This post was contributed to the Crawford County Chapter of OGS by Kristina Stearley as part of the Florence Siefert Scrapbook in 2010.
The scrapbook is compiled from undated, unidentified newspaper clippings involving events in the lives of Crawford County citizens living in or having connections to New Washington, Tiro, Shelby, Sulphur Springs, Chatfield, Bucyrus, Ashland, Mansfield, and other areas. Only minimal spelling or punctuation corrections were made. Unreadable areas are shown by underlines, dots &/or question marks. This collection has been scanned, “optical character recognized” (OCR’d), proofed, then coded for HTML by volunteers of the Crawford County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society. Since the copies are not of the best quality errors may have been made. Please contact us if you find corrections needing to be made or can verify any missing dates which could be added.
Death of Dr. B. W. McKee
Dr. B. W. McKee died at his home Thursday night, March 27, 1890, at 11:30 o’clock. The period of his fatal illness extends over ten weeks. Dr. McKee was born in Wayne county, Ohio, February 8, 1840, commenced the study of medicine in 1865 and was married to Miss Ruvilla Weirich on June 16, 1870. He located at Northfield, Ohio, and after one year’s practice he located in DeKalb, and at the expiration of eight years he built a residence in Tiro where he has since resided. On Sunday his home, surrounded by regal forest trees, stripped of the leaves in that hour of distress, were the remains of Dr. McKee. A piece of crape hung on the office door that was always thrown open in hospitable welcome. Over all, within and without, was a deep hush. Two sons were at the side of their weeping mother, then at the side of their father’s coffin.
In the autumn of 1889, seeking for rest, he visited his brothers in the west and they were where magical streams pour forth their healing waters. The extent of his danger at that time was not known, except to her whose life was as his own and to physicians who did not conceive it their duty to publish the doctor’s ailmeats. He came home, however, to his beloved town and again took up his practice, but only for a short time, as he visited his last patient in January. It can well be said that he was a a gracious, kindly gentleman who treated all who came within his circle with the same rare and exquisite courtesy. He lived and died a christian. No man ever had more of the confidence and affection of the people of his own town than Dr. B. W. McKee. He daily practiced the greatest of all virtues, charity. There are many left behind who today miss his generous heart and open hand. All along the pathway of his life are scattered jewels of charity that will be gathered home by the angels of eternity. In the busy springtime of death there was gathered home no nobler spirit, no higher intelligence, no fairer soul. He died as he lived; calmly and serenely.
Like a shadow thrown,
Softly and sweetly from a passing cloud,
Death fell upon him.
The hour for the funeral services was at 11 o’clock Sunday at the United Presbyterian church. Rev. T. M. Knox spoke very beautifully of Dr. McKee’s life. The interment was the Dickson’s cemetery. B.
