John Milton Delander 1881 - 1976

DELANDER, HALLGREN, DOWIS, BAKER

Posted By: Linda H Meyers (email)
Date: 6/4/2008 at 08:37:07

Last Surviving Grandchild of Anna Delander Died

The funeral of John Milton Delander began at Howard's Park Avenue Chapel, Denver, Colorado, at 12:30 P.M. Tuesday, October 26, 1978 and concluded at the grave site in Fairmount Cemetery. The Rev. Mr. Wayne F. Carmany, pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, conducted the chapel and graveside services. Mrs. Elsie Replogle provided organ music at the chapel where Ernie Baber sang "Beyond the Sunset" and "The Lord's Prayer." Pallbearers were Mr. Delander's grandsons Roger Dowis, John Dowis, Scott Williams, James Nelson, David Catron, William Dowis, and Daniel F. Baker.
Mr. Delander was the son of Swedish immigrants who settled in Iowa in 1846, and the last surviving grandchild of Anna Dalander who has been credited with founding the community now known as Madrid. He was born May 28, 1881, near that community. He was educated in schools near there and at Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill. For a few years after attending business school in Colorado Springs, just after the turn of this century, he worked in Atlanta, Georgia, and in Denver. He moved to Haxtun, Colorado, in 1907 where he was appointed the first clerk of that town upon its incorporation. He was active in community affairs there for many years, as editor of the former Haxtun Herald, as one of the organizers of the First National Bank, as an original member of the group that established the Elim Lutheran Church, and as a real estate broker.
Mr. Delander married Dola M. Hallgren of Holdrege, Nebraska, December 15, 1912, in Haxtun, where their four children were born and reared. In 1941 he and his wife moved to Denver where he became employed, and where he later returned to real estate brokerage until his retirement in 1951. He had celebrated his 95th birthday last May with 29 of his 31 descendants in attendance. He had lived at the Arkansas Manor Nursing Home for the past three years. He died at General Rose Memorial Hopital October 23 after a brief illness.
All his ancestors, his six sisters and three brothers, and one greatgrandson preceded him in death. He is survived by his widow Dola M. Delander, two daughters and two sons, Mrs. Althea E. Dowis of Sterling, Mrs. D. Marguerite Baker and John Delander of Lakewood,and Harold F. Delander of Denver, nine grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.

---probably from the Madrid Register Nov. 4, 1976