Home > United States of America > Iowa > Clayton County > Elkader > Elkader Cemetery > Josiah Maxwell “Cy” Morse

Josiah Maxwell “Cy” Morse

Birth	:	15 Sep 1845 Buffalo, Erie County, New York, USA
Death	:	23 Nov 1926 Elkader, Clayton County, Iowa, USA
Burial	:	Elkader Cemetery, Elkader, Clayton County, USA
Coordinate	:	42.8541718, -91.4000015
Description	:	Dubuque Telegraph Herald Monday 29 Nov 1926 Oldest Conductor Buried At Elkader J.M. Morse Had Worked For Railroad Over Half Century Grew Up With Western Railroads Last Years Devoted to Work on Old Elkader Line in Clayton County Elkader, la., Nov. 29.— Special: J. M. Morse, the oldest conductor of the I. & D. division of the C., M. & St. P. railroad was buried here Friday afternoon, having died suddenly from heart failure Wednesday forenoon, at the age of 83 years. Josiah Maxwell Morse was born near Buffalo, N.Y., September 15, 1844. He came west with his family in a covered wagon and stopped a... Read More	Dubuque Telegraph Herald Monday 29 Nov 1926 Oldest Conductor Buried At Elkader J.M. Morse Had Worked For Railroad Over Half Century Grew Up With Western Railroads Last Years Devoted to Work on Old Elkader Line in Clayton County Elkader, la., Nov. 29.— Special: J. M. Morse, the oldest conductor of the I. & D. division of the C., M. & St. P. railroad was buried here Friday afternoon, having died suddenly from heart failure Wednesday forenoon, at the age of 83 years. Josiah Maxwell Morse was born near Buffalo, N.Y., September 15, 1844. He came west with his family in a covered wagon and stopped a t Monroe, Wis., where he started to work in the railroad depot. Before he was twenty years of age he started working for the C., M. & St. P. railroad and had been in its employ as conductor for fifty-three years. September 14, 1875, at Prairie du Chien, Mr. Morse and Annie Rienow of North McGregor were married and to this union one daughter, Jessie, was born. She preceded her father in death April 5, 1913. Following their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Morse resided at North McGregor until he was made conductor of the “Old Elkader Line" when they removed to Elkader and this has been their home ever since. Deceased is mourned by his widow and four nephews, Lyle and Clarence Bean of Kansas City, Dr. R. L. Morse of this place and Lyle Morse of Los Angeles, Calif. J. M. Morse, better known as “Cy” here and in railroad circles had a history, which really was the history of the railroad for which he worked on the local divisions. He started as station baggage master at Monroe in 1868. In 1869 he went to braking on the old mixed train between Monroe and Janesville, Wis. August the following year he went to McGregor and started switching in the yards. Part of the work was switching cars on to the barges that were taken to Prairie du Chien by the steamboat Allamakee. In October, the same year he went to braking on the I.& M. division between McGregor and Austin. In the winter of 1872 his train was stuck in a snow bank between Ridgeway and Conover. That night Conductor Wilson brought the engine through to Calmar, while Mr. Morse and two other brakemen remained with the train all night. The next morning the entire train, with the exception of four feet of the rear of the caboose, was buried under four feet of snow. One passenger and two freight trains were also stalled behind the first train. It was three weeks before these trains were got out of the snow banks. Those were the days when railroading was hard in winter. All engines were wood-burners and only link and pin couplers were used. Brakemen had to be out and on top in all kinds of weather, using the hand brakes to hold trains going down the hill from Monona to McGregor, a distance of fourteen miles. In 1873 deceased was promoted to conductor on freight and ran between McGregor and Austin. In 1885 he was promoted to passenger conductor between St. Paul and North McGregor and in 1886 he was transferred to the I. & D. division, running passenger trains between Sanborn and Chamberlain. It was in 1889 that he became conductor of the “Old Elkader Line” and since that time Elkader has been his home.

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Josiah Maxwell “Cy” Morse's memorial?
Josiah Maxwell “Cy” Morse's memorial is located at: Elkader Cemetery, Elkader, Clayton County, USA.
When did Josiah Maxwell “Cy” Morse death?
Josiah Maxwell “Cy” Morse death on 23 Nov 1926 in Elkader, Clayton County, Iowa, USA
Where are the coordinates of the Josiah Maxwell “Cy” Morse's memorial?
Latitude: 42.8541718
Longitude: -91.4000015

Family Members:

Spouse

Anna Rienow Morse

(1854 - 1933)

Children

Jessie Morse Beyer

(1878 - 1914)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Elkader Cemetery
Elkader, Clayton County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8541718, -91.4000015

2. Saint Josephs Cemetery
Elkader, Clayton County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8488998, -91.4021988

3. Hartman Cemetery
Cox Creek Township, Clayton County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8155360, -91.3880840

4. Colony Catholic Cemetery (Defunct)
Read Township, Clayton County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8830000, -91.3580000

5. County Home Cemetery
Clayton Center, Clayton County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8916702, -91.3499985

6. Dohrer Cemetery
Osborne, Clayton County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8124846, -91.4584734

7. Meenan Cemetery
Communia, Clayton County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7999862, -91.3584693

8. Zion Lutheran Cemetery
Clayton Center, Clayton County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8841705, -91.3249969

9. Cords Cemetery
Osborne, Clayton County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7973308, -91.4377662

10. Clayton Center Cemetery
Clayton Center, Clayton County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8841705, -91.3225021

11. Communia Cemetery
Volga Township, Clayton County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7868996, -91.3630981

12. Patterson Pioneer Cemetery
Saint Olaf, Clayton County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9216000, -91.4489000

13. Watkins Cemetery
Osborne, Clayton County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7833180, -91.4584733

14. Clark Family Cemetery
Beulah, Clayton County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9166505, -91.4751415

15. Norway Lutheran Church Cemetery
Saint Olaf, Clayton County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9352798, -91.4302826

16. Weymouth Cemetery
Saint Olaf, Clayton County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9278799, -91.4583559

17. Mederville Cemetery
Elkader, Clayton County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7638893, -91.4194412

18. Krumm Cemetery
Garber, Clayton County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7913760, -91.3023559

19. Farmersburg-Wagner Cemetery
Farmersburg, Clayton County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9481010, -91.3700027

20. Blanchaine Cemetery
Volga, Clayton County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7676210, -91.3389040

21. Cook Family Cemetery
Elkader, Clayton County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9209880, -91.5091230

22. Wagner Township Cemetery
Saint Olaf, Clayton County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9519386, -91.4513931

23. Eberhard Cemetery
Littleport, Clayton County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7583201, -91.3418020

24. Highland Lutheran Cemetery
Highland Township, Clayton County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8987000, -91.5330000