KLUSS, August J. 1864-1913

KLUSS, KOEVENIG, BIRCH, BECKER, LINDROTH, HEINS, ROTH, LUBBERS, VOELKES, MEYER, VETTEG

Posted By: Ken Johnson (email)
Date: 8/27/2020 at 12:18:40

From the Friday, 5 Dec. 1913 issue of “The Postville Review,” page 4, column 4 (a fold in the paper obscures a part of the left margin; some of the wording can be guessed and is placed in brackets below; what can’t be guess with relative certainly is marked “[--]”.)

AUGUST J. KLUSS IS DEAD.

Known and Respected Citizen Takes His Own Life Monday.

The people of this community were [--] to learn at about three o’clock that August J. Kluss, proprietor of the Park Hotel, [--] in a fit of despondency taken his [--] life, his lifeless body being found [in th]e ice house in the rear of the hotel [a fe]w minutes after he had committed [the] deed, the means used being a 32-[cali]ber revolver, the bullet from which [pen]etrated his forehead squarely be[twe]en the eyes.

[A]ugust John Kluss was born on Oc[tob]er 19, 1864, and died as above stated o[n] Monday, Dec. 8, 1913. He was marr[ied] to Katherine Koevenig, April 6, [--]. To them were born three sons a[nd] a daughter—Joseph, John, Louise a[nd] Verni, who with the wife and two [gra]ndchildren and two sisters survive h[im] and to them the neighbors and f[rie]nds extend their sincerest sympa[thy] in this the time of their sadness.

[M]r. Kluss was a harnessmaker for [twe]nty-two years, mainly in Postville. [--] six years he conducted a restaurant [--]e and for two years he was ship[pin]g clerk for the John Deere Imple[me]nt Co. in Milwaukee. A few months [--] he assumed the management of [--] Park Hotel in Postville.

[M]r. Kluss bore a good reputation as [an] honest, upright man and citizen. [His] friends are many and they speak [wel]l of him. For a number of years he [--] been in poor health and suffered [mu]ch from nervous troubles and at [tim]es he would become despondent. [He] was a member of the Lutheran [chur]ch for years.

[T]he funeral was held from the Con[gre]gational church at two o’clock on [We]dnesday afternoon., Rev. J. F. Chil[--]ress officiating. Interment in the [Pos]tville Cemetery.

[T]he floral offerings were profuse and [bea]utiful.

[T]he following relatives and friends [fro]m abroad were present:

[M]essrs. and Mesdames Henry Birch, [Oel]wein; Jos. Becker, Calmar; H. W. O[--]ey, Omaha, Neb; Geo. Lindroth, J[uli]us Heins, Henry Heins and daughter, Luana; Ed Roth, Carl Lubbers, Alb[--]e Voelkes, Monona; John Heins, He[l]muth Meyer, Castalia; and Mr. Paul R. Vetteg, Milwaukee, Wis.

CARD OF THANKS

We hereby extend our heartfelt and s[inc]ere thanks to the neighbors and fr[ie]nds for their kindly acts and comfo[rti]ng words in our recent great afflic[tio]n, and especially would we reme[m]ber the choir and the members of t[he] Modern Woodmen of America.

MRS. A. J. KLUSS and Children.

__________________________________

Added by Joy Moore 8/27/2020:

Source: Cresco Plain Dealer Dec. 26, 1913, P-7, C-3

August Kluss, proprietor of a hotel at Postville, took his life by shooting himself. He went to a nearby barn and with a revolver shot himself through the head. He leaves a wife and grown family.

Transcriber’s Note: born Oct 19, 1864 and died Dec. 1, 1913 - buried in the Postville Cemetery