FAIR, Simon Peter

The Phoenix Gazette, Phoenix, Arizona September 1960 Prescott - A pioneer soldier who served at Fort Whipple when it was an indian war outpost died in the veterans hospital there at 96 and will be buried in the hospital cemetery Thursday. Simon Peter Fair came to Arizona in 1886 as an army recruit and served in the Ninth Infantry in the campaigns against the renegade Geronimo. Before his death yesterday, Fair enjoyed spinning yarns about the frontier army life and told friends how he saw Geronimo 'close up' once at Fort Defiance when the Apache was taken to prison at Fort Sill, Okla., and Fort Pickens, Fla. The old soldier who also saw service at Fort Apache and Fort Thomas, recalled that Indian Scouts attached to Fort Whipple would hold dances almost every night. After five years of army service that ended in 1891, Fair remained, spending most of his time in California and Arizona. He lived in a cabin 10 miles southwest of Prescott from 1922 to last January 27 when he was admitted to Whipple Hospital. His life of adventure lives with him until very recently. As late as 1948 he was snowbound in his cabin and and had food dropped to him by parachute. His wife and three children preceded him in death and his only know relatives are Mrs. Phyllis Meinel, a granddaughter who lives in Southgate, Calif.; Clifton Fair, a grandson who lives in Illinois and Emery Fair, a nephew living in Pontiac, Mich.