John Nestel, 1895 Obituary

NESTEL, NICKELS

Posted By: David Reineke (email)
Date: 6/5/2005 at 18:37:22

I translated the following obituary from Der Carroll Demokrat, a German-language newspaper published in Carroll, Iowa, between about 1874 and 1920. It was originally published on Friday, 8 March 1895. Any information in brackets or notes at the end are my own explanations. It reads as follows:

John Nestel

On Thursday afternoon at 5:00, our respected and highly esteemed fellow-citizen, John Nestel, passed away following a long illness. The deceased had suffered for a long time, and only the devoted care of his dear wife and the skill of the doctor managed to avert danger, until his general weakness was so great that death could no longer be avoided.

The deceased was born in 1830 in Betzingen, Kingdom of Würtemberg, and he came to America in his younger years, settling first in Philadelphia, then moving to Covington, Kentucky, from there to Leavenworth, Kansas, and in 1860 to Marshalltown, Iowa. He lived there until 1881 and then moved to Carroll County, where he very successfully ran a fine bakery and restaurant. Advanced age and loss of strength forced him to give up his business and retire. The deceased was a true German-American, clinging with love to the land of his fathers, and was also a proud son of Columbia. Everyone who knew Papa Nestel loved and respected him and appreciated the honesty of the old gentleman. The deceased is survived by a loyal spouse and two children, George Nestel from here, and Mrs. Maggie Nickels in Council Bluffs, who mourn the death of their dear husband and father. The burial will take place Sunday afternoon at 2:00 from the home of the deceased on Adams Street. Our deepest sympathy to the bereaved.