Nelson J. Shively Who Lived In Allen County, Kansas

The following biographical information was taken from the History of Allen and Woodson Counties, Kansas, 1901, L. Wallace Duncan, Iola, Kansas, Page 189:

Nelson J. Shively, of Marmaton township, is one of Allen County’s progressive and prosperous farmers.  He settled here in 1882 and was an emigrant from Marshall County, Indiana.  He was born in Elkhart County, Indiana, January 16, 1853.  His father, Isaac Shively, of Osage township, Allen County, was born in Ohio in 1830 and went into Elkhart County, Indiana, in early life.  He married Catharine Leer, who died in Allen County, Kansas, in 1886 at the age of fifty-one years.   Their children (Isaac and Catharine Shively) are:  Nelson J.; Fernandes, deceased; Amos, of Osage township; Edward; Charles and Alice Shively of Elreno, Oklahoma.

Our subject began life at about eighteen years of age as a farmer and has continued it since with varying degrees of success.  He was induced to come west by the heralding cry of “cheap lands” and in 1882 he brought his small amount of resources into Allen County and made a payment on his first eighty acres of land, in Osage township.  He exchanged this for the southwest quarter of section 20, town 24, range 21 and took on a debt of sixteen hundred dollars.  This he has succeeded in liquidating and has purchased an additional eighty acres and has the whole clear of incumbrance.

Mr. Shively was married in Marshall County, Indiana, February 6, 1879, to Ella Caldwell, a daughter of Archibald Caldwell, who went into the Hoosier State from Virginia.  Mrs. Shively died February 13, 1899, leaving five children: Grace A., Opal, Alice, Carl and Harry.

Mr. Shively is one of the leading and active Republicans of Allen County. He frequents county conventions of his party and can be depended upon not only to support the whole ticket but to work for its success at the polls.  He is identified with the Osage Valley Baptist Church.

The newspaper obituary of the death of Nelson J. Shively was extracted from The Iola Daily Register, Iola, Kansas, Saturday Evening, December 26, 1925, Page 8, Columns 3-4:

Old Settler Dead

N. J. Shively, of Moran, Passed Away Last Night

Died:  At his home in Moran at 9 o'clock Friday evening, December 25, 1925, N. J. Shively, age 72.

The Register's Moran reporter has made reference frequently of late to the ill health of Mr. Shively, so the announcement of his death will not come as a surprise to Register readers, but it will be read with no less regret on that account by a very wide circle of friends.

Nelson J. Shively was on of the oldest settlers of Allen county.  He came here in 1882 from Marshall County, Indiana, and located in Marmaton Township where he was during the remainder of his active life, successfully engaged in farming.

Mr. Shively was married while still living in Indiana to Ella Caldwell, who died Feb. 13, 1899. For many years Mr. Shively was active in the politics of Allen county, never as an office holder or an officer seeker, but because he was an aggressive and convinced Republican and desired to see the policies of that party dominant in the state and nation.  He had a most attractive personality, made friends easily and kept them without effort.  He was a man of the highest integrity, demanding always the complete confidence of everybody who knew him.

Mr. Shively is survived by three daughters and two sons:  Mrs. M. C. Lacey, of Iola; Mrs. Horace Paske, of Toronto, Miss Grace Shively, of Moran; Carl Shively, of Moran, and Harry Shively, of Iola.  The funeral arrangements have not yet been decided upon.

Another account of the death of N. J. Shively was recorded in The Iola Daily Register, Monday Evening, December 28, 1925,  Page 2, Column 4:

Moran News Notes

N. J. Shively, a Pioneer Settler, Died Friday Night -- Funeral

Sunday Afternoon

MORAN, Dec. 26.--Many friends were grieved to learn that Mr. N. J.  Shively had passed away about nine o'clock Christmas evening after an illness of the past ten days.  His death, however, had been almost hourly expected for the past three days and his last illness from the very beginning was very alarming.  Several years ago Mr. Shively began to fall in health and he was induced to dispose of his farm interests and came to town to make his home with his two daughters, Misses Grace and Lou.  The change was made and while he suffered greatly at times, he quickly responded to treatment and would soon be about the care of his lawn and garden that evidenced his thrift and energy that so characterized his life on the farm.  Mr. Shively is gone and Moran will miss for a long time his familiar figure and kindly, cordial greetings and will hold in grateful memory his worth as a noble father and splendid citizen.  Of his immediate family circle he leaves to mourn his loss his two sons, Harry Shively, of Iola, Carl Shively of Moran; three daughters, Mrs. M. C. Lacey, of Iola, Mrs. Horace Paske of Toronto, and Miss Grace Shively of the home address.  The funeral services will be held Sunday afternoon.

In 1902 Mr. Shively married a second time to Alice Bull Smith.  Her obituary was found in The Iola Daily Register, Friday Evening, June 17, 1904, Page 7, Column1:

Mrs. Alice Shively's Death

Mrs. Alice Shively, of Moran, died suddenly at two o'clock Wednesday morning. She has been in apparently perfect health until Sunday night, when she attended church, but was taken ill early Monday morning and gradually grew worse until her death.  The cause of her death is attributed to kidney disease.  The funeral services will be held from the Moran M. E. church today, Rev. J. H. Gordon officiating.

Mrs. Shively has lived in Allen county for twenty-five years, and was well known. She came to Allen county with her parents from Illinois, where she was born.  Her maiden name was Alice Bull.  She was first married to Harvey Smith, who died several years ago.  Later she became the wife of Nelson Shively, who survives her. She had many friends who will mourn her loss.