Publication: Elkhart Review May 8, 1909

WiSH WAS GRANTED.
Edwin Shelmadine Lives to Sign His
First Pension Voucher.
Edwin Shelmadine of No. 114
North Second street, who was sum-
moned suddenly by death on Tuesday
afternoon, was, however, not denied
the one chief wish of his closing days,
which was that he might live to sign
the voucher for his first three
months pension under the special act
of congress which was secured by
Representative Barnhart and signed
by President Roosevelt on February
4. The pension was for $30 a month
and the voucher was taken to him
and signed by him Tuesday morning,
affording him great pleasure. He often
had expressed a desire to live until he
could sign this voucher, and would re-
mark when taking his medicine that
he did not like it but would take it,
as he wanted to live until May 4 any
way.
A few hours after having signed the
voucher he rode out to Simonton lake
with James Hosterman, being fond of
riding and having ridden out several
times recently with friends who call
ed for him. After reaching the lake
Mr. Shelmadine and Mr. Hosterman
got out of the buggy to rest, and it
was while in the act of getting back
into the buggy that he fell forward
into the box. The only words he
spoke were "Let me rest a little," and
soon passed away. His body was re-
turned to the home during the after
noon. He suffered from liver and
heart trouble, combined with dropsy.
Mr. Shelmadine was generally
known to the citizens of Elkhart be
cause of his daily appearance on
Main street, his social disposition and
his long application to his trade of
shoemaker. His shop was general
headquarters for soldier comrades
and for others who liked to talk over
happenings of years ago. His mem
ory was remarkable, and he was one
of the best sources of information
about the civil war and early local
history in the city.
The deceased was born in Titus
ville. Pa., October 20, 1835, and re
moved from there to Syracuse, Ind.,
about sixty years ago. When but
fourteen years old he made an over
land trip to California, one member
of the party being one of the Stude
bakers of South Bend. He remained
there eight years and when he return
ed took up his residence in Milford,
and soon after married Anna Kelsey,
daughter of Isaac and Ruth Kelsey
of this city. He enlisted in Co. B of
the Forty-eighth Indiana and went
out in October, 1861, serving until
the close of the war, having re-enlist
ed at the end of three years' service.
His wife died in January, 1863, leav
ing a daughter. Upon his return from
the army he married Anna Tremaine,
from whom he separated. On March
12, 1878, he married Augusta E. Howe,
who survives him. A singular coin
cidence is that all three of the women
he married lived within a square of
each other in Mlford and he met all
of them in the same house. After his
third marriage Mr. Shelmadine lived
in North Manchester three years and
in Kansas a number of years, coming
to Elkhart for a permanent residence,
although he had lived here at short
intervals prior to that time. He had
lived in the house at No. 114 North
Second street sixteen years. His ill
ness began June 1, 1908.
Surviving Mr. Shelmadine are the
wife, Augusta E. Shelmadine; daugh
ters, Mrs. Nellie Brown of North
Manchester, who arrived here Tues
day night, born to his first wife, and
Mrs. Leona Cronk of Memphis, born
to the second wife; brothers, William
Shelmadine of Osceola, Neb., and Per
ry Shelmadine of Ellsworth, Kan.;
sisters, Mrs. Hulda Barnes of Union
City, Pa., and Mrs. Emma Ash of Wa
terford, Pa.
Mr. Shelmadine was a member of
Elmer Post, the subordinate lodge of
Masons and of the Christian church.
His funeral will be held at the home
at 2 p. m. Friday, Rev. S. G. Buckner
of the Christian church preaching the
sermon. Elmer Post will have charge
of the funeral. Mr. Allen, the evan
gelist singer, who was to have sung
the "Sparrow Song" for Mr. Shelma
dine at his request on the day he
died, will sing it at the funeral. Mrs.
D. W. Kreuger will also sing at the
service.