William Gericke 1871-1946

GERICKE, MEYER, SANDER, MORCH, SEBASTIAN

Posted By: SGF (email)
Date: 9/2/2002 at 01:18:21

Private funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon at the Schutte Funeral Home in this city for William Gericke and burial was in Postville cemetery. The Rev. Frederick R. Ludwig officiated. Mr. Gericke was born at Clayton Center September 29, 1871, as the son of Mr. and Mrs. John Gericke. He came to this community when a young man of 18 or 19 years and followied farming in Post township until about 13 years ago, when he [illegible] Postvile to make his home. For about 50 years he was a thresherman, operating his machine on many farms here. About 35 years ago he won considerable fame as an inventor, a mechanical farm gate and cattle stanchions being among his best selling inventions. In recent years he has been employed at various jobs, and most recently he was employed by Lorence Meyer of Castalia in the stone quarries near where the new rendering works will be erected. Mr. Gericke is survived by three brothers and five sisters, John, Fred and Henry Gericke, Mrs. Christ Meyer, Mrs. Otto Sander, Mrs. Ben Morch, Mrs. William Sebastian and Mathilda Gericke, all of this community. He was unmarried.

- source: newspaper clipping, most likely from the Postville Herald, hand-dated Jan. 19, 1946, from my g-grandmother Nina Swenson's scrapbook.

- additional note: Mr. Gericke was shot and killed by deputy officers, after fatally shooting Sheriff Leonard Bulman of Allamakee Co. The Sheriff was attempting to serve an insanity warrant on Gericke.