Hand County Obituary

He came to South Dakota in 188? at the age of twenty-two and settled near Orient where he shared the hardships of the pioneers of this community.

On November 16, 1892 he was united in marriage to Annie Hand, to which union fourteen children were born, eleven of whom are still living. He and his family have lived in this community all their lives except for three years spent at Fox Home, Minnesota; and nine years at Lawler, Iowa.

Mr. Morris had not been well for the past year, and during the last month had declined rapidly until his death on Wednesday morning, February 10th, at his farm home, southeast of Orient.

Funeral services were conducted from St. Joseph's Catholic church in Orient, Rev. John A. Krebs, officiating at the Requiem High mass, assisted by the choir. Miss Ann Krebs sang two beautiful solos.

The pall bearers were Anton Schlechter, X. Schaefer Sr., Herman Martinmaas, Gerhart Martinmaas, E. E. Bucher and Max Ortmeier.

On February 25, 1889 he married Mary Reilunder, at Westphalia, Ia. To this union ten children were born: Anna, John, Christian, Joseph, Henry, Peter, Casper, (Elizabeth) now Sr. Mary Hilda, William and one child died in infancy.

He was making his home for about 2 years with his son, Christian and family. He died Wednesday evening at 4:30 o'clock May 15, with heart failure.

He was a Roman Catholic all his life and giving his children all a good Catholic education and was a member of the Holy name society. At the time of his death he was 76 years 4 months and 6 days old.

The remains were sent to Panama, Iowa, from there taken to his home at Westphalia, Iowa.

On Saturday morning at 9 o'clock a solemn requiem high mass was said by his nephew, Rev. Anton H. Ocken, of Royal, Iowa as celebrunt; Rev. H. Duren, deacon and Rev. M. Schiltz of Panama, sub deacon. After mass he was laid to rest in St. Boniface cemetery beside his wife who preceded him in death, 4 years and 8 months ago.

Left to mourn his loss, besides his children, one brother, Caspar, of Madison, Minn.; three sisters, Mrs. Catherin Ocken, of Arcadia, Ia., Mrs. Elizabeth Nethus, at Geddes, S. Dak., and Mrs. Anna Schaefers, of Orient, and 4 grandchildren.

Those that attended the funeral from a distance were: Mr. and Mrs. Chris Schmieding and son, John, William Schmieding and Mrs. Anna Schaefers, all of Orient; Mrs. Catherine Ocken and Mrs. Thersa Terlisner of Arcadia, Ia., Miss Sylvia and Henry Stevens, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Kommes and Joseph Shelie, all of Carroll, Ia., Joseph Schmieding, Mrs. Susan Thielen and sons, Peter Jr., and Fred, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Reilunder, of Templeton, Ia., Miss Louisa Brandenburger, of Neola, Ia., Mr. and Mrs. Henry Schmieding and family, Mr. and Mrs. Goetzenger and daughter, Lucille and John Walters Sr., of Defiance, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Graeve and daughter, Susan of Earling, Mike Blum, Sr., of Panama. The six oldest sons acted as pall-bearers.

The second oldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Wieseler, the deceased was born August 22, 1887. His marriage to Susan Barthelemy took place on May 6, 1919. The family has made its home in Park township where Mr. Wieseler was prominently identified with community affairs. He also served in World War I.

Surviving his death are his wife, two daughters, Mrs. Lawrence Gruenwaldt and Catherine; three sons, Donnie, Richard, Robert; three grandsons, two sisters, Mrs. Frank Naber and Mrs. Lambert Gaspar; three brothers, John, Martin and Albert. He was preceded in death by an infant son, Joseph Henry, his parents, four brothers, Henry, George, Frank and Bernard; two sisters, Mary and Mrs. Anton Hardes.

Those attending from a distance were Mr. and Mrs. Lambert Gaspar, Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Gaspar, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Huwe, Mr. and Mrs. Harold Siemonsma of Dell Rapids, John Wieseler, Bernard Wieseler, Mr. and Mrs. Ed Wieseler, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Wieseler, Mrs. Leonard Heine, Mr. and Mrs. George Schmidt, Mr. and Mrs. Ed Schmidt, Mrs. Nettie Haberman, Stephan Wieseler, Ignatias Wieseler, Joe Wieseler, Henry Schaefers, Tony Wieseler, Francis Wieseler, Quentin Wieseler of St. Helena, Nebr.; Mrs. Bernard Wieseler of Omaha; Mr. and Mrs. Joe Leifeld of Petersburg, Nebr., Rev. Father D. H. Barthelemy of Boyce, La., Mrs. Catherine Barthelemy, Mr. and Mrs. Matt Peschl, Mr. and Mrs. James Latterell, Ralph Barthelemy; Thomas and Robert Barthelemy, Mr. and Mrs. Ed Dzuik, Mr. and Mes. Joseph Weis, Mrs. Mamie Carlin of St. Cloud, Minn., Mr. and Mrs. August Gruenwaldt of Woonsocket, Mr. and Mrs. A. B. Mooney of Highmore.

