“In Miles, Iowa, at the residence of his son-in-law, I. M. Miles, Friday morning at 1:40, August 20th, 1886, Mr. Henry Ferguson Graham, aged 83 years, 5 months and 10 days.

The deceased was born in the Township of Turbot, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, March 9, 1803. He was the last survivor of a family of eight children, all of whom like himself attained a good old age. Two brothers died in Illinois, one in Ohio and three sisters and one brother died in Pennsylvania. His relatives are all highly respectable people of means and genuine worth. Six or seven of his nephews are ministers of the gospel.

Mr. Graham’s early youth was spent on a farm in Pennsylvania. At the age of 16 years he was apprenticed to the trade of a tanner and currier and worked at that business in the neighbourhood of his early home until 1826, when he concluded to go in search of a better place for his business and journeyed on foot to what was then called Upper Canada, now Ontario. He stopped at a place known as Crook’s Hollow, and was employed in Mr. Crook’s tannery one year. The next year was spent in Dundas in the employ of Mr. John Binkley, after which he returned to his home in Pennsylvania and spent a year there.

Returning to Canada in the early part of 1830, he located at Waterdown, a small town just started at the head of Lake Ontario, six miles from the city of Hamilton. Here he erected a tannery on a small scale and enlarged it as his business increased. His perseverance, industry and straight-forward manner of dealing was rewarded with prosperity and success. On the 11th of May 1830, he took himself a wife in the person of Miss Agnes Rosenberger of Dundas¹, who proved a valuable helpmate and blessed his home and cheered his fireside until April 27, 1881, several months after their golden wedding had been celebrated, when the angel of death called her to the home above where she has been waiting for the “sunset gates to unbar”, that she may welcome him who longs for her companionship, into the mansion which the Father in whom they trusted, has prepared for their eternal home of blissful harmony.

After his marriage Mr. Graham carried on farming together with his tannery.² The farm which he owned is now part of the city of Waterdown. Although an active, successful businessman he did not allow his own affairs to engross his attention to the neglect of his duty to his God and his fellow men. In his early manhood he was a member of the Free Church of Scotland. His benevolent nature increased with the increase of his earthly possessions. He donated a lot in Waterdown to the church to which he belonged and contributed liberally in the fund for the erection of a church edifice. He was always well posed in current history and took an active part in Canada politics, being a “strong, straight forward reformer”. He was often placed in positions of trust and for a long term of years was an alderman, representing the township on the council at Hamilton. He was also justice of the peace by appointment of the Crown, an office whose term is for life. Not withstanding Mr. Graham’s success in Canada before the church building which he felt so much interest was completed, his attention was turned to the west, and in 1854 he left Canada and removed with his family to Iowa and purchased a large farm near Sterling, Jackson County, which he improved and upon which he lived until after the decease of his worthy companion ……..

Mr. Graham was the father of ten children, eight of whom survive him and deeply mourn the loss of a devoted parent.³ They are all highly respected and useful members of society. All except William, the youngest, are married and have families. John R.⁴ is in business in Harlan, Shelby County, Iowa, Matthew and James are doing an extensive business in Kirkman, Shelby County, and William is in the hardware business in Irwin in the same county. Mrs. Jane Davis resides at Audubon, where herself and husband own a handsome property. Mrs. Agnes Gage resides in Lyons, Mrs. Ella Laing resides near Sterling, Mrs. Henrietta Miles, resides in Miles.

The funeral was attended at the Congregational Church in Miles on Sunday at one o’clock p.m. The services were conducted by Rev. W. E. DeRiemer. The sacred remains of the dear old father were encased in a casket cover with broadcloth and velvet with gold plated trimmings, the most elegant casket ever brought into this community and laid beside those of the loved wife in the Sterling cemetery.”