From the scrapbook of Ida Trimmer Fowler, a resident of Bader, Schuyler County, IL and Prairie City, McDonough County, IL died February 16, 1938 via the obit
Henry C. Spurgeon, 69, one of the most extensive landowners in Greenbush township, passed away unexpectedly Wednesday, Feb. 16, about 10 a.m. on a country road near his farm residence, his death being attributed to a heart attack. Mr. Spurgeon was a member of an old and honored family of Warren county. He was born in Greenbush township, December 19, 1868, a son of Israel and Elizabeth (Marshall) Spurgeon. He attended the district schools, the public schools of Colorado Springs, Colo., and the preparatory department of Knox college. From the time he was ten years old, he lived at Colorado Springs and Leadville, Colo., but about 1888, returned to Warren county. In 1889 he was married to Miss Irene Abbott, who was born in Monmouth. Following his marriage Mr. Spurgeon rented a farm in Greenbush township, and then some years later bought a farm. Later his holdings were expanded by the addition of several hundred acres from his father's extensive estate. In 1900 he went into a hardware and implement business at Prairie City, and before then served as salesman for a large agricultural implement house at Bushnell. Thirty-one years ago, in 1907, Mr. Spurgeon went to Santa Fe, New Mexico, for his health and remained there for a year, leaving for Colorado where he remained until 1917, and during this period worked for the Great Western Sugar company. After four years there he went with the Spaulding Deep Tiling Machine company of Denver, Colo. Returning to Warren county, he resumed his hardware business, and looked after his farm land. He was known for years as a raiser of Duroc-Jersey hogs and also of Poland-China and Hampshire hogs. Mr. and Mrs. Spurgeon became the parents of twelve children, two of whom preceded their father in death. A son, Harold, died of influenza at Camp McArthur, Fort Worth, Texas, during the World War, and a daughter, Amy, died at the age of two. Surviving are the widow and ten children: Mrs. Marie Alkire of Mesa, Ariz., whose husband died in the army during the war; Merle of Springfield, Ill.; Mrs. Ardis Levoy of Oak Park, Ill.; French of Galesburg; Henry of Los Angeles; Mrs. Irene Terrell of San Francisco; Eileen of Denver, Colo.; Bronald, Bernadine and Ione, all of Chicago. He leaves five grandchildren. Also surviving are three sisters, Mrs. Emma Dixon, Mrs. Mary Abbott, and Mrs. Dora Long, of that community; and Elmer of Longmont, Colo.