J.L. Warbasse

WARBASSE, WHITING, CHRISTENSEN

Posted By: Rebecca Foster (email)
Date: 8/17/2015 at 18:18:42

J.L. Warbasse.

The Review records the death of one of the pioneers of Crawford county in publishing the obituary below of Mr. John K. Warbasse, who died very suddenly last Thursday at his home in Central City, Linn county, Iowa. Not only was Mr. Warbasse a pioneer of Crawford county, but for years he