Obituary
William Albert Shortridge
W. A. Shortridge was born near Pleasant Plain, Iowa August 6th, 1857, and died January 4th, 1925; at the age of 67 years, 4 months, and 29 days.
When he was about 18 months old, his parents, James F. and Sarah J. Shortridge, moved to Kansas, settling near Sumner in Atchison County. Later they moved to Brown County, settling near Claytonville, where he grew to manhood amid pioneer hardships. At twenty-four years of age he had the misfortune to lose an arm while out hunting.
Mr. Shortridge was married in May 1883, to Florence Rice, and to this union two children were born, Ethel Fay and Doris Caro. The last named died when about two years old. His wife died in 1902, and three years later his oldest daughter died leaving him homeless again. He then made his home with his parents until 1907, when his mother died. The father passed away five years later.
In April, 1908, Mr. Shortridge came to Kearney County and homesteaded on 160 acres of land, where he spent the remainder of his life. He was married on December 28th, 1910, to Belle Fuller of Lakin, and the same year united with the Methodist Church of Columbia of which he was a member at the time of his death.
He leaves to mourn his loss; his wife; a brother J. O. Shortidge, of Smith Center; three sisters, Mary E. Bennett, of Weatherford, Oklahoma, Anna Ford, of Oswego, Kansas, and Nina McCoy of Oneida, Kansas and a number of nieces and nephews and a host of friends. His niece, Mrs. John Adams, of Wichita County, with her husband, came to see him often, and J. O. Shortridge, Mrs. Nina McCoy, and W. A. Rice of Rolla, Kansas, a brother-in-law, were at his bed side with Mrs. Shortridge when he passed to the great beyond.