Walter Hess 1833-1913

HESS, MCCALL, CARTER

Posted By: Sharon Elijah (email)
Date: 7/13/2018 at 14:00:34

16 January 1913 - West Branch Times

Walter Hess was born in Herkimer county, New York, Jan. 21st, 1833; died Jan. 11th, 1913 at 11 p.m. His parents were Michael and Elizabeth Hess, both natives of New York state and of Scotch and German descent, respectively. He was raised on the farm of his grandfather, and received his early education in the district school near the farm home. At the age of 15 he went to work on the Erie canal, which work he followed until 1853, where he went to Jordan, N.Y., to learn the machinist trade. He remained at that work until 1857 and then went to work for the New York Central railroad as a brakeman. In the spring of 1858 he came to Iowa and located at Davenport, where he resumed work on the railroad (the Mississippi and Missouri railroad, now the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific). In 1859 he was promoted to fireman and in 1862 to engineer, remaining with the road until 1864, when he took a position as engineer in the employ of the government, on the Nashville & Chattanooga railroad. After the war he returned to Davenport and again entered the service of the Rock Island railroad. He came to his present farm near West Branch in 1876, and resided there until his death.

Mr. Hess was married April 24, 1867, to Susan, daughter of Archibald and Isabell (McCall) Carter, of Iowa City. Three children were born to this union: George C., born Feb. 23, 1868, died April 10, 1870; Frank, born March 1, 1870, and Ida May, born May 2, 1874, died Oct. 2, 1880. Mrs. Hess died Sept. 8, 1904. Mr. Hess united with the Baptist church at Downey July 22, 1876. Two brothers--J. M. Hess of Evanston, Ill. and Sheldon Hess of Rochester, N.Y., and son Frank--are left to mourn the loss of a kind father and brother.

The funeral services were held from the home at 2 p.m. Tuesday, by Rev. Chaffee of the Baptist church, Iowa City. The interment, which took place in the West Branch cemetery, was in charge of the Masonic fraternity of West Branch.