Coon, Frank 1885-1940

COON, KLADSTRUP, PEARSON, CHRISTOFFERSON, JONES, SMITH

Posted By: Phyllis Montour (email)
Date: 2/10/2004 at 17:23:05

Frank Coon Is Stricken In Engine At Marquette

Frank Coon, 55, engineer on the Milwaukee railroad for 25 years, passed away suddenly at McGregor last Friday morning. Coon took an engine out of the Marquette yards preparatory to making his usual run to Waukon when he suddenly became ill. He was taken to his home in McGregor and passed away a short time later.

He was born August 24, 1885, on a farm near Luana, the son of Mr. and Mrs. John Coon. He came to Postville in his youth with his parents. His father operated a recreation hall here for several years and Frank Coon attended the Postville public schools. The Coon family later moved to Waukon where he obtained a job with the railroad. From Waukon the Coons went to McGregor.

He is survived by his wife, his mother, Mrs. Mary Coon, a daughter, Mrs. Donald Kladstrup of Rochester, N.Y., and a son, Robert, of McGregor. Mrs. Frank Coon is a sister of Leonard and Lloyd Pearson of Postville, Mrs. Elmer Christofferson of near Frankville and Mrs. Colby Jones of Lawler.

Funeral services were held Sunday at the Methodist church in McGregor with the Rev. Glenn McMichael officiating. Burial was in the McGregor cemetery.

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Added by Ann Krumme on 5/17/2008 - another obit for Frank Coon:

Engineer on Waukon Branch Dies Suddenly

Frank Coon, who during his 25 years with the Milwaukee railroad, was employed at different periods as engineer on the Waukon Branch, died suddenly of a heart attack Friday at his McGregor home. Mr. Coon had taken the diesel-electric engine out of the Marquette yards preparatory to making his usual run to Waukon when he suddenly became ill. He was taken to his home in McGregor but died before a physician arrived.

Mr. Coon was born 55 years ago and when a boy of 19 years, he started his work with the Milwaukee road as a call boy at Dubuque. His residence was made in Waukon a number of years ago when it was the custom of the railroad to keep the engine overnight in the roundhouse here.

Besides his widow, surviving are his mother, Mrs. Mary Coon of McGregor, a daughter, Mrs. Donald Kladstrup of Rochester, N. Y., and a son Robert, an attorney at McGregor.

Funeral services were held Sunday afternoon at 2:30 at the Methodist church at McGregor with the Rev. Glenn McMichaels officiating.

~Allamakee Journal and Lansing Mirror
Wednesday November 13, 1940

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Added by S. Ferrall on 5/17/2008 - another obit:

Frank Coon, prominent McGregor citizen and veteran railroad man, died Friday morning, after less than an hour's illness.

An engineer for the Milwaukee Road on the Waukon branch, he had gone to work at 6 a. m. that morning. While in the cab of the engine on the
way from the round house to the depot, he became seriously ill. He returned to his home at McGregor where he passed away at 7 o'clock.
He had previously been in apparently good health.

Several hundred friends paid their final respects Sunday afternoon, when funeral services, officiated by the Rev. Glenn W. McMichael, were held from the Methodist church. Harry Schott was in charge of Masonic services at the grave in Pleasant Grove Cemetery.

Active pallbearers at the funeral were three engineers, Fred Huff, Henry Weidner and George Milcks, and three Masons, E. H. McGhee, C. W.
Waltz and W. A. Myers. Honorary pallbearers were O. P. Albert, Charles Yount, Herman Coobs, Harry Schott, Sam Yates, Martin Boleyn, Andrew
Graham, Joseph Chaloupke, Paul Baecker and George Schaffer.

Mr. Coon had been employed by the Milwaukee Railroad for 36 years. He started as a call boy when he was 19 years old, later becoming a
fireman, and finally an engineer. For many years he was an engineer on the Dubuque Division running from LaCrosse, Wisconsin to Savanna,
Illinois. Since January he had been engineer on the daily run between Marquette and Waukon.

He was born August 24, 1885, near Luana, a son of Mr. and Mrs. John Coon. He moved to Waukon when he was a small boy and in September
1912, was married to Miss Nettie Pearson of the Luana vicinity. The home has been in McGregor since 1922.

Surviving are his widow; his mother, Mrs. Mary Coon, who lived with her son; a daughter, Mrs. Donald Kladstrup of Rochester, New York; a
son Robert, local attorney, and a sister Jean of Baltimore, MD.

He was active in Masonry, a past Master of that organization, and was a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. Popular and respected as a railroad man and as a citizen, his
unexpected death at the age of 55 cast a gloom over the community.

Among the out of town relatives and friends here for the funeral were; Mrs. Donald Kladstrup of Rochester, NY, Jean Coon of Baltimore, MD,
Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Pearson and son Robert, Mr. and Mrs. Roger Pearson, Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Pearson, Mr. and Mrs. Chester Pearson, Mr.
and Mrs. Elmer Christoferson, all of Postville, Clyde Hinman of Mondovi, WS, Mr. and Mrs. Colby Jones and Mr. and Mrs. Roy Smith of Lawler.

~North Iowa Times, McGregor, IA; November 14, 1940

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• Coon, Frank 1885-1940 (views: 1784)
  COON, KLADSTRUP, PEARSON, CHRISTOFFERSON, JONES, SMITH
  Phyllis Montour -- 2/10/2004 at 17:23:05