Pfc. Kerber entered the army in September 1943, and was assigned to the infantry, taking his training at Cann Blanding. He had been overseas about two months before his death.

Born in Missouri Valley, Ia., October 23, 1925, Pfc. Kerber had made his home in Carlton township since he was four years of age. He attended school in that county and assisted on his father's farm until his enlistment. He was 19 years old at the time of his death.

Requiem high mass was held on Monday morning for Mrs. Donald McCullen, at St. Ann's Catholic church. Pallbearers were Ed Mathews, Wallace Bohning, Bryan Titus, Earl Spain, D. C. Walsh and A. C. Schroeder. Burial was made n the Catholic cemetery.

Amidst a profusion of beautiful flowers the body lay in state in the home all day Sunday, and friends came to pay their respects.

Born at Fountain, Minn., Mrs. McCullen, the former Katherine Weir, spent all but the first few years of her life in Miller. She completed her high school course in Miller, and soon after took a civil service position at the Miller post office. The day of her death marked the 19th anniversary of her public service.

Her marriage to R. D. McCullen took place in 1923. One son was born to this union.

Nothing can be added to the tributes already paid to the deceased. Not only was she held in high esteem by those who knew her intimately, but by all who knew her in her years of public service.

The immediate family surviving her untimely death are her husband and eleven year old son, Mike, one sister, Mrs. A.E. Nicklowski, of El Paso, Texas; and three brothers, Dr. Paul Weir and Dr. Harlan Weir of Dickenson, N.D.; and Dr. Ray Weir, now stationed at San Francisco. Sympathy is extended to them and to her parents-in-law to whom she was like a daughter.

Out-of-town relatives here for the funeral were her two brothers from Dickenson, Mr. and Mrs. A.E. Nicklowski, the latter her sister from El Paso, George McCullen, Miss Nellie McCullen and Mrs. Minnie Cooper of Detroit Lakes, Minn., Mr. and Mrs. J. T. McCullen, Jr., of Minneapolis, Mr. and Mrs. Wallace McCullen and Maurice McCullen of Rapid City, Dr. and Mrs. Rogers and Dr. Cherousek of Dickenson, N.D., Mrs. Frank Welsh, Miss Ferrel and Mseers. Ferrel and Kelly of Fountain, Minn.

Upon his return from a visit to his family this past summer, an illness was apparent. After consulting physicians, he went to Mayo Clinic in Rochester and submitted to several abdominal operations but without success. With him during his long illness was Mrs. Josephine Makens of Britton, his niece, and his son, Burton, was at his bedside as he passed away.

Pat was the youngest of a large family who came as pioneers to Hand County in the year 1884, homesteading in Campbell Township. There they livd for fifteen years, suffering very real hardships, one sister freezing to death in the Great Dakota Blizzard of January 12, 1888, when she attempted to get to the country school she was teaching.

About forty-five years ago, the widowed mother and sons, Pat and Edward, and their sister, Bridget, moved to the Wright farm east of the Catholic Cemetery at Miller and later moved to Miller. Pat learned the printing trade with J. A. Bushfield, editor of the Hand County Press.

Under Mr. Bushfield as postmaster, he served as deputy and thereafter went into the insurance business, organized and was cashier and then president of the Ree Valley Bank at Orient until it merged with the Orient State Bank. He then gave his attention to writing insurance for the Midland Life Insurance Company, of which he had been a stockholder for many years.

In the campagin of 1936, he was in charge of the Republican state committee office in Huron and was rewarded by appointment as insurance commissioner of South Dakota by Governor Jensen. He held this position until this past summer when he resigned to rest and travel with the hope of combating his illness.

In the year 1896 he married Miss Maude Sweetland, daughter of L. D. Sweetland, former editor of this paper, who, with their three daughres, Genevieve, Gwendolyn and Eloise and son Burton, survives him. Genevieve, over ten years ago, was given employment in the moving picture industry and at the present time she and her sisters and brother are all employed by Warner Bros., in various capacities.

