William Brooks Campbell Obituary (including all typographical errors),
reported in the St. Cloud Daily Times, March 31, 1909
KNEW THR GREAT EMANCIPATER
OLD RESIDENT OF MAINE PRAIRIE, WHO KNEW LINCOLN, PASSED AWAY.
Watkins, March 29.--Wm. B. Campbell, an old settler of this
llocality, died at the home of William Beckers, in Southwestern Maine
Prairie March 26th, at the ripe old age of 89 years. The deceased was a
native of Kentucky, and moved to Illinois in the early days, where
Abraham Lincoln lived, and was personally acquainted with the great
emancipator. He could, at his advanced age, give vivid accounts of the
great Lincoln and Douglas debates and other important historical events
in the country's history. He moved to Minnesota forty years ago and
became the owner of 120 acres of land within one-half mile of Watkins.
He sold out and went to Nebraska where he resided for a while and then
returned to Minnesota and for a number of years has lived with his
grand-daughter, Mrs. William Beckers who cared for him tenderly. His
death was due to the infirmities of age. His funeral took place Sunday
afternoon and the remains were interred in the family cemetery
three-quarters of a mile west from Watkins. He is survived by a number
of decedents--children and grand children. He was an intelligent man of
the old school and an entertaining conversationalist on the current
topics of the day.
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