Matt, Leo M. 1897 - 1935

MATT, HARNACK, GEBHART, SCHAFERS, TUECKE, BRANDT

Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 11/12/2017 at 17:41:50

Oelwein Daily Register, Mon., 3 June 1935.

Elkader-- Funeral services were planned today for Leo Matt, farmer, who drowned while wading in the Turkey river here late Saturday. Matt was waiting for his car to be repaired and went to the river, where he fell while wading and was drowned.

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Postville Herald, Thur., 6 June 1935.

Mr. and Mrs. Loy Gebhardt were at Garnavillo Tuesday to attend the funeral of Loy's brotherinlaw, Leo Matt, who was accidentally drowned in the Turkey river at Elkader Saturday afternoon, when he slipped from the bank of the stream into the river, and was drowned before he could be rescued. Mr. Matt was 38 years old and leaves a wife and five children to mourn his loss.

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Clayton County Register, Thur., 7 June 1935.

Leo M. Matt, a life-long resident of Clayton county, was born and raised on a farm near St. Olaf, Iowa, the youngest of ten children of Joseph Matt, and one of the two sons born to Mary Harnack Matt.

He died at the early age of thirty-eight, having been born on the 6th day of January, 1897, and passing away on the first day of June, 1935.

He was baptized in the St. Joseph's Catholic church at Garnavillo, Iowa, and received his early education and training at the St. Joseph Academy at Garnavillo and the National public schools. During the late World War he spent over a year across the sea and returned and lived in the county of his birth, except for a short time spent in and around Chilton, Wis., where he met Rose Gebhart, whom he married on the 18th day of September, 1922. He had before his marriage settled down on his father's farm, near St. Olaf, which place he farmed until his death.

During the late war he served his country for a period of seventeen months, leaving his home to join with his neighbors and friends on the 30th day of May, 1918, and receiving his honorable discharge on the 21st day of October, 1919, after having spent from August 18, 1918, to October 5th, 1919, across the sea as a member of a field remount squadron during the war and with the army of occupation after the armistice was signed.

Ever since his return from over the seas, Leo Matt has been a very active member of the American Legion, being a member and past commander of the St. Olaf Post No. 388. His interest in and for the welfare of his former army buddies was one of his chief concerns, they being next in his thoughts to those for his devoted wife and fine family of five children.

He leaves to mourn his untimely death, his wife, Rose Gebhart Matt, and five children, Evelyn, 11, Harold, 10, Irwin, 9, and Melvin and Mildred, twins, 4; one full brother, Hubert H. Matt of East Grand Forks, Minn., and eight half-brothers and sisters, Anna Schafers, Eugene, Ore.; Theodore Matt, McGregor; Will Matt, McGregor; Joe Matt, Mitchell, S.Dak.; Henry Matt, St. Olaf; Francis Tuecke, Garnavillo
Amanda Brandt, Garnavillo; and Hugo Matt of Cresco; besides a host of friends and neighbors.

(Note: A full article on page 1 of this edition of this newspaper gives the full details of his death. Leo M. Matt drowned in the Turkey River at Elkader, Iowa.)