The Obituary Read at the Funeral in this City Last Thursday Afternoon at the M. E. Church

William Benjamin Cornwell, son of John Cornwell and Anna his wife, was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, January 4th, 1842, and departed this life at his late home in Bluford, Jefferson County, Illinois, June 1?, 1910, aged 68 years, 5 months and 9 days, after a short illness of a complicated nature. Mr. Cornwell was united in marriage with Elizabeth S. Laird of Athens, Ohio, June 5th, 1866, who survives him and mourns the loss of a kind and indulgent companion and father. To this happy union ten children came to bless the home, viz, Lydia J., intermarried with Lamoreaux of Barton, state of Wash.; Carrie A., who became the wife of John S. Hull, of Newman, Ill; both are deceased. Stella M., wife of Grant Josserand, Newman, Ill. died July 27th, 1908. Clarence H., died at Newman, Ill. Feb. 21, 1892, single; Mable, wife of Barnett M. Hughes, of Bluford, Ill., Gertrude E., wife of Geo. Sterling, of Newman, Ill.; Rosella E., wife of Elmer Bedwell, Garwood, Texas; Jessie O., unmarried, died May 30, 1900 at Newman, Ill; and Elton M., still a member of the paternal home.

At the very beginning of the war of the rebellion Mr. Cornwell on the 21st day of April, 1861, enlisted in the 22nd reg. Ohio Vol. Infy.; a 90 days regiment, and served the term of his enlistment, and in December 1863, he entered the service on a three years' enlistment, in the same regiment that had become a regiment of veterans and served until the muster out of the command in July, 1865, by reason of existing orders from the war department, and the further fact that the was was well nigh over at this time. He was a loyal and true citizen and was justly proud of his record in fedense of his country, and had no apologies to make to any one, for having thus served it.

In 1875 Mr. Cornwell, with his family, removed from Ohio to the vicinity of Newman, when he was numbered among the best citizens of the community, honest and upright in all his dealings. Here he resided, engaged in farming, until 1905, when he removed to Bluford in Jefferson county, Ill., and settled on a farm and here he died as above noted.

Mr. Cornwell was a member of Low Post, No. 323, department of Illinois, G. A. R., of Newman, Ill., in good standing. When a young man, Mr. Cornwell was converted, and while he never united with any branch of the Christian church, he was a firm believer in the teachings of the Holy Scriptures with strong leaning toward the doctrines and usages of the Methodist Episcopal church.

Mr. Cornwell leaves to mourn his loss, besides his own immediate family, as noted above, four sisters and three brothers, the sisters and two of the brothers reside in Ohio, the other one in the state of Kansas, none of whom are here to day on this sad and solemn occasion. To these and those of the immediate family of the deceased, whose names are mentioned herein, the unfeigned sympatheis of this entire community in which the deceased was once a part, are sorrowfully and feelingly extended with the hope that these mourning ones may long be spared a recurrence of the like bereavement.

Source: Obituary of William Benjamin Cornwell. 24 June 1910, Newman Independent.