William Frederick Flindt 1863-1927

FLINDT, BRUNDIN, WALBURGE, SIPPLE, BROWN, SCHUEKNECHT, NETTWIG, LAMPBERT, GOETZSKE, LEMKE, YOUNG

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 3/9/2011 at 00:21:32

William Flindt Sr. Kills Himself
Despondent, Shoots Self in the Heart
Mental Condition Shown by Note to His Family
Believed to have been despondent over ill health, as well as recent financial and other conditions, William Flindt Sr., pioneer clothier and banker, shot and killed himself shortly after noon last Thursday at his home, 701 North Main street, Spencer.

Death came as a result of a shot from a .45 caliber revolver, fired through the heart, and it was instantaneous. The body was discovered shortly after two o’clock by Mrs. Flindt, lying on the floor in the basement. Physicians were summoned and they in turn called County Corner J. M. Sokol who decided that no inquest was necessary.

A note left by Mr. Flindt read as follows:

“April 14, 1927. To My Dear Family: The grief I have gone through in the past is too much for me to stand. Pardon this and may God bless you all, and hope we will meet in Heaven. With much love, kisses and affection, Your father, Wm. Flindt.” There was also a footnote to the message directing where the body was to be buried.

Had Been in Good Spirits
According to members of the family, Mr. Flindt had apparently been in the best spirits Thursday that he had shown for some time. He came down town in the morning, spent about half an hour at his desk at the Farmers Trust and Savings bank and then went to the Wm. Flindt company clothing store. During lunch he was jolly and visited with members of the family and read the newspapers after lunch, as was his custom.

After his sons returned to town after the visit, Mrs. Flindt went out to the kitchen to wash the dishes and Mr. Flindt assisted her by wiping them. This done she went upstairs, did some dusting and also took a short nap. Once she thought she heard a door slam in the house but heard nothing that she thought was a shot.

Shortly after two o’clock she came downstairs to address some Easter cards and on the writing desk she discovered her husband’s note. After telephoning for her sons she went to the basement and discovered the body. Apparently Mr. Flindt had first laid down on the basement floor as the bullet was found flattened against the cement under him. He had placed a damp cloth over his left breast so as to prevent his clothing from becoming afire form the powder and had opened his shirt and underclothing. According to Coroner Sokol, the bullet passed directly through the heart. The revolver used was an army .45 such as are issued to members of the Clay County Vigilance committee of which Mr. Flindt’s son, William Jr., is a member.

Note Written Horridly
An examination of the note left by Mr. Flindt showed that it had been hurriedly written. It was written in pencil on a sheet of the clothing store stationery and his mental condition at the time could be seen by the writing. As scores of his friends have since stated, his ill health of the past year and other contributing causes had left him mentally weary and the sudden impulse to “end it all” could not be thrown off, apparently, Thursday. When the fact that he had shot himself was learned later in the afternoon the entire community was shocked and a pall of gloom seemed to hang over his many friends and acquaintances.

Mr. Flindt’s declining health had dated back several years and during the winters he seemed to suffer the most, caused, no doubt, by colds. Last November and December, it will be remembered, he was seriously ill but he seemed to have regained much of his former vigor when he returned to Spencer from a rest at Hot Springs, Arkansas. This spring he took a clothing buying trip with Fred Miller of Sheldon, going to New York and St. Louis, and during that trip he appeared to be like his normal self. But the mental strain continued.

Outside of financial reversed, the devastating fire at the Wm. Flindt company store several weeks ago, while he was on his buying trip, was a source of mental worry and other matters had likewise been on his mind for several weeks.

In Splendid Financial Shape
Affiliated with the McCord chain of banks as a stockholder, Mr. Flindt was one of the few who have paid their stock assessments in the closed banks and he was in splendid financial shape at the time of his death. According to member of his family he didn’t owe a single personal note at the time of his death and was facing no obligation that he couldn’t meet. With all the bank stock assessments taken out, his estate has been valued at between a quarter and a half million dollars, including property that he had divided among his children.

During the last two years, his family said, Mr. Flindt had put in more than $40,000 in cash by voluntary contributions in McCord banks in which he held stock with a view of “bolstering” them. Since these banks closed he has paid a little over $24,000 in cash as stock assessments and he had been the only heavy stockholder who actually paid his assessments in cash.

Large Crowd at Funeral
A crowd that taxed the capacity of the Congregational church auditorium attended the funeral services of Wm. Flindt Sr. Tuesday afternoon. The services were held at two o’clock and business houses were closed from two until three o’clock. High tributes were paid to the deceased by his many friends and the funeral was one of the largest ever held in the city.

Private family services were held at the Flindt home on North Main street at ten o’clock in the morning, conducted by the Rev. B. J. Trickey, pastor of the Congregational church. The body lay in state at the Congregational church from 11:00 until 1:00 o’clock, with Knights Templar in uniform in attendance.

