OBIT

Mr. William Sly departed this life on Friday, September 14th. 1876, at his house three miles east of Northville, LaSalle Co., Illinois. Mr. Sly was born in Ireland, March 5, 1802, and came to America when quite young, accompanied by a brother and sister. He resided in New York and from there he went to Ohio, where he married a Miss Beulah Ann Grithie and in 1841, removed to this state and located on a farm about two miles north of Somanauk, where he resided until his death.

Mr. Sly has been a member of the M. E. Church for the past fourteen years, and his life was one of sobriet,morality, virture and integrity. He filled, at various times with honor the office of Town Clerk and Supervisor, and had held the office of Justice of the Peace ever since he entered the state. He was a frind and advisor to all, always willing and ready to give a kind word to every body. He leaves a wife and ten children, (of which John T. Gray's wife, of Tampico, is one), twenty-eight grand-children and two great-grandchildren to mourn his loss. His death was caused by disease of the stomach, and his suffering for the last two weeks was very great indeed, but he bore it up to the very last with great christian fortitude.

 All his children were present during his illness and everything that loving hands and skilled phhysicians could do was done to prolong the life of the one they so dearly loved, but to no avail, for death had laid her hands upon him and in  a few short hours he had passd from this world  of sin and  sorrow to the home prepared for him by his Heavenly Father.

The funeral services were presided over by Rev. A. T. Needham, of the City of Sandwich, at the Asby church. Over one hundred teams were in atendance, making the procession over a mile long, and only about half of the people present were enabled to get inside of the church to  hear the instructions taught from the 2nd pistle of Paul to Timoth 4th chapter and 7th verse.

The pall bearers were among the early settlers of the state, all stanch, true men, and who with their now departed friend came to this country in an early day.

There were thousands of persons present from the adjacent towns to attest the great love and respect in which our lamented friend was held in that community.