GERICKE, Henry Fred Conrad 1886-1949

KLING, GERICKE, MEYER, SANDER, SEBASTIAN, MORCH, WAGNER

Posted By: Mary Durr (email)
Date: 1/5/2007 at 20:08:10

HENRY FRED CONRAD GERICKE 1886-1949

Henry Gericke Interred Friday

Funeral services were held Friday afternoon for Henry C. Gericke at the Schutte Funeral Home and at St. Paul's Lutheran Church with Rev. F. R. Ludwig, officiating. Burial was in the Postville cemetery.

Mr. Gericke passed away at his farm home five miles northeast of Postville on Tuesday of last week.

Henry Fred Conrad Gericke, son of John Gericke and Maria Kling Gericke, was born July 30, 1886, in Clayton County, and departed this life January 18, 1949 at his late home northeast of Postville, aged 62 years.

Mr. Gericke was received into active membership in the Lutheran Church, also in the St. Paul's congregation of Postville, by the late Rev. P. E. Bockelmann, on March 31, 1901.

Mr. Gericke spent his entire life as a resident of this community. He attended the Cedar Rapids business College in 1903 [could be 1905]. Throughout his entire adult life he farmed the farm in Post township about five miles northeast of Postville where he died.

Left to mourn his passing are the following seven brothers and sisters: John, of Postville; Ida, Mrs. Curtis Meyer, of Postville; Fred, of Postville; Amelia, Mrs. Otto Sander, of Postville; Matilda, who made her home with Henry on the farm; Amanda, Mrs. Will Sebastian, of Luana and Senda, Mrs. Ben Morch, of Postville.

Mr. Gericke was preceded in death by his parents; one brother, Will; and one sister, Bertha, Mrs. Wendell Wagner.

Postville Herald newspaper clipping from my mother's obituary collection.
Submitter has no further information.
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Posted By: SGF
Date: 1/21/2003

The official report filed by Dr. R.W. Pateman, county coroner, in the death of Henry Gericke, 62 year old farmer of near Postville, states that death was by suicide. Death was due to carbon monoxide poisioning. No inquest is planned, the coroner said Wednesday.

Gericke, a well-known farmer, who lived some five miles north-east of Postville, was found dead just before ten o'clock Tuesday morning by George Bowles, a neighbor. He was seated behind the steering wheel in his car, a 1936 Dodge, when he was found. The motor was running at the time and the car was parked in the garage on the home farm. Sheriff William Huffman, Deputy Bill Ryan and Coroner Pateman were immediately called to the scene. Dr. Milton Kiesau of Postville was already there and had pronounced the man dead. Gericke, known as an extremely hardworking farmer, never arried. His sister, Tillie, kept house for him. He is also survived by three other sisters and two brothers: Mrs. Otto Sander, Mrs. Chris Meier, Mrs. Ben Mork, Fred and John Gericke, all of Post township. Funeral arrangements are pending.

[hand-dated Jan 18, 1949 by by g-grandmother; clipping is likely from a local paper]