"THE GREELEY GRAPHIC
Vol XVI Greeley, Anderson County, Kans. March 5, 1908 No. 24

HENRY BOUCHER DEAD
Tuesday, the citizens of Greeley were informed of the death in Garnett at the home of his son-in-law, W. O. Decker of Henry Boucher, one of the pioneers of Kansas. Three Boucher brothers at an early day settled on what has since been known as Boucher Branch, four miles north east of here. John, the eldest has been gone for many years. Simon, the youngest, was laid in Greeley cemetery Dec 31, 1897, and now Henry, the last of the family, is placed by the side of his wife who died a few years ago in November 1906, in El Paso, Texas. Henry was stricken with paralysis and was in a precarious condition a long time. He was then brought home by his daughter Inez but has been in feeble health ever since. He has long suffered with Bright's disease. Of late la grippe got hold of him and the physical failure came fast until Tuesday at 4:30 a.m. the end came. He is the last of eight brothers. He was born in Westmoreland, County, Penn. in 1834. Early during the gold excitement he went to California, from whece he soon returned to his boyhood home and then married Miss Catherine Mathews and with her came to Kansas in 1859 and settled on a farm on Boucher Branch where he continued to live except for two short periods until the death of his wife. After her death he moved to Greeley where he continued to live until three years ago when he moved to Garnett.
There were born to him four children, one son and three daughters. Elmer, the son, lives in El Paso, Texas, Laura is the wife of a well known citizen of Garnett, W.O. Decker, Bathilda, who became the wife of Harry Jones and died three years ago, and the maiden daughter Inez who was yet with the father. We were neighbors for _ _ years, and I must say Henry Boucher was a good neighbor and first class citizen. Fo 17 years he was Master of the Masonic lodge of Greeley by whom the Masonic burial rites were used at the grave. In a few years more all the pioneers will be gone. Recently they have been passing away rapidly. The writer knows he was reared by a first class, wide awake, Methodist father.
The funeral was held at the M.E. church here yesterday at 1:30 p.m. and was conducted by Rev. Hunter, under the auspices of the Masons, Mr Boucher being a member of the Blue lodge here and the Royal Arch Masons at Garnett at the time of his death.
Wm. H. Ambrose
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It was Mr. Boucher's wish that he be buried by the Masons. That he might wear in death as in life the lamb skin apron, the emblem of Innocence, the badge of a Mason. It was his religion , that this life was to prepare for eternity, he lived it and died in it and what could be more fitting than to be born to the grave by men he had taught these principles, beneath emblems which he believed in, lived for and died under. J. "
[Transcribed from the original newspaper, now yellowed by age, by Helene M. Hamm]