Franz Ferdinand Chassot von Florencourt

FLORENCOURT, CHASSOT, VAN LUECK

Posted By: Bunny Best (email)
Date: 6/15/2002 at 08:40:06

OBITUARY, Translated from Der Carroll Demokrat, Friday, July 7, 1922

On Wednesday, July 5, 1922 around half past four in the afternoon, Franz Florencourt, editor of this newspaper, died, having received the last rites. On June 28th he had to be operated on for an emergency appendectomy which he survived, and for several days it seemed that he would recover. But later on, complications arose to which he succumbed. The funeral will take place on Saturday from St. Peter and Paul's Church, at 9 o'clock.

Born on September 1, 1844 in Naumburg, Saxony. When he was 5 years old, his parents moved to Vienna where they and their children adopted the Catholic belief. In the year 1854, the family moved to Colonne, where his father founded the People's Newspaper of Colonne, the leading force of the "Centrum" party. In Colonne, he spent his first school years and at the age of 12 was sent to the Benedictine Monastery in Metten, Bavaria, for further schooling. Later he studied at the Navigation School in Bremen and when he was 22, he served and advanced to officer in the merchant marine. He then served as one-year volunteer in the Prussian Marine and until 1870 served as an officer on various merchant vessels in all parts of the world. In December 1870, he emigrated to the United States and sailed soon afterwards, from New York, as officer on the American ship "Benefactor" to China, a journey which lasted one year. In 1872 he came to Michigan where he met his brother Karl and the two of them arrived in Carroll County, Iowa, on April 6th, 1872, where they bought a farm and where he stayed for two years. He then worked for three years as a teacher in Roselle and Carroll Townships.

In the year 1874 he was one of the founders and correspondents of the German newspaper "Der Carroll Demokrat". In 1879 he was nominated editor of this newspaper which post he held almost uninteruptedly until the present time. In the meantime, he was also the founder and manager of the newspaper "Die Germania".

On May 18th, 1886 he married Miss Wilhelmina Van Lueck. This marriage produced two sons and two daughters, all of whom are surviving him.

Franz Florencourt was a well-known citizen in Carroll Co. for 50 years. Well-known to all and as a man with real German qualities, he deserves that a few well-earned words are spoken on his behalf. Conscientiousness and untiring faithfulness to duty were his virtues which distinguished him most of all. In his long and varied work there wasn't a moment in which he would slow down his performance of a duty or miss ever so small a task. His character was through and through righteous, his mind so holy and god-fearing, that heearned the respect and appreciation of his fellow citizens in great measure. He was a real German man after God's heart and a fearless defender of truth and righteousness. His life and work will keep on living in all who knew him. Honor his memory.