St. Clair County Obits

WILLIAM R. DUCKWORTH

 

St. Clair County Democrat
17 April 1924
William Renus Duckworth Obituary

An honored son of a noble father, William Renus Duckworth, was born near Collins, in St. Clair county, Missouri, October 11, 1851, and died in Osceola, April 8, 1924.

His life was spent in St. Clair County, except for a few years during his childhood. He was married to Miss Sallie E. Stiles December 20, 1874. He left surviving him his wife and two sons, Robert Demas and Burnie Roy Duckworth and their families, to mourn his departure, who were with him at the time of his death. His four grand-children will be taught to honor their grandfather.

Brother Duckworth was a son of Robert Duckworth, a noble young man and a leading character among the young people of St. Clair County in the late 40's of the past century, who married a daughter of Renus Thompson, a leading citizen of St. Clair county. He got his middle name Renus from his grandfather Thompson, though his mother died when he was an infant.

Thirty years he spent in Vista, fourteen of which he was postmaster at that place. He was concerted in 1911 and united with the Baptist church in Vista. Rev. J.M. Freeman, his pastor, gave a great funeral sermon in the Osceola Baptist Church April 9th, from which he was buried in the Osceola cemetery in charge of Free Masons, of which body he was an honored member. The masonic burial service was impressive and beautiful, Rev. H.E. Carpenter conducting the ritual service as Worshipful Master of A.F. & A.M. Lodge of Osceola. He sleeps well.