Representative William Anderson Tade View All Years

HON. WILLIAM A. TADE

MR. SPEAKER: Your committee appointed to prepare resolutions commemorative of the life, character, and public services of the late Honorable William A. Tade of Van Buren county, Iowa, beg leave to submit the following report:

Mr. William A. Tade, son of John and Martha Davies Tade, was born in Lee County, Iowa Territory, September 17, 1841, of a large family—two sisters surviving: Lottie T. Davidson of Mt. Pleasant and Mary Dewey of Baldwin City, Kansas.

He attended public school in or near Augusta, Iowa, and after coming with the family to Van Buren county in 1854, at Harrisburg Center. At fourteen years of age he entered Iowa College, then located at Davenport.

October 2, 1861 he entered the service of his country as a private of Company F, Fourteenth Iowa Infantry, and after being mustered in Davenport was with his regiment, assigned to the Army of the Tennessee and sent at once to the front.

He participated in the engagements at Fts. Henry and Donelson, and at the battle of Shiloh was captured by the enemy, remaining a prisoner eight months in Montgomery, Mobile, Macon and finally the Libby Prison where he was afterward paroled and exchanged.

He then rejoined his regiment at Benton Barracks, and later took part in an expedition to Rolla, Missouri, thence to Cairo, Illinois, where he served for several months as river detective in the Provost Marshal department.

At this time he was commissioned Lieutenant of an independent company known as the Liberia Guards, with which company he made an expedition to Helena, Arkansas.

At Little Rock, Arkansas, the company was merged into the Fifty-seventh United States Colored Regiment, and he was made a quartermaster and served in that capacity until January, 1866, when he was made captain of the company and ordered to New Mexico. Here he remained until December of the same year when he returned to Leavenworth, Kansas, and was honorably discharged December 13, having been in the service continually for more than five years.

During that entire time he was never known to shirk any task imposed upon him, but was ever faithful to his duty and the cause for which he was valiantly fighting.

June 24, 1868, Mr. Tade was married to Miss Sarah E. Dewey. Unto them were born seven children: Nellie B. Phelps, Howard D., and Lily Harlan of Hillsboro; Alice C. Aikens of Winterset; Orville of Milton; Lola Morrison of Douglas, Wyoming; and Kate, who preceded him in death on October 10, 1898. The mother of this family died May 10, 1881.

In 1882 he was married to Miss Nancy Dewey, a sister of his former wife, and unto them was born two sons: Will B., living in the old home, and John Logan, who departed this life August 30, 1908.

He was called to his reward January 13, 1927, at Cedar Dell, the old home farm where so many years of his life have been spent, aged 85 years, 3 months and 26 days.

There are left to mourn their loss his devoted wife, seven children, twenty-three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

In 1890 Mr. Tade was honored by an election to the State Legislature and displayed the same fidelity to duty which characterized his entire life, proving himself an efficient and capable officer. He was actively interested in the organization of the Hillsboro Farmers and Traders Savings Bank and held the office of president at the time of his death.

He was a man of faculty, for, while to him the nearest and dearest of earthly things were his home and his family, he was ever intensely interested in all things pertaining to the welfare of the community, the county, the state and the nation.

But more than all, he was an earnest, consecrated Christian; a man who under all the trials and troubles and difficulties and distresses of life could yet look up and say: “My Father,” with perfect faith and trust. For almost half a century he held the office of deacon in the Harrisburg church and until the last few years, when prevented by the infirmities of age, he could always be found in his place on the Sabbath Day. He held the position of superintendent of the Sunday School for a number of years and into this work he put the energy and enthusiasm that made it such a power for good in the community.

Now, Therefore, Be It Resolved, That the House of Representatives takes this occasion to express its appreciation of his character and public service and at this time extend to his surviving wife and children its sincere sympathy in their sorrow, and,

Be It Further Resolved, That a copy of this resolution be spread upon upon the Journal of the House and that the Chief Clerk be instructed to send an enrolled copy to the wife and children of the deceased.

A. V. BLACKFORD,

W. S. KENNEDY,

Z. S. RATLIFF,

Committee.

Unanimously adopted April 6, 1927.