Rev. Trickey chose as his text in the afternoon John 10:14, “I Am the Good Shepherd, he stated are, “He knows us, He leads us and He loves us.” And comforts that come from the Shepherd are everlasting. Mrs. Rex C. Hubbard sang, “There Is a Green Hill Far Away,” accompanied by Mrs. R. M. Tuttle.

Old Friends Pallbearers
Old friends and business associates of Mr. Flindt acted as pallbearers. They were Dr. H. O. Green, Dr. C. C. Collester, J. O. Birdsall, A. W. Miller, M. E. DeWolf, W. S. Bemis, Rex C. Hubbard and P. J. Cilley. A Knights Templar escort went with the body to Riverside cemetery where the Masonic burial was read in the mausoleum chapel. The body was temporarily placed in a crypt at the mausoleum.

Floral offerings at the home and church were profuse, relatives, friends, and fraternal organizations sending many beautiful flower arrangements in token of the esteem in which Mr. Flindt was held.

Among the relatives from a distance were Mrs. Charlotte Brown of Laguna Beach, Calif, a daughter; Ed Flindt, a brother, of Albert Lea, Minnesota; and Mrs. Will Goetske, a sister, and her husband, also of Albert Lea; Miss Gusta Brundin and Chas. Brundin of Albert Lea, sister and brother of Mrs. Flindt, were also here. Mr. and Mrs. Simon Strauss of Albert Lea and Mr. and Mrs. Fred Miller of Sheldon, former business associates, were also here and several of the employees of the former Flindt stores at Sheldon and Sibley came for the services.

HAD BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR 40 YEARS HERE
Was Well Known as Both Clothier and Banker
A resident of Spencer for practically 40 years, the history of the grown of this community could not be correctly written without including the influence and activities of William Flindt Sr., who passed away Thursday afternoon. Not only as a clothier but in banking, insurance, library, municipal, civic and fraternal affairs was Mr. Flindt strongly affiliated here at the time of his death.

He was president of the Farmers Trust and Savings bank, head of the Wm. Flindt clothing store, a member of the Spencer Carnegie library board and treasurer of the Iowa Mercantile Mutual Fire Insurance association at the time of his passing. During the past few years he had transferred many of his property interests to his children and had relinquished his holdings in other property but at one time his wealth was estimated at close to half a million dollars.

Almost 64 Years Old
Born at Winona, Minnesota, May 16, 1863, Mr. Flindt was 63 years, 10 months and 28 days of age at the time of his death. His father, Claus H. Flindt, was a native of Sleswick-Holstein, Germany. He came to this county when a young man and soon after married Anna Walburge Sipple, who was a native of Prussia. They settled on a farm in Freeborn county, Minnesota, where by industry and frugality, they managed to amass a competency sufficient to enable them to retire from active life. Mr. Flindt’s mother, who is now 86 years of age, is residing at Albert Lea, Minnesota. When William was three years of age his parents moved to a farm near Albert Lea.

William Flindt lived with his parents on the farm until he was 18 years of age when he attended for one year, the Albert Lea high school, working for his board and working at odd jobs between times to pay his way. After leaving school he worked for a time in a grocery store at $25 per month, and soon after engaged with S. Strauss, a leading clothier of Albert Lea, where he worked for five years and thoroughly learned the business.

Came to Spencer in 1887
He came to Spencer August 31, 1887, and the same train carried J. O. Birdsall, another pioneer and well known business man of this city. Here he opened a clothing store in partnership with his former employer, S. Strauss, under the firm name of Flindt & Strauss, the business being conducted by Mr. Flindt and Mrs. Strauss remaining at Albert Lea. The business was then located at the corner of Fourth and Main streets, where the Farmers Trust and Savings bank building now stands but it was moved to its present location more than 30 years ago.

On January 14, 1891, he was married to Miss Emma M. Brundin at Albert Lea and they immediately came to Spencer, residing for a considerable time at the old Earling hotel and later building them a home here. Four children were born to them who, with Mrs. Flindt survive. They are Miss Lillian M. Flindt of Spencer, Mrs. Willard Wilson Brown of Laguna Beach, California, William Frederick Flindt Jr. and John B. Flindt, both of Spencer.

In 1891 Flindt & Strauss established a branch store at Hartley which they sold a year later. In 1894 they established another branch store at Oelwein, Iowa, under the firm name of Flindt, Strauss & Oleson, which they operated for more than five years. In 1891 Mr. Flindt also established a merchant tailoring business in connection with his clothing business at Spencer, but sold the same to L. Carlson a year later. In 1896 he bought the interest of his partner, Mr. Strauss, in the Spencer business, and conducted it alone until he organized the Wm. Flindt company several years ago and stock in the establishment was taken by store employees.

