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WEILEIN, John G. 1841-1920

WEILEIN, HOLDIMAN, DENTON, RASMUSSEN, BERG, BOPP

Posted By: S. Bell
Date: 9/28/2013 at 00:58:04

[Waterloo Evening Courier, Wednesday, February 11, 1920, Waterloo, Iowa]

JOHN G. WEILEIN DEAD; AGE OF 79

Long Resident Here and Civil War Veteran; Was Inmate of Lincoln's Household

John G. Weilein, age 79, Civil war veteran and a resident or this county and city since 1876, died at 12:30 a. in. today, in his home, 1827 Commercial Street. He had been unable to leave his bed for the past fire months, suffering from sciatic rheumatism and complications. A bullet wound, received in the Civil war had caused recurrent trouble during the remainder of his life.

Surviving are the widow and seven children. They are: Major George Weilein, chief of Waterloo police department; Jacob Weilein, Los Angeles, Cal.; John Weilein, Kalamazoo, Mich.; William Weilein. Waterloo; Mrs. Susie Rasmussen. Minneapolis, Minn.; Mrs. Jennie Berg and Mrs. Emma Bopp, Waterloo. Two children, died early in life.

John Weilein was born in Bavaria, Germany, Sept. 27, 1841. After the death of his father, the family came to America, first living in New York and later moving to Buffalo, N. Y. He was then 12 years of age. At 14 he accompanied his mother to Aurora, Ill., where his young manhood was spent.

He entered the Civil war at the age of 18, and served until almost its close, in October. 1862. he came home on a furlough and was married to Lydia Holdiman, returning to his regiment after a brief honeymoon. He was severely wounded and the effects of the injuries were never entirely absent from his body. The wife died nine years ago. On Aug., 4. 1913, he was married to Sarah Denton, who cared for him during his illness, from which he suffered for more than a year.

Mr. Weilein not only had the unique distinction of having worked for Abraham Lincoln, being a member of his household for several months, but had to his credit a number of weeks' employment under Jeff Davis, who later was president of the southern confederacy. This was in the winter of 1858-59, before there was any thought that these men would be heads of the two great sections of the country in a deadly Civil war. In the fall of 1858. Weilein then a youth in Aurora, Ill., together with three other young men, conceived the idea of working down the Mississippi River, cutting timber and digging ditches. Steamboats plying on the river used wood for fuel and there was a big demand for it. The quartet secured tools and started on the trip,

Their first stop was at Island No. 10, near Helena, Ark. After working for a short time they continued their trip to Lake Province. La. Here they hired out to Jeff Davis, without knowing who he was, to dig a 300 rod ditch on his plantation near Berry's Landing. He was a hard taskmaster, they found.

When the ditching job was finished, the party disbanded, and young Weilein and one companion started north for home. They decided, however to go to Springfield, Ill., and earn more money before returning to the parental roofs. On May 5, 1859, they were approaching Springfield, on foot and stopped at a house, where a man was sitting on the porch sunning himself, and asked for something to eat. He took them in and had a good meal prepared for them. The man was Abe Lincoln. He refused pay for the meal but offered work for one of them on the farm. Weilein took the job at $10 per month, board and washing. He kept the place until late fall.

Mr. Weilein, in his later years was fond of telling his experiences in the home of the great emancipator, and one of the treasures which he kept for more than a half century was a little faded photo print of Lincoln, which was the first picture taken of him. Altho a "hired hand" he always ate with the family. On the day of his arrival. Lincoln turned him over to Mrs. Lincoln, and his first work was operating a washing machine.

His duties from then on were of a general nature. He did chores about the house, fed stock, milked the cows, chopped wood and tended the garden. He often assisted Lincoln in splitting Jack oak into fence posts and rails, which occupation later was to make Lincoln known thruout the world as the "rail-splitter from Illinois."

In late October Mr. Weilein left the employ and home of Lincoln and returned to his home in Aurora. He received in settlement for his services $55. and a $10 gold piece as a present for faithful service. Incidentally the $300 which young Weilein had saved on his year's work was placed on deposit in an Aurora bank, which a short time later failed and he lost ail of it, making a new start necessary.

During his long residence in this city, Mr. Weilein was active until eight years ago as a master stonemason, and was well known in this section of the state as an expert builder of stone into foundation walls. When he first came to the county he settled on a farm in Cedar Township, in the year 1876. In the fall of 1882 he removed to Waterloo and had resided here since.

Funeral services will be Friday at 2 p.m. Prayers will be said at the home, 1827 Commercial street, after which the body will be taken to First Evangelical church, where Rev. C, F. Smith will officiate. Robert Anderson post, G. A. R.. of which decedent was a member, will take part in obsequies. Burial will be in Elmwood. The remains now rest at the O'Keefe & Towne Mortuary.


 

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