Johnson County, Iowa ObituariesDavid H. Alexander David H. Alexander, of the 6th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, died Feb. 23d, 1862, at his father's residence in Oxford Township, Johnson County, Iowa, of lung fever and dropsy, aged 24 years, 6 months and 9 days. He was sick ten days in the hospital at Tipton, Missouri, receiving no medicine. He applied for a furlough which he received and started home alone; but becoming so disabled with dropsy in his feet, he was five days and nights getting home. Had he been assisted properly, the trip could have been made in two days; but he was not able to change cars in time alone. Two days and nights after his arrival at home he was called to rest. He died easy, confiding in Jesus. The funeral sermon was preached by Brother Cary, Methodist Minister, from Matthew, 25th, chapter, and 13th verse. The Union flag was draped in mourning and placed over the coffin, with six men seated in front with musket in hand. After an impressive sermon, a large concourse of people proceeded to the graveyard to deposit the remains of one that had nobly sacrificed his life for the good of his country. He was buried with the honors of war. The deceased was a member of the company that drilled in Western last summer under command of Col. Shuey. With true patriotism he enlisted in the army last July, feeling willing to die on the field of battle if need be for his country. But alas! Like many of our best soldiers, he died from want of proper care in sickness. [Western College Reporter, Published April 1, 1862, submitted by Ken Wright] Mrs. Jacob Bowersox MOTHER OF MRS. C. L. HURLESS OF COLETA SUMMONED BY DEATH Coleta, Ill., April 5. - (Special) - C. L. Hurless received word Tuesday of the death of his mother-in-law, Mrs. Jacob Bowersox, at 11 o'clock Monday [04/02/1928] night at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Robert Smith, at Solon, Iowa. The funeral will be held Thursday at Shelbyville, Ia., her old home. Mrs. Bowersox was 78 years of age and had been a sufferer with cancer for the past twenty years. She was well known here as she made her home here with her daughter, Mrs. C. L. Hurless for several years. She leaves four children, Mrs. Lizzie Overholser is a sister-in-law. Her husband preceded her in death eight years ago. [The Sterling Daily Gazette, April 5, 1928, page 12, column 6. - submitted by Larry Reynolds] James Bowersox RITES SUNDAY FOR RELATIVE IN IOWA Relatives in Coleta have received word of the death of James Bowersox, 67, at his home in Shueyville, [Johnson County] Ia., which occurred Wednesday [10/19/1938]. Mr. Bowersox was the youngest brother of the late Mrs. D. C. Overholser of Coleta and uncle of Mrs. Ruia Hurless, R. E. Overholser and F. R. Overholser. Mr. Bowersox is survived by his widow and two sons and four daughters, one grandchild and three sisters. Funeral services will be held Sunday afternon [sic] at Shueyville. Several relatives from here expect to attend. [The Sterling Daily Gazette, October 22, 1938, page 10, column 8.] Mrs. Caroline V. Clarke Mrs. Caroline V. Clarke, an old-time resident of Iowa City, died at her home in Washington, August 22nd. She was the wife of Hon. William Penn Clarke, a prominent pioneer of Iowa, one of the framers of the present constitution of our State, and many years reporter of the Supreme Court. [Annals of Iowa, 1895, submitted by Cathy Danielson] Father Jacob Ehrhart Father Jacob Ehrhart was born October 17, 1792 and died May 18th, 1862, aged 69 years, 6 months and 26 days. For many years he labored under the influence of disease, though generally able to attend to his ordinary business. He was a man of undoubted piety, and almost unexampled earnestness in the cause of the Redeemer. For more than 40 years he walked in the footsteps of his master, the greater part of which time he labored in the capacity of a local preacher in the German language. Many of the good people of Eastern Pennsylvania, among whom he lived and labored the principle part of his life, will long remember his earnest devotion to the cause of Christ. The past four years, Father Ehrhart has been a citizen of our town, and in that time, he has never been known to make a single misstep-his life indeed has been one of comment on the Christian religion. To him death has lost all its terror; he met the monster with a smile. His last words were: "I am glad that I am going home home" then closed his eyes in peace, leaving many kind friends to mourn their loss. But thank God they need not mourn as those who have no hope. A discourse was delivered on the occasion to a large audience from the 