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Subject: Sd-Faulk Co. Bios (Purcell)
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2005 23:56:22 -0500


Faulk County, SD Biographies.....Purcell, Thomas 1837 -
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Joy Fisher January 9, 2005, 11:56 pm

Author: C. H. Ellis

THOMAS PURCELL was born in Somerset, Pennsylvania, August 15, 1837. He was
of Irish descent. Subsequently he went to Medina, New York, where he was
employed until his enlistment in the 28th New York Infantry, to serve in the
rebellion, on May 22, 1861. On September 17, 1862 at the battle of Antietam he
was seriously wounded in his head and on account of his wound was mustered out
of service on June 2, 1863.

After his recovery he served for three years as a government agent. Then he
was a railroad conductor in the employ of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad on the
run from Cincinnatti to Dayton.

Mr. Purcell moved to DeKalb county. Ill., and was among the first settlers
in that county, where he was successful in farming and stock raising. In the
fall of 1882, Mr. Purcell located land in Faulk county, and while he had
interests that required his presence part of the time at Athol, Spink county, he
held down the government land securing three valuable quarter sections under the
then existing land laws. From 1885 up to the time of his death on September 22,
1900, he was one of the successful, prosperous farmers and stock raisers of
Faulk county. While Mr. Purcell was one of Faulk county's leading and
progressive farmers he was one of her reliable and active business men, taking
an interest in the financial and political prosperity of our county.

On December 23, 1863, Mr. Purcell was united in marriage with Miss Emma
Kline of Frederick City, Maryland, who proved a devoted wife and mother. To them
were born seven children. Soon after the birth of the youngest in 1879, she was
called to surrender all the care and responsibility of her family into the hands
of her devoted husband and take the journey to the unknown land from which none
ever return, a duty which future events prove was well performed. After his
family was grown up and several of them gone to homes of their own; the summons
came and the mortal was called to put on immortality. His children who were then
Mrs. J. A. Winerd of Northville, (now of the state of Washington); Mrs. W. T.
Jackman, of DeVoe; Mrs. W. J. Price and Joseph T. Purcell of Fargo, North
Dakota; Mrs. Nora McDearmon of Faulkton, Miss Maud Purcell now postmaster of
Cresbard and Miss Rose Purcell, of this city.

While Mr. Purcell had large possessions both of personal and real property,
with valuable improvements, which under his able management yearly become more
valuable, for some time his failing health became a constant admonition but
neither his family, nor the members of the Phil. H. Sheridan G. A. R., of which
he was an honored member, realized that the end was so near and not until the
end came did his family, friends or the community realize the large place he had
filled.



Additional Comments:
From:

HISTORY OF
FAULK COUNTY
SOUTH DAKOTA
CAPTAIN C. H. ELLIS

TOGETHER WITH BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF PIONEERS AND PROMINENT CITIZENS

ILLUSTRATED
19O9

File at: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/sd/faulk/bios/gbs53purcell.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/sdfiles/

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