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Submitted: 11/16/14 • Approved: 11/18/14 • Last Updated: 11/21/14 • R1052480-G0-S3
September 22, 1855 - August 26, 1929
*Obituary
Rogers Daily News
Tuesday, August 27, 1929
FELKER, Wm. R. - Funeral services for W.R. Felker, aged 74 years, widely known Rogers resident whose death occurred at his home in Rogers Monday afternoon, August 26th, was held at the Baptist Church in Rogers Thursday afternoon and interment made in the Rogers cemetery. Mr. Felker was born near Washburn, Mo. September 22nd, 1855. He came to Rogers in 1883 from Barton County, Mo. He was the founder of the first bank established in Rogers, had been engaged in the mercantile business at different times and was widely known as a railroad builder. He and his associates took over the old Bentonville Railroad and extended it to Grove, Okla., selling it to the Frisco Lines. He was also organizer of the company building a railroad from Rogers to Siloam Springs, and lines also from Rogers to Monte Ne, and Cave Springs to Fayetteville. He had a leading part in the development of this county and section and in the building of Rogers and in all the affairs of that town. Besides his wife Mr. Felker is survived by three sons, John E. Felker, treasurer of two insurance companies at Rogers; W.B. {Bun} Felker, manager of the Felker farms east of Rogers, and Warren Felker, manager and part owner of the Springdale Cheese Company at Springdale, Ark.; and two daughters, Mrs. F.F. Freeman of Siloam Springs and Mrs. Mart Morris of Longview, Wash. The present Mrs. Felker is a sister of H.Y. King of Bentonville. The business houses of Rogers closed during the funeral hour in respect to the memory of Mr. Felker, a proclamation having been issued by Mayor Rood authorizing and requesting this tribute of respect.
*Obituary
Rogers Democrat
Wednesday, August 28, 1929
Funeral services for W.R. Felker, who died Monday afternoon at 3:20 at his home on South First street, will be held this afternoon (Thursday) at 2:00 at the Baptist church and will be conducted by the pastor, Rev. A.A. DuLaney. Burial in Rogers cemetery. Mayor Rood has issued a proclamation asking that all business houses of the city close from 1:30 to 3:00 for the funeral of Mr. Felker. Mr. Felker had been in poor health for some time but his condition was not considered immediately serious until a day or two before his death. His daughter, Mrs. F.F. Freeman, was called from Siloam Springs and was with him when he died. Another daughter, Mrs. S.M. Morris of Longview, Wash., who spent a portion of the summer here, had returned home and the funeral was delayed until she could arrive last night. Wm. R. Felker was born near Washburn, Mo. Sept. 22, 1855 and died August 26th, not quite 74 years old. He married Miss Lyda Evans at Springfield, Mo. February 25, 1877 and to them were born five children, one child, Hendrix, dying at age two. The children living are J.E. Felker and W.B. Felker of Rogers; Mrs. Irene Freeman and Mrs. Kate Morris. The mother died in Rogers February 14, 1892. On September 28, 1896 Mr. Felker married Miss Julia King of Rogers who survives him, as does their only child, Warren Felker of Springdale. He is also survived by one sister, Mrs. W.K. Bayless of Claremore, Okla. No history of Rogers and Benton county would be complete without reference to the important part that Colonel Felker played in the pioneer days of the east end of the county. He came to Rogers in 1883 from Barton county, Mo. altho most of his early life was spent in Barry county, that state, where he was born in 1855 and where he grew to manhood. When about nineteen years old he began clerking in a store at Washburn and soon was one of the proprietors. He remained at Washburn until 1881 and for a year or two was located in Barton county and then came to Rogers and established the Bank of Rogers. And from the day that the bank was opened until he retired in 1914 there was never an issue of the Rogers Democrat that did not carry his advertisement and the line, "The oldest bank in Benton county." It is not easy for the Democrat editor to write the life story of old friends like Colonel Felker and especially a man that he loved and who was the lifelong friend of his father, the late E.M. Funk. To those who have known Colonel Felker only in his later years, broken in health and in spirit, a mere shadow of the man who was for many years a leader in every civic undertaking in Rogers, it is hard to picture "Bill" Felker - banker, farmer, railroad promoter, mule buyer and what not. He was the chief promoter of the Arkansas & Oklahoma railroad, the present extension of the Frisco from Bentonville to Grove, Okla. and he made money when it was sold upon completion to the Frisco. He promoted the Rogers Southwestern from Rogers to Siloam Springs, Fayetteville and Monte Ne and his ambition was to extend it to Memphis on the east and to some Oklahoma point on the west. He was not the ordinary type of booster and promoter. On the job with the workmen he dressed as they did and many times the writer watched him carrying water and unloading ties. He did not drive a car but his old mule and buggy was a familiar sight wherever he had interests. So far as we know Mr. Felker never held a political office of any kind, although he was treasurer of the Rogers school district and served on the school board for many years. He was also greatly interested in Rogers Academy and assisted it in many ways and in various capacities. In those early days whenever someone in Rogers wanted to start a subscription list to help some unfortunate family, build a bridge, repair a road, buy new hose, shingle a church, etc.- the only way at that time to secure funds for anything was to pass the hat - one of two names was always at the head of the list, W.R. Felker and the late J.A.C. Blackburn. We believe we are correct in saying that those two men gave more money to charity and to help their friends than any half dozen other men Rogers has known. The last time I saw Mr. Felker I helped him across a street on a busy day. He said,"You know, I have been standing here an hour waiting for the parade to get by. I expect I shall die some day but I'll be darned if I am going to be run over by a Ford." I don't know how he died but though there may have been an ache in his heart I know there was a smile on his lips.
Contributed on 11/16/14 by wfields55
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Record #: 1052480