,
where he forced nature to provide for him and help him rear an excellent family which has no equal.
To him the words "Well done thou good and faithful servant" may well be applied as his hands lay clasped in that final sleep
from which there is no awakening on this earth. His valuable contribution to mankind in addition to his good acts and kindly deeds were
five sons and five daughters, forty seven grand children and twenty one great grand children.
It was Mr. Wilson, who in his early days when conducting a grocery store in Glascow near a butter and egg store, conducted by
Liptons father, formed an aquaintance with young Lipton, who later was elevated to the peerage of England and won international renown
as a yatchman and contender for the American racing cup.
It was at this stage that Mr. Wilson advanced Mr. Lipton the money to go into business with, and when Mr. Wilson came to America
in 1877, and settled as a homesteader in hamilton county, Nebraska, Lipton had made good to the extent of owning a chain of eight stores
throughout England.
For some time Mr. Wilson was connected with the London police department and as a sub-inspector of police make many famous
arrests and winning the attention of Queen Victoria, who appointed him personal body guard to her son, the Prince of Wales who later
became King Edward of England.
While serving in this capacity he saved the life of the Prince and Princess when a woman tried to attack them while they were
reviewing the Highlanders at Glascow. Queen Victoria rewarded him with special coins which he proudly cherished up to the time of his death.
Copy from the Hudson Valley Times |
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