Brookings County, SD Obituaries

Morris Shea
Feb. 8th 1913
Passes Away Saturday Evening After a Long Illness Aged 68
VETERAN OF CIVIL WAR
A long and honored career both as a soldier and citizen After suffering for some time with arteriosclerosis, Morris Shea breathed his last at six o'clock Saturday evening. The funeral was held at the home on Monday afternoon. Rev. H.W. Tilden, pastor of the Baptist church and chaplain of the G.A.R. Post, officiating. The three patriotic orders, the G.A.R. the W.R.C. and the Sons of Veterans, were represented and contributed several of the more beautiful floral emblems, which, with the flag of his country, covered the coffined for, The home was filled with friends, neighbors and comrades. Interment was made in Greenwood cemetery.
Mr. Shea was born at Waukegan, Lake County, Illinois on July 12, 1845. His opportunities for acquiring an education were limited, owing to the outbreak of the Civil War when he was about sixteen years of age, but he attended country school from the age of nine years until, one day early in 1862, he enlisted in Company F. 37th Illinois Volunteers. which was recruited near his home. He was therefore one of the youngest soldiers in the army. A patriotic family, his father and brother later entered the service, but no two of them were in the same regiment. Mr. Shea re-enlisted at the end of his firth three year term in the same company and regiment and was mustered out at Houston, Texas, May 1866.
Comrade Shea received his baptism of fire at Brownsville, Mo. in a scrimmage brought on by a southern editor and a union soldier. Later he participated in some of the greatest battles of the war. Mission Ridge, Vicksburg, Gettysburg, Pea Ridge and others. At the siege of Vicksburg with General Grant his witnessed the surrender of three thousand five hundred Confederate soldiers as prisoners of war. That his service was noted for courage, faithfulness and attention to duty is attested to the fact that he made corporal and then sergeant in his company.
Soon after being mustered out Mr. Shea returned to his farm home in Brookings South Dakota
[Submitted by Barb Ziegenmeyer]

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