Edmund H. Prior, 1867-1944

PRIOR, CLARK, ELLIS, BACHTELL, LIEN, HARRINGTON, DAYTON

Posted By: Ken Johnson (email)
Date: 6/14/2003 at 12:46:52

Wednesday, 26 July 1944, Postville Herald, p1, c5:

Edmund H. Prior, Monument Designer, Passes on Saturday
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Designed and Erected Civil War Memorials For State at Vicksburg
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Edmund H. Prior, 77, retired Postville business man, passed away Saturday at the Broadhurst hospital in Evanston, Ill., where he had been a patient for the past several weeks. Louis Schutte, mortician, and Victor Williams drove to Evanston Sunday morning and brought the remains to Postville, being accompanied here by a daughter of the deceased, Mrs. Gertrude Bachtell, who lives in Evanston.

Funeral services were held at the Schutte Funeral Home Monday afternoon, conducted by Mr. DeNoyles of Cresco who read the Masonic funeral ritual. Interment was in Postville cemetery.

Mr. Prior was born in Chicago, Ill., May 9, 1867, the son of John and Mary Prior. For many years he was engaged in the monument business here, first with his father, and after the latter’s passing on in 1926, for himself. His fame as a designer of soldiers’ monuments spread through-out the state and many cities and towns in Iowa have his handiwork set up. The state of Iowa gave him the contract for 16 memorials to Civil War veterans from this state who fell at the Battle of Vicksburg and these Mr. Prior personally designed and erected at Vicksburg, Miss.

He was married to Harriott Clark on February 14, 1893, and to this union three children were born, Mrs. Pauline Ellis of Postville, Mrs. Gertrude Bachtell of Evanston, Ill., and one son who passed away in infancy.

Besides his daughters he is survived by his sisters, Mrs. Jane Lien of Cleveland, Ohio, and Mrs. Gus Harrington of Marshalltown, Iowa. A sister, Mrs. Charles Dayton, passed away in 1933, in Rockford, Ill. There are also three grandchildren, Lt. Charles Bachtell in England, Murray P. Ellis, Radioman First Class, at Jupiter, Florida, and Captain Robert C. Bachtell now stationed on the island of Corsica, also one niece and five nephews.