David Barton Brickey was struck down in the prime of life at age 20 from spinal meningitis. He was born in 1854 in Shasta County, CA, a booming mining community at the time. His parents were Risdon W. and Charity Brickey, who married in Missouri, lived in Arkansas for a time, and later divorced. David is listed as living with the William Sharp family in 1860 though his father, a master blacksmith by trade, lived nearby. David’s obituary reads, “He was steady and industrious and beloved by all. A loving father and kind friends ministered to his wants till mortal aid could do no more.
“He, the young and strong who cherished
Noble longings for the strife
By the wayside fell and perished
Weary with the march of life.”