Lincoln Beacon
Lincoln, Kansas
October 24, 1895

T.E. Skinner

Oct. 17, 1895, of typhoid fever, after a lingering illness, T.E. Skinner of Beverly, Kansas, died at the age of 62 years, 11 months and 1 day.

Thomas Everton Skinner was born in Rutland, Meige county, Ohio, Nov. 16, 1832. At the age of 20 he went to California to dig gold and was reasonably successful. He returned to his native state and on Aug. 31, 1856, was married to Mary M. Bing. Their union was blessed with five children, all of whom are living. Soon after his marriage he removed to Des Moines, Iowa, where he remained until the spring of 1860, when he went to Colorado during the Pike's Peak gold excitement. There he worked in the mines until the breaking out of the rebellion, when, after sending his family back to Ohio, he joined the Union Army, serving in the 1st Colorado cavalry until the war ended - for four years and three months.

He came to Lincoln county in November 1866, and took a homestead near Monroe school house, where his wife died March 9, 1874.

He was married to Mrs. Sarah M. Lawrence, Aug. 24, 1882.

He united with the M.E. church in January 1887, and retained membership therein until his death.

Although the greater part of the life of the deceased was spent on the frontier - in the mining camp and on the embattled field - he kept remarkably free from all the vices so common there, and lived a life worthy of imitation.

He was a consistent Christian, and though devoted to the church of his choice, his charity was not confined to the narrow bounds of a single denomination, but he was ever ready to assist in the furtherance of any good cause.

He was a zealous and faithful member of Lewis Christie Post No. 422, department of Kansas, G.A.R. He was first elected to fill a vacancy caused by the death of Post Captain W.R. Anderson, and he faithfully performed the duties of the office until stricken by the disease that caused his death - a period of nearly four years.

Having, like St. Paul, "finished his work and kept the faith," he expressed a willingness to go.

The post of which he was a member, took charge of the burial ceremonies. Three members of his old company - E.E. Johnson, Isaac DeGraff and R.B. Clark - assisted as pall bearers, and one other, his brother Calvin, was present.

Rev. S.A. Greene preached the funeral sermon, and Rev. W.I. Thomas assisted in the devotional exercises. A large number of people, in carriages and other vehicles, followed his remains to the Monroe Cemetery, where he was laid to rest by the side of the wife of former years.

He leaves a wife, one daughter, four sons, three brothers, and two sisters besides numerous friends and relatives to mourn their loss.