John Walker Rankin Jr.

"SUDDEN SUMMONS.

Almost Without Warning John Walker Rankin is Called Into Eternity.

John Walker Rankin is dead. The final summons came to him almost without warning at about 5 o'clock yesterday morning, at his home, 116 North Third street. for several weeks he had suffered severely with a stomach trouble, the first attack coming on shortly after breakfast one morning and being apparently due to some sharp foreign substance lodging in the organ and irritating it. The trouble not abating he consulted physicians who could find no confirmation of his surmise but who treated him for an ulcer in the stomach. He was a young man of find physique and had always enjyed good health. He suffered uncomplainingly but how excrutiatingly no one knows, and the ailment manifest inroads on his constitution. But for the past week he had been improving rapidly and had attended to business as usual Tuesday. That evening he played with the children until their retiring hour and then read aloud to his wife for an hour or more. He seemed in excellent spirits when he retired. About 3 o'clock yesterday morning Mrs. Rankin was awakened by his vomiting and she hastened to bring a light, but he insisted that it was not necessary, that he felt better and that she should remain in bed. She fell asleep and near 5 o'clock was again roused by his distress, and when she brought a lamp discovered that he had been throwing up blood and that he was unconcious. Neighbors were aroused and the physician summoned, but death came before he arrived and was due to a hemorrhage of a blood vessel weakened by the ulcer.

So suddenly came the grim messenger the family are dazed by the shock and the community is startled by the unexpected inelligence. His friends cannot realize that he who was so robust, so energetic in businesss, so devoted to his family, so much the life of social companies, he mingled with, has gone to the undiscovered country.

Mr. Rankin was born in this city Feb. 29, 1860, and was the son of that distinguished citizen, Colonel J. W. Rankin, whose sudden death years ago likewise shocked the community. He grew to young manhood here and received his education in the public schools and at Andover. for nearly fifteen years he had been connected with the wholesale dry goods house of the Irwin-Phillips company, having entered the company's emply when it was the firm of Irwin, Phillips & Co. By his own industry and merit he advanced to one of the most responsible positions in the house, that of house salesman, and became a stockholder in the company.

June 22, 1886, he was married to Miss Miriam Kellogg. His home life was an ideally happy one. Of the union were born two sons, John Walker and Charles Augustus Kellogg Rankin who with their mother survive him. His mother, Mrs. Sarah Rankin, lives in New York. Two sisters, Mrs. John N. Irwin of this city, and Mrs. J. H. Ralston of Washington, D.C., and a brother, William T. Rankin of Chicago, also survive him. The brother will not attend the funeral owning to the dangerous illness of his own daughter. Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Kellogg who have been spending the winter in Florida, have started for home. The time of holding the funeral has not been determined.

In the death of Mr. Rankin Keukuk has lost one of its best young men. He was possessed of fine business talent and indomitable energy. His conduct was regulated by the highest ideals and his demise is deeply mourned in hundreds of homes.

(Ref: local Keokuk newspaper dated just after his death, Mar 8, 1893)

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1860 US Federal Census:

Name: John W Rankin

Age: 3/12

Birth Year: abt 1860

Gender: Male

Birth Place: Iowa

Home in 1860: Keokuk Ward 1, Lee, Iowa

Post Office: Keokuk

Family Number: 101

Household Members:

John W Rankin 36 - Attorney at Law

Sarah Rankin 28

Mary Rankin 8

William F Rankin 6

Sarah B Rankin 2

John W Rankin 3/12

John J Thompson 18 - Law Student

Mary McCarty 25

Ann Downing 17

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Name John Walker Rankin

Baptism Age 4

Record Type Baptism

Birth Date 29 Feb 1860

Baptism Date 7 Jan 1865

Baptism Place Keokuk, Iowa

Church United Presbyterian Church

Mother Sarah T Rankin

(Presbyterian Church Records, 1701-170)