Moline Dispatch Obituaries, 1895-1899
Moline, Rock Island County, Illinois
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1895-1899 Obituaries from the Moline Dispatch in Moline, Rock Island County Illinois.
HOLT, Dorman A., Obituary
D. A. HOLT PASSES AWAY.
After a Severe Illness of Ten Days — A Sketch of His Life. Dorman A. Holt breathed his last a few minutes after 2 o'clock this afternoon at the family residence, 1502 Eighth avenue, after a terrible suffering of ten days duration, with liver and kidney trouble. He became unconscious at 9 o'clock this morning. All his relatives in this city were summoned to his bedside and were present when he passed away.
Dorman A. Holt was born at Colden, Erie county, N. Y., June 18, 1835. He was the son of Arnold and Reny Austin Holt. In his younger days he was bright and quick. After a few short school terms he went to work in his father's store where he remained a few years, learning the general merchandise business. At the age of 18 he went to Buffalo, N. Y., and went into the Mansion house (a leading hotel at that time) as clerk and while there joined what was known as the 21st regiment, New York militia. He remained in New York until 1852, when he came to Rock Island to visit his sisters and also his brother, the Rev. E. D. Holt. He accepted a position as clerk in a general store at Green River, Ill., owned by Mr. Sawyer, and remained there until 1855. He returned to Buffalo where he was joined in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Thurber. One child, Rose, now Mrs. Franklin Pierce of Farelee, Vermont, was born to them. At the opening of the war Mr. Holt with his company in the 21st militia was accepted by the government and started for the front, which was near Washington, D. C, at that time. He took part in all the campaigns of the army of the Potomac up to the time of his discharge and history will show with what terrible loss his command suffered. Among his engagements was the battle of Antietam, and the laving of the Pontoon bridge at Fredericksburg and charging the enemy's batteries, where nearly his whole company were annihilated. The sufferings caused by his army experience caused him to be discharged and he came to Chicago and was put at work in the quartermaster department, and he issued the first rations to the prisoners at camp Douglas. At the time the prison pen was established on Rock Island he was sent here to get it in running order and issued the first rations to them. In 1862 he was sent to Nashville, Tenn., with others to work in the quartermasters department, supplying the Cumberland with rations, where they were nearly hemmed in by the rebel general, J. B. Hood. He was there a civilian but helped to man the works and work on fortifications and after the battle of Nashville, followed up the army in its advance, until relieved by the department at the end of the war. In June, 1865, he came back to Moline and went into the grocery business and was one of our merchants for many years. June 30, 1867 he was joined in marriage to Margaret S. Jackson, a daughter of Michael and Nancy Hartzell of this city. From this union two children were born, Fred. D. and Gertrude E. His stepchildren are Mrs. Ella Hyde, Mrs. Adda Burgston of this city and Charles Jackson of Wichita, Kas.
Mr. Holt was a member in good standing of R. H. Graham Post and has also been a member of every post here since the first one was organized in 1866, and it is largely through his efforts that we have the valuable soldier's monument and cemetery lot, and he better than any other of our citizens knew where every soldier was buried and for many years has been the chairman of the decorating committee. Mr. Holt leaves besides those mentioned, two sisters in Oregon, J. M. Holt of this city, Harry E. Holt of St. Louis, his half-brothers, Mrs. E. C. Vore of What Cheer, Iowa, and Ella A. Copp, of Rogers, Arkansas, his half-sisters and his step-mother Mrs. H. M. Wright, of What Cheer, Iowa. The time of the funeral will be announced tomorrow. [The Moline Dispatch, (Moline, IL), Wednesday, January 19, 1898, p.4.]