Charles "Jack" Jackson Dillon
Services Held For Jack Dillon
Jack Dillon, resident of Niobrara County since 1890, died January 1 at the Weston County Memorial Hospital in Newcastle, where he had been hospitalized for the past couple months with pneumonia.
Funeral services were conducted from the McColley Chapel January 5 with Bryan Clark officiating. Serving as pallbearers were long-time neighbors: Jim and Pat Marchant, Joe Gibbs, Lawrence Gibbs, Russell Christensen and Jim Reed. McColley Funeral Home was in charge of the burial in Greenwood Cemetery.
Charles Jackson Dillon was born in Bethany, Mo., on November 22, 1872. He attended the public school in that town until he reached the age of 11 when he struck out on his own for Cleveland, Okla. He worked there for a time and when he had saved enough to buy a horse, Mr. Dillon headed west.
He arrived in this area before 1890 and spent many years working on ranches in this part of the county. He later located on Little Lightning Creek where he went into the cattle business for himself. One winter, he was dragged by a horse and kicked until he could not move from the waist down. He lay out in the near zero weather and snow for three days and two nights before being found. With the determination of many of the early pioneers, he did walk again. Years later he had to have his "voice box" removed but again went back to ranching, the life he loved. In 1951 he sold his ranch on the Cheyenne River and moved to Newcastle.
He was married to Clare DeFord in 1907 and they were the parents of two sons, Jack and Gene, all of whom died previously.
His survivors are his widow, Jennie, of Newcastle; and her children of a previous marriage, Andy of Buffalo Gap, S. Dak.; Clarence of Sacramento, Calif.; Glen of Eatonville Wash.; Donald, Spanaway, Wash.; and Mrs. Doris Darting of Orlando, Calif. There are two grandsons, James of Custer, John of Long Beach, Calif., and one great grandson, James R. of Custer.
Those attending the services from Lance Creek and Lusk were Reuben Johnson, Donald Johnson, Roy Johnson, Roscoe Ross, Mrs. Floyd Lancaster, Mrs. Adda Vaughan and Mrs. Helen Vick.