Phillip Moreau Kirchner, 1881-1936
KIRCHNER, GREER, BECK, STAGE, BELL, CIVILLE
Posted By: Clay County IAGenWeb Coordinator (email)
Date: 3/14/2014 at 13:03:38
Kirchner Rite Held at Peterson
Funeral services for Phillip Moreau Kirchner, 55, of Iowa City, who died in the Spencer hospital Friday, June 26, 1936, from an attack of erysipelas following a serious blood infection, were held at the Congregational church in Peterson Monday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock, conducted by the pastor, Rev. C.A. Hyde. Interment was in the Oakland cemetery there. Many friends and relatives attended the obsequies, and the floral offerings were both profuse and beautiful, attesting the esteem in which the deceased was held during the many years he lived in Clay county, on a farm 2 1/2 miles north of Peterson.
Mr. Kirchner was a member of the third generation of the Kirchner family, early pioneers to Clay county and builders of the first frame house which was erected at Peterson in 1867. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Kirchner, who are now living in their cottage on Spirit Lake, where the son was vacationing at the time he was taken sick on Wednesday two weeks ago. At the Spencer hospital, he was given two blood transfusions, with his son, William, the donor, but all efforts to combat the disease with which he was afflicted proved of no avail. Death came Friday evening with all members of his immediate family present.
Those Who Survive
Surviving Mr. Kirchner, and present at the funeral Monday, are his wife, of Iowa City; his four children, William of Muscatine; Mrs. Virginia Beck (and husband) of Iowa City; Mrs. Dorothy Bell of Canonburg, Penn.; Mrs. Elizabeth Stage (and husband) of Davenport; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Kirchner of Spirit Lake; his three brothers, Avery W. Kirchner (and family) of Peterson; Dr. G.C. Kirchner of Milbank, S.D., and Kenneth W. Kirchner (and wife) of near Everly; his two sisters, Mrs. F.V. Civille (and husband) of Pamona, Calif., and Charlotte Kirchner of Minneapolis.
Other relatives and friends present at the funeral were Jacob and John Kirchner and Mrs. G.K. Todd of Fort Dodge; George Atkinson, Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Fraser, Clude and Chester Kirchner of Sioux City; Mrs. Ben Heuber and Mrs. Joe Kauck of Iowa City; Mrs. Willard Edwards of Humboldt; Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Atkinson and Mr. and Mrs. E.L.C. White of Spencer. A granddaughter, the child of Mr. and Mrs. J.R. Bell of Canonsburg, Pa., also survives.
Pall bearers at the funeral were: O.L. Fulton, G.F. Tumier, R.E. Sitz, H.W. Laucks, S.H. Wareham and E.R. Chatterton, all of Peterson. Music for the services was furnished by Miss Vierlyn Longnecker of Peterson.
Interment was in the parental lot in Oakland cemetery, and was the first burial made there, Mr. Kirchner's death being the first in the immediate William Kirchner family.
Well Known in Clay County
The name of Kirchner has been identified with Clay county since the beginning of the county's history. The grandfather of the deceased, William Kirchner, came to Clay county from Albany, N.Y., in 1856, starting farming operations on the present site of Peterson. His son William, the father of the deceased, was four years old at the time. He was reared in the Peterson vicinity and for many years played an influential part in the development of the community.
Moreau Kirchner and his family left their farm home north Peterson to locate in Iowa City 10 years ago, and Mr. Kirchner was during that period of time employed as a salesman for an automobile sales agency and for the International Harvester company. He was born at Peterson January 4, 1881. His marriage to E. Dot Greer took place at Iowa City August 23, 1906, and in September of that year they moved to the Kirchner farm north of Peterson.
Source: Spencer News Herald, Spencer, Clay County, Iowa; July 3, 1936.
Interment in Oakland cemetery
Clay Obituaries maintained by Kris Meyer.
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