VAN WERT, John Henry 1849-1909

VAN WERT, VANWERT, SOHLE, QUAIFE, PETERSON, SHEPARD, BUTLER, HILL, STOUD, MERRITT, COMINGS, JARVIS, COONS

Posted By: Mike Peterson (email)
Date: 6/6/2007 at 13:50:11

THE OBITUARY OF JOHN HENRY VAN WERT, SON OF JOHN AND MARY (QUAIFE) VAN WERT

The Waverly (Iowa) Independent and Democrat; date unknown

(Karen Giblin: This obituary was hand-written many years ago, and very faint in appearance. The date of the newspaper in which it appeared is unknown. However, the obituary does state that his date of death occurred May 10, 1909, and elsewhere, the article refers to the fact that he died on a Monday, and the funeral occurred on Wednesday of the same week. Ancestry.com’s Iowa Cemetery records indicate that “John Van Wirt” who died May 10, 1909, is buried at Harlington Cemetery in Waverly, and the office cemetery records indicate that his age was “60 years, 1 month and 6 days.”)

John H. Van Wert was born April 4, 1849 in Arlington (Bennington County) Vermont, and died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Herman Sohle in Waverly, Iowa, May 10, 1909. He was the eldest in a family of three children. His father dying when he was a mere child, his mother was left to care for the three little children. Later she was married again and became the mother of three more children. He is the first of all the children to be taken away. When 16 years of age, he came with the other members of the family to Nashua, Iowa.

Here in May 1879, he was married to Miss Ellen Peterson. Fourteen years ago on the date of his own death she passed away. Two daughters had been born into the home and he was left alone to care for these two children. For a couple of years he kept the family together, making a home for them until a more suitable arrangement could be made. The daughters, Mrs. Alice Shepard and Mrs. Georgetta Sohle now have homes of their own, and have been able in some measure to repay the previous loyalty and sacrifices of their father. It was at the home of the latter that he was during his last illness, and both daughters were privileged to minister to him. His sister, Mrs. Frances Butler, of Charles City was also present at his bedside, and Albert Hill of Nashua was present at the funeral. The other sisters, Mrs. Mary (Stoud?) of Garrison, North Dakota, Mrs. Ella Merritt of Bradford, Iowa and Mrs. (Henry) B.(Comings) of Woodstock, Connecticut, were unable to be present.

Since 1893 when Mr. Van Wert came to Waverly, he has been employed by Mr. A. Jarvis, who in many ways befriended the family and in time, recognized him as one of his most faithful men. He had been reared in a strict Lutheran home that early instilled principles of honesty and rectitude. He was quiet in his manner, (steadfast?) in his method, neat in his appearance, and recognized as a man of good habits, reliable and industrious.

His last (severe?) illness was of brief duration, although he had not been well all winter, and in fact was never rugged, yet seldom sick. Two weeks ago, he took cold which developed into pneumonia, and he breathed his last breath on Monday eve. The funeral services, conducted by Pastor Coons, were held at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Sohle, on Wednesday afternoon.

Contributed by Karen Giblin.