Judge Lysander Houk

Lawyer, Judge & Confederate Veteran

Until November 2011 Houk's grave was unmarked in lot 170 of Eastside Cemetery. Research, by a member of the South Kansas Camp 2064 of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, led to his grave receiving a military marker. I was unable to attend the ceremony and visited his grave today.

The Hutchinson News
2/15/1898

Judge Houk Passes Away

His death occurred at Chicago this morning

One of the Ablest of Kansas Men, and a Former Citizen Here

Will be buried at home

Body will arrive here on Monday evening

And the funeral will take place on Tuesday afternoon

A telegram was received in the city this morning announcing the death of Judge L. Louk, in Chicago, where he had been taken for medical treatment.

Judge Houk was born in Decatur, Alabama, on February 22, 1835, and would have been 63 years old had he lived six days more. He moved to Kansas in 1872 and has been a resident of this city from that time until about two years ago. He moved to Chicago in the hopes that his health would be improved. But for the insidious discourse there was no help, and he quietly breathed away his life early this morning.

Judge Houk’s life was a busy and a useful one. He was a great reader and but few men had a wider range in their intellectual life than he. He was elected county attorney of Reno County in the early 70’s and served in the capacity for four years. He was appointed judge of the Ninth judicial district, and was twice re-elected to that position, serving in all nearly ten years. In 1896 he was one of the leading candidates for the Republication nomination for judge of the appellate court for the central division of the southern department.

He was a great lawyer and had but few equals in the west. As a judge he was keen in his analysis of a subject and brought the fullness of his study to aid in his decisions. He was a man whose integrity was never questioned. He had at all times the highest regard for all the members of the bar who practiced before him. They had unbounded confidence in his ability and his justice. In his death the bar of the state will lose one of its greatest jurists.

The chief pursuit of Judge Houk, outside of his chosen profession, was a close study of horticulture. He was for many years a leading member of the State Historical Society, and was president of the association for several years. He always manifested a great interest in fruit culture and one of the finest orchards east of Hutchinson was grown by him and has a choice collection of fruits selected by him from his years of experience with the best fruits.

The citizens of Hutchinson will deeply regret the death of her eminent citizen and his name will ever be remembered by the bar of Reno County. The body will be brought back for burial in Eastside Cemetery, arriving over the Rock Island on Monday evening, and the funeral will be held from the residence of Judge William Whitelaw, on East Sherman, on Tuesday morning at 10:30 o’clock.

The Hutchinson News

2/12/1898