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The Last Days of Ambrose Humphrey Ambrose W. Humphrey married Jane Martin in Holt County, Missouri, in 1851. Subsequent state and Federal censuses show Ambrose and Jane living together in Iowa (in 1856 and 1860), and then in Nebraska (in 1870, 1880, and 1885). After 1885, the next relevant census report we find is a Kansas state census from 1895, which shows Ambrose living in Norton County, Kansas, in a household with his brother S.B. (Samuel) Humphrey and his nephew J.S. (John) Humphrey. Neither Jane nor any of their children are listed with him. After that, the 1900 Federal census shows Jane, now a widow, living with her daughter Anna Pace in Delta County, Colorado. Having found no record of Ambrose's death or burial in either official documents or on-line cemetery listings, I searched newspapers.com and came up with the seven short items below which, collectively, tell a story. —Pete Martin, Lakewood, Colorado Excerpt from a profile of John S. Humphrey published in The Champion (Norton, Kansas), 01 Mar 1894, Thu., p. 1 . . . His father was born in Ohio January 28, 1822. He makes his home with his son. An uncle, Ambros Humphey [sic] was born in Ohio in 1820; came to Norton County about two years ago makes his home with John also. Norton County News (Norton, Kansas), 31 Mar 1899, Fri., p. 8 A Mr. Humphry, an uncle of John Humphry, who lives on the Prairie Dog west of Oronoque, while building a fire in the cooking stove one morning last week, unconsciously fell forward on the stove and lay there until he was very badly burned before he realized he was burning. There is no hopes of his recovery. One peculiar thing concerning the accident, is the patient suffers no pain. He is a very old man and a master Mason. The Norcatur Register (Norcatur, Kansas), 14 Apr 1899, Fri., p. 4 Last Wednesday Dr. Corns inveigled us into his buggy by promising to bring us back by 2 o'clock, but as he neglected to say which 2 he had us at his mercy. However the weather was fine and we could not help enjoying the ride. We first stopped to see Mr. Humphry the old gentleman who was so badly burned a few weeks ago. The old gentleman is horribly burned but is not suffering and his mind seems clear, and he is anxious to be placed in the Masonic home. . . . The Norcatur Register (Norcatur, Kansas), 28 Apr 1899, Fri., p. 4 On last Thursday, Dr. Corns received a check for $50.00 from the Masonic Grand Lodge of Kansas to be used in paying the expense of caring for Mr. Humphry, of Orenoque, who was so terriably [sic] burned about a month ago. The members of the order had already contributed about $70.00. His lodge, Norcatur No. 317, has also secured for him a regular allowance of $20.00 a month. The Norcatur Register (Norcatur, Kansas), 05 May 1899, Fri., p. 4 Mr. Humphry, who was so badly burned recently, died on the 23rd of April at his son's home in Aurora, Nebraska, and was buried with Masonic honors by the fraternity of that place. [NOTE: The items below, from Aurora, Nebraska, newspapers show that the date of 23 April, given above for Ambrose's death, was actually the date of his funeral. His correct date of death was 21 April.] Identical notices printed one day apart in The Republican-Register (Aurora, Nebraska), 21 April 1899, Fri., p. 5, and in The Hamilton County Register (Aurora, Nebraska), 22 April 1899, Sat., p. 5
Attention Masons! The Republican-Register (Aurora, Nebraska), 28 April 1899, Fri., p. 5 —The funeral of A. W. Humphrey, father of J. H. Humphrey of this city, occurred last Sunday afternoon. The Masonic order had charge of the services. A large number gathered to pay their respects to the dead.
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