Besides his immediate family he is survived by three sisters, nephews and nieces, a nephew, Father Dougan, having been privileged to conduct funeral services here. Mr. Dunn was laid to rest beside his mother, brother Edward and two sisters in the Catholic Cemetery.

The large number of people from Orient, Faulkton, Huron and especially from the state house in Pierre who attended the funeral attested to the high esteem in which he was held.

Miss Marjory Anglin was killed and four others slightly injured when their Ford coupe overturned at a sharp curve about two miles south of Zell early this morning. The other occupants of the car were Grant Hadley, Fred Haberling, and the Misses Louaine Dignan and Vivian Myers and they were on the way home from a dance when the accident occurred.

Marjory was the youngest daughter of Mrs. John Anglin, of this place, and was 14 years of age. Four brothers and four sisters also survive her and she returned only last week from a visit with her sister, Mrs. Thompson at Mt. Vernon, S.D.

Funeral services will be conducted Saturday morning from St. Liborius church at Polo and burial will be made in the Polo cemetery.

Ferdinand Matter of Orient passed away Monday at the hospital at Faulkton. The deceased was about fifty years of age, and had been a resident of north Hand county for many years. We will have a more complete account of his demise next week.

She was born in New York state but moved with her parents to Michigan where she spent her girlhood. She was married to William Dodge in Else, Mich. with whom she moved to Park Township, So. Dak. in 1883. Mr. Dodge died at Balaton, Minn.

She was married to Mr. M. M. Dienslake in 1897 and for a few years resided on the farm near Orient and then moved to Orient where she and her husband have lived until her death. As a wife she was kind and affectionate and was true to the responsibilities resting upon her. She loved her home and her friends and those who knew her as a neighbor, knew her as a true friend.

A short service was held at her home in Orient on Sunday, July 12th after which the remains were taken to the M. E. Church where the regular funeral services were conducted by Rev. C. E. Wilcox. Her remains were laid to rest in the Orient Cemetery.

INFANTILE PARALYSIS FATAL
TO DAUGHTER OF JOHN HALL

Friends of the John Hall family formerly of York township and now residing at Valley Station, Kentucky, will sympathize with them for the death of their daughter, Mary Elizabeth, 14, who was a victim of infantile paralysis. The girl had been placed in a respirator in a Louisville children's hospital, but too late to benefit from the artificial lung.

Two other younger children in the Hall family are also ill with infantile paralysis, an unuaul circumstance, as it is only in rare cases that more than one member of a family contracts the disease.

Death Summons Meta Meissner

Miss Meta Louisa Meissner, the only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Meissner, was born August 13, 1890. Born and reared in this community she had formed many lifelong friendships in her early childhood years.

Fired with a zeal to do and accomplish something worthwhile she took up nurses training at Hot Springs in 1913 and graduated from there in 1915. In her capacity as a competent nurse she was employed at various hospitals throughout the country. One year in service in the hospital at Jamestown, N.D., three years at Decorah, Iowa, a period of three months at Frankfort, Ill., and the last five years in the hospital at Miller, S.D.

She suddenly took ill Sunday evening and succumed to that terrible disease, spinal meningitis, Wednesday morning, Oct. 2nd at 2:00, at the age of 39 years, 1 month and 21 days.

She leaves to mourn her loss, her father and mother, two brothers and many other relatives and friends.

Funeral services were conducted this morning from the home by Rev. L. C. Leikauf and burial made in the German-Lutheran cemetery.

Miss Meissner was a faithful follower of her chosen profession. Her sudden passing was a great shock as well as a grievous loss to those who have been left to mourn and they have the sympathy of the entire community in this, their hour of great bereavement.

MELVIN HUNKER
KILLED IN ACTION

Howell Twp. Youth Lost Life May 8,
One Week after Landing on Okinawa

Pvt. Melvin Richard Hunker, son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Hunker of Howell township, was killed in action on May 8, exactly one week after he landed on Okinawa. Word was received by his parents Sunday.

Born at Bancroft, Nebr., July 22, 1926, Pvt. Hunker came to Howell township with his parents six years ago. He entered the army on September 27, 1944, and took his training at Camp Fannon, Tex. His last furlough before he was sent to the Pacific area was in February. He landed on Okinawa with an infantry company on May 1st.

Surviving his death are his parents, two sisters, Mrs. Leo Geobel of Fremont, Neb., and Mrs. James Anglin of Miller, two brothers, Pfc. Leo Hunker, in the air force at Mt. Home, Idaho, and Raymond at home. His grandmother, Mrs. Laura Hunker, resides in Howell township, and his maternal grandfather Robert Zahnow, lives at West Point, Nebr.

