Westmoreland Recorder
Westmoreland, Pottawatomie County, Kansas, May 2, 1918
J. F. O'Daniel
J. F. O'Daniel, one of the most prominent citizens of Manhattan, living at 1000 Leavenworth St., died at his home on Monday at 9 o'clock aged 77 years and 4 months.
The cause of his death was Bright's disease from which he has been suffering the past four weeks.
Mr. O'Daniel was one of the early pioneers who came to Kansas in 1859 and lived through all the hardships common to those days. He was born in Kentucky in 1840 and moved with his parents from there to Missouri and later to Kansas. He was eighteen years of age when he came with his parents to this county.
In 1867 he married Miss Julia Spalding. They were poor in worldly goods but were rich in hope and resourcefulness and a determination to succeed in spite of hot winds, grasshoppers and lack of capital. They prospered and accumulated a goodly amount of this world's goods, finally winning some 5000 acres of land. A number of years ago, he built upon his farm southwest of Westmoreland what is perhaps the finest farm residence in Pottawatomie county. In 1898, he moved with his family to Manhattan.
He has since the founding of Westmoreland been prominently identified with its financial affairs and for the most of the time been an officer in one of the banks here.
He leaves to mourn his loss a widow and six children. The children are Mrs. C. C. Jackson, Westmoreland; John Willis, who died twenty-four years of age; Mrs. John Scott of Gainesville, Florida, Mrs. William Scott of Westmoreland, Mrs. Ed M. Amos of Gainesville, Florida; James Frederick of Westmoreland, and Mrs. A. R. Springer of Manhattan.
The funeral services were held at the home in Manhattan, Tuesday, March 23, 1918, and was conducted by Rev. Jacobson of the Baptist church. Interment was in the Manhattan Sunset cemetery.
Relatives from a distance who attended the funeral were Judge Ruppenthal of Russell, W. Spalding of Lucas, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Axtell of Wamego, Mrs. Beulah Axtell-Crider and daughter Lola of Wamego, Mrs. Nannie Rogers of Pittsburg, besides children of the deceased and their families.