13th, Psalm, 4th verse. [Western College Reporter, Published May 15, 1862, Submitted by Ken Wright] Edward Dorr Etheredge Services Friday for Former Allerton Man Edward D. Etheredge, 59, of Iowa City passed away in the Mercy Hospital of that city after a short illness with a heart condition. Mr. Etheredge was born Aug. 5, 1900 in Allerton, Ia. Edward graduated from the Allerton High School and from Chillicothe College. He has been employed as cashier of the Rock Island Depot the past ten years. He was a member of the Methodist Church, Masonic Lodge at Seymour and the Brotherhood of Railway Clerks, of which he was past president. He is a brother of E. G. Etheredge of Homestead, Ia., Mrs. Edna Cook of Allerton and Mrs. Nellie Ames of West Des Moines. Funeral services were held from the Donahue Funeral Home in Iowa City Friday, Oct. 16, 1959 with burial in Iowa City. [Source: clipping, unknown Wayne County, Iowa newspaper, October 1959] James R. Hartsock James R. Hartsock, of Iowa City, died suddenly of heart-disease on the 10th of March after one day's illness. He was one of the early pioneers of Iowa, having come to the Territory in May, 1838, before its separation from Wisconsin. He was then a young man, just starting out for himself, and soon after his arrival at the "Flint Hills," (now Burlington), he opened the first school established in that city. Among his pupils were Geo. W. and John W. Jones, who years after became prominent public officials of the State. In 1841 Mr. Hartsock moved to Iowa City, which had recently become the Capital of the Territory. In 1846 he was a subordinate officer of the Senate of which Stephen Hempstead (who afterwards became Governor of the State) was President. He was a delegate to the Democratic State Convention which nominated Ansel Briggs for Governor. Mr. Hartsock became a warm friend of Samuel J. Kirkwood, and when the antislavery agitation disrupted the Democratic party these two young Democrats helped to organize the Republican party. In 1858 Mr. Hartsock was chosen Sergeant-at-Arms of the State Senate at the first session of the Legislature held in the then new Capitol at Des Moines. In 1861 President Lincoln appointed Mr. Hartsock postmaster at Iowa City; he was removed in 1865 by Andrew Johnson, and re-appointed in 1869 by President Grant. For more than thirty-five years he had been a prominent Republican and was widely known throughout the State. He was seventy six years of age at the time of his death. [Annals of Iowa, April 1894, submitted by Cathy Danielson] Major Higley Dead War Veteran and Representative Citizen of Iowa Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Oct. 31 Major M. A. Higley, a prominent resident, died yesterday. He had been a resident of the city since 1842. For the civil war he raised forty men, took them to Lyons and received a commission as first lieutenant of the Fifteenth Iowa volunteer infantry. He served throughout the civil war and participated in the battle of Shiloh and the siege and battle of Corinth. After the war he returned to this city and engaged in the hardware business until 1885, when he was elected president of the Merchants National bank. He took much in educational matters and for twenty-one was a member of the school board. For the past two years he has been a regent of the state university at Iowa City and was chairman of the building committee. He leaves three daughters, Mrs. Malsch of Minneapolis, Mrs. McIntosh of Seattle, and Mrs. Draper of Boston, who survives him. Public funeral services will be held at the residence Thursday at 4 p.m. [Minneapolis Journal, October 31, 1900 Transcribed by AFOFG] B. F. Jacobs ANOTHER GONE We are sorry to learn that our friend B. F. Jacobs of Shueyville, Johnson County, Iowa, is no more. He was killed at the Battle of Pittsburgh Landing, Tennessee. B. F. Jacobs was a good citizen and brave soldier, he fought valiantly in the Battle of Ft. Donelson and came off unhurt, but fell at the Battle of Pittsburgh Landing and now fills a hero's grave. Our heart sickens when we think of the sorrow his untimely death brings upon his lonely wife and dear little children. We know what our heart has suffered for the loss of a dear son, and we think we can sympathize with theses afflicted friends, but that we suppose it is impossible for us to enter fully into the feelings of his dear companion. God sustain and bless her, and bless her little children. [Western College Reporter, Published April 1, 1862, submitted by Ken Wright] John Kelly Iowa City, Iowa--John Kelly, treasurer of the local labor union, who was fatally injured the night of July 31, died here