Pvt. Hunker is the eighteenth man from Hand county who has lost his life in action.

MRS. MINNIE BURKE

Funeral services were held Saturday, May 12, 1945 at St. Ann's Catholic Church for Minnie H. Burke, pioneer resident of Hand County. Death occurred at her home in Miller, following an illness of several months.

Minnie Halbig, youngest child of Christian and Louisa Halbig, was born in Galena, Ill. Jan 17, 1871. She moved, at the age of 11 with her family to Miller, S.D. She attended school in Miller and later she and her father and sister homesteaded in Glendale Twp. Her early years of womanhood was spent in Topeka, Kansas with a sister, and later in Miller caring for her father and mother. In 1916 she was married to James H. Burke, who passed away in 1939.

Minnie Burke was a real pioneer, and thru the years has watched the growth of Miller with friendly interest. She will be greatly missed by her family and many friends.

She leaves to mourn her passing three nephews, Fred Halbig, James Halbig and Elsworth Furman, and three nieces, Jessie Halbig, Mrs. Maurice Nelson and Mrs. Kenneth Miller.

Contributed by Madaline
howardandmadaline@pei.sympatico.ca

From the "Wessington Times Enterprizes"

Mrs. Alex Ross

Another Sudden Death: It was hard to believe that report that Mrs. Alex Ross was dead was true, when it was told Thursday morning. Only last Thursday the editor had dinner with Mr. & Mrs. Ross at their county home and at that time she had appeared so well and happy. Her two sons Will and George and two granddaughters from Canada had been visiting for 10 days and how she enjoyed that visit! But all good things must end and they were preparing to leave and Mrs. Ross, true mother that she was, was bustling around and doing everything in her power to make the homeward journey as pleasant for them as possible. She had just opened the door leading to the basement. Her daughter, Mrs. Bella McCarl and one of the boys, were in the room and noticed that she seemed to hesitate, and then suddenly she crumpled down and slid down the cellar steps. Later investigations failed to reveal any bruises and the supposition is that her heart simplity quit beating. Before her son and daughter could reach her she was dead and this was less than a minute from the time she had been standing with them.

If death must come, it is a wonderfully easy way to go, though it is a terrible shock to the loved ones who are left behind. In this connection we recall one sentence from the write up of the Golden Wedding anniversary which was celebrated 4 years ago last spring. Calling attention to the hardships and trials they had suffered during the pioneer days the writer continued "but thru their unceasing and untiring efforts, their faith in God and the country, they have reaped the harvest of their long years of trails and hardships and are coming down quietly and peacefully to the "setting of the sun". What a beautiful expression that is "The Setting of the Sun." And how like the setting of the sun was her passing, so peacefully and so calmly. Her day was finished and the sun passes out of sight beyond the western horizon of life. Would that all might go with so little pain.

Christena Urquhart was born in Cape Breton, Canada, on 25 April 1856, having passed her 73 birthday last spring. To this union nine children were born, three of whom, Maggie, Robert, Glodice, have passed on to the Great Beyond. The six living children are; Mrs. Bella McCarl, of Miller, Iowa; Mrs. Lexie Graham, of Antelope, Saskatchewan; Mrs. Annie Johnson, of Rose Hill, Iowa; and Willie, George and Alford on the old home farm. Some five or six years after their marriage they immigrated westward, stopping for a year or two in Sioux City, then coming to this new land, locating on a homestead in Rose Hill township where they had resided ever since, taking an active part in the social, educational and
religious development of that community. To the editor of this paper, who counts it a rare privilage to have been permitted to know the deceased so intimately, she has always seemed to typify all that was good and patient noble and true in womanhood and motherhood. It is a sore trial to lose such a wife and mother and time alone can heal the wounds which her sudden taking has made.

To wait the coming of the only child who was not there at the time of her death, Mrs. George Graham, the funeral service has had to be set off until Saturday afternoon. The former pastor. Rev. E. Claude Smith, will conduct the service from the church which she was so active in helping to locate there and to the principles and teachings of which she has been such a worthy example all her life.

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from "The Miller Gazette" - 31 October, 1929

Obituary: Mrs. Alex Ross, of Rose Hill township, an old and highly respected resident of that section died Tuesday. We are informed her death was caused by a fall down a cellar. She is survived by her aged husband and several children. She was the mother of Mrs. Floyd McCarl, of Miller.