Established Other Stores
Twenty-three years ago, with Fred Miller of Sheldon, he opened a clothing store at Sheldon and the establishment has since been operated under the firm name of Flindt & Miller. Eight years ago they also opened a similar store at Sibley and last winter Mr. Flindt sold his interests to Mr. Miller.

In the early ‘90s Mr. Flindt became a stockholder in the First National bank of Spencer, and was afterwards elected a director of that institution. When the control of the bank passed into other hands in January, 1897, he resigned his position as director and associated himself with others in the organization of the Citizens State bank of Spencer, of which institution he was a large stockholder and director. This organization eventually became the Citizens Saving bank of Spencer and the Citizens National bank of Spencer and Mr. Flindt continued as a stockholder and director.

In addition to the Citizens banks of Spencer, Mr. Flindt was also a stockholder and director of the Citizens National bank of Webb, Citizens National bank of Royal, Citizens Savings bank of Fostoria, Terril Savings bank of Terril and Farmers Savings bank of Fostoria. He also served as vice president of the Citizens National bank of Spencer.

Starts His On Bank Here
Eleven years ago Mr. Flindt resigned as an officer and director in the Citizens chain of banks, as well as disposing of other bank stock that he had, and organized the Farmers Trust & Savings bank of Spencer. This bank opened for business April 16, 1916, and Mr. Flindt had served as president and director of that institution up to the time of his death last Thursday. He also had a small amount of stock in the Farmers Trust & Savings bank of Dickens and still retained some of his stock in the Citizens chain of banks when they closed last November.

For years he was also treasurer and director of the Spencer Building and Loan association and treasurer and director of the Iowa Mercantile Fire Insurance association. He still held the office of treasure of that organization and the history of that company shows that he rendered it considerable assistance in 1895. He had been a member of the Spencer Carnegie library board since the library was founded here in 1904. Although he had always been a zealous republican in politics and had taken a great interest in the party during his younger days, he had never been a candidate for or held any public office except for a short time he served as a member of the Spencer city council.

Active in Fraternal Life
In his fraternal life Mr. Flindt was associated with the Masonic orders, being a member of Evening Shade Lodge, Clay County Chapter, Azotus Commandry, Za-Ga-Zig Temple and Evening Shade Lodge, Eastern Star. He had also been a member of the subordinate Knights of Pythias lodge and the Uniform Rank and held a number of offices in this organization, among them that of chancellor commander. He joined the German Methodist church near his Minnesota home when he was a small boy but usually attended the Congregational church at Spencer.

Mr. Flindt was one of a family of eleven children all of whom, except a brother killed in an accident a few years ago, survive him. They are: Mrs. H. E. Schueknecht of Chicago, Mrs. H. Nettwig of Webster, South Dakota; Frank Flindt of Ariba, Colorado; Mrs. John Lampbert of Yakima, Washington; Mrs. Will Goetzske of Albert Lea, Minnesota; Mrs. Katie Lemke of Albert Lea, Minnesota; Mrs. Clara Young of Minnesota and Mrs. Alfred Goetzske of Albert Lea, Minnesota.

During his lifetime Mr. Flindt had been remarkably successful in his business affairs and during his active business life he was an energetic, wide-awake, progressive citizen, public spirited and active in all the affairs of his community. He took a great interest in everything intended to build up the material and moral institutions of the city and he made scores of friends all over Northwest Iowa during his business life. He was a model husband and father, ever mindful of their welfare, and counted his friends and acquaintances by the hundreds. As stated before, the history of the growth of Spencer and community could not be written without taking cognizance of the influence of William Flindt. Outside of commercial and banking interests, he was also interested in a large number of farms in Iowa and Minnesota during his lifetime and had the knack of turning his investments into profits throughout his career, having but a temporary setback in the recent bank failures that, with ill health, left him mentally weary. (Spencer News Herald, Spencer, IA, April 21, 1927)

William Flindt of Spencer, president of the Farmers Trust and Saving Bank and head of the Wm. Flindt clothing store there, committed suicide April 14th by shooting himself through the heart at his home. His wife found his lifeless body in the basement of the home after she had discovered a farewell note which he had left in the library. In his note he stated that the grief he had been through in the past was too much for him. He had been at his store during the morning hours and seemed to be in a cheerful mood. Following the noonday meal Mrs. Flindt had gone upstairs to lie down and so she failed to hear the shot. It is thought that Mr. Flindt committed the rash act in a fit of despondency brought on by ill health and a concentration of business worries. He was a stockholder in most of the McCord chain of banks and the family reports that in the past two years Mr. Flindt had paid out $40,000 voluntarily to keep the banks open and after they failed it had cost him $24,000. In February of this year the clothing store suffered a loss of $25,000 by fire. The deceased, who was 64 years of age, is survived by his widow, two sons and two daughters. (Hawarden Independent, Hawarden, IA, April 28, 1927)

Interment in Riverside cemetery
 

Clay Obituaries maintained by Kris Meyer.
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