Saturday evening. The Iowa City men charged with his murder, John Yizichek, M. Maher and Peter Wise, are in jail, with bail denied. [The Minneapolis Journal, Minneapolis, Minn., August 21, 1905, submitted by KT=fofg] Emily Jane Meeks HUMBIRD – Emily Jane Meeks, 40, Iowa City, Iowa, died Monday morning at University Hospital, Iowa City. Emily Jane Miller was married to David L. Meeks Jan. 21, 1961 at Iowa City. She was a computer programmer for University of Iowa, Iowa City. Surviving are her husband; a son, Dale, and a daughter, Mollie, both at home; and two sisters, Elaine Miller, Iowa City, and Bonnie Dickinson, North Liberty, Iowa. Services will be at 2:30 p.m. Thursday at Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses *** Note: The rest of the article was cut off and was not available at the time of transcription. Her date of birth is from the Social Security Death Index. [Marshfield News Herald (Marshfield, Wood County, Wis.) Wednesday, 28 May 1980; transcribed by Marla Zwakman] Harriet Ethel Norton Mrs. Harriet Ethel Norton 31, wife of Harry D. Norton of Green Lake, a bride of less than two weeks, died early Monday morning at the Ripon Municipal hospital after a brief illness of acute nephritis. Born August 24th, 1914 in Rosendale, a daughter of Henry and Ethel Brookmire Holterman, she graduated from the village high school and after completing a course at St. Agnes hospital school of Nursing in Fond du Lac was employed at the Ripon hospital for 5 years. Entering the service, she served as first Lt. in the Army Nurse Corps for two years and was with the 216th Overseas Hospital unit in the European theatre of war. Mr. and Mrs. Norton were married on February 7th at Iowa City, Iowa and have resided since at Green Lake. Mrs. Norton was a member of the Congregational church of Rosendale. The reverend Harold Chamberlain officiated at funeral services held in the Rosendale church Thursday at 2 P.M. and burial was in Dartford cemetery at Green Lake. The casket was draped in the flag under which she served so faithfully. The great number of floral offerings gave testimony of the high esteem in which she was held. Besides her husband and parents she is survived by one brother, Claude and three sisters Mrs. Glen Price, Mrs. Levi Morgan and Mrs. Gilbert Miller. [MARATHON COUNTY REGISTER (Unity, Clark Co. Wis.) Friday, 1 Mar. 1946; transcribed by Marla Zwakman] Emma (Doncaster) Sherlock Oxford, Ia.--A very sad accident occurred last Sunday near the Lane schoolhouse, a short distance southwest of Oxford. Mrs. Thomas Sherlock, an old lady of about 64 years of age, and her daughter Mrs. B. Standerfer, were driving home in the evening from the house of Mr. Bovee, where they had been visiting, and in turning around near the schoolhouse the horse became frightened at a passer-by and overturned the buggy. In some unaccountable way one of Mrs. Sherlock's limbs was caught in the springs and broken near the ankle, and badly shattered above the knee; her scalp was torn from the forehead backward the size of one's hand, and she was otherwise injured and bruised. She is now unconscious, and will probably not survive more than a day or two. (Note: She did, in fact, die of her injuries April 17, 1879. No further obituary has been found.) [Iowa City Journal, Iowa City, Iowa, Published April 16, 1879,submitted by Sandy Snyder] Richard H. Sylvester The recent death at Washington D. C. of Richard H. Sylvester, removes one of the most vigorous and graceful writers of early Iowa. Mr. Sylvester settled at Iowa City in 1854. He became one of the editors of the old Capital Reporter, then the leading Democratic paper in Iowa. On this paper he did most effective work for his party, the Capital city, and the State, for six years, attaining high rank as an editor and most accomplished political writer. Though not a public speaker, he was yet one of the influential leaders of his party. He was affable, genial, and popular, making friends everywhere. His political writing was never marred by personal abuse, and many of his warmest friends were his political opponents. He removed to Washington many years ago, and was an editorial writer on the daily Post of that city, up to the time of his death. [Annals of Iowa, 1895, submitted by Cathy Danielson] Charles Henry Woolbert Iowa University Professor Dies Iowa City, Iowa. June 14 (AP)–Prof. Charles Henry Woolbert, 52, of the University of Iowa department of speech, died here Sunday from Cancer. He was former president of the National Association of Teachers of Speech and author of several textbooks. [Dallas Morning News, June 11, 1929 – Transcribed by AFOFG] |
