Staley

Our old friend and next door neighbor, Edward W. (Ed) Staley, received the last rites of church, lodge, family, and friends in services Monday, being laid to rest in Oakhill Cemetery at the age of 82, or 12 years past the allotted three score and ten.

Perhaps 100 or more gathered at the Congregational church for the funeral, only the elders in the group knowing first-hand the days when Ed Staley was a driving force in the community, standing rock-solid behind projects of community betterment. There was little in community life, business, church, social, sport, civic or fraternal, in which he did not share or lead. But foremost in all these activities was his family.

Edward W. Staley was born January 6, 1880, at Tallulah, Ill., the son of John W. and Emma Dickinson Staley. The family moved later to Chandlerville, Ill. where he graduated from high school. He continued his education at Berea College, Berea, Ky. From there he entered the career of traveling salesman, one enterprise being to establish instruction centers for correspondence music courses. The young lady recommended to take charge of the instruction in Nashua was Miss Ethel Granger, daughter of Mr. And Mrs. W.A. Granger, Nashua community leaders of that era.

Ed not only convinced Miss Granger she should take charge of the teaching, but he also convinced her she should be Mrs. E.W. Staley. The ceremony took place January 11, 1911, at the Granger home, and was one of the highlights of the community.

By this time Ed had become a division manager for the Diamond Tire & Rubber Company, and the newlyweds established their home at St. Louis, MO., the place of his employment.

They continued to live in St. Louis, where their elder son, Harlan Granger Staley, was born. Early in 1914 they moved to Nashua, Ed having changed jobs as representative of the Midwest Coal Co., and Ethel desiring to be here due to her mother’s illness. Their next son, Edward Russell Staley, was born in Nashua.

Edward traveled for Midwest Coal until his retirement at age 65, when he devoted his full time to his business interests in the community and on his farm, living summers in his cottage along the lakeshore and winters in his house in town.

In his youth, he had been a professional soloist for a leading church in Kansas City, MO., and he continued to lend his rich baritone voice to many church and community activities. His wife shared in the musical activities.

Ed also was an ardent hunter and fisherman and prominent in the Izaak Walton League of America. He was largely instrumental in the re-stocking of Cedar Lake some years ago.
He also was secretary-manager of the Big Four Fair association when the Big Four Fair was at its zenith, having no rival for excellence or patronage.
He was a member of the Congregational church and of several Masonic bodies, including the Blue Lodge, Consistory (Scottish Rite) and Shrine. He was a past worshipful master of Bradford Lodge, A.F. & A.M.

He became a director of the First Nashua State Bank about 1938, and continued on the board until his health failed about a year ago.

Ed rallied from his first attack and continued to reside at his Lakeshore home, which he by this time had converted into a full, year-around home. In August, however, another stroke made him bedfast, and he was hospitalized at Charles City until going to the nearby Chautauqua Rest home about two months ago. It was there that death came shortly after 7 a.m. Saturday, February 3.
The funeral was held at the two o’clock hour at the Congregational church. The Rev. L. George Pimlott of the Methodist church officiated in the distant absence of Pastor Robert N. D. Yoak.

We had the privilege of being soloist, one of the numbers being an old favorite of Ed’s, “Crossing the Bar,” a musical setting by Barnby of Tennyson’s poem, and which he had sung at many funeral.

The accompanist was Mrs. Lenos (Kay Walsh) Connor. The many floral tributes were in charge of the Mmes. Lorraine Kout, Grace Felt and Geraldine Naeve.

Casket bearers were Roy and John Nafus, Frank Hammond, August Meier, Verne (Bud) Strike and W.G. Olson, all old friends.

More than 20 brothers of Bradford Lodge attended in a group, and memorial services of that institution were conducted by Alvin Flint.

Among those from away who attended the funeral were Mr. And Mrs. Edward Staley, Edward, Jr., and Barbara Jean of St. Louis, MO.; Mr. and Mrs. William (nee Joan Staley) Stevens and seven-months old son, Timothy, of Des Moines; Richard Staley, Grafton, Wis., a nephew; Troy Barnes, Springfield, Ill., and Mrs. Ward DeLaVergne, Mrs. Will Townsend and Mrs. Harold Briggs, all of Plainfield.

Mrs. Staley’s sister, Mrs. C.R. Gelvin, has been here from Visalia, Calif. for some time.

Ed’s other son, Harlan, and family, have made their home in Nashua for the past few years. They have one son, John.

In all, Ed Staley is survived by his wife, Ethel; two sons; four grandchildren, and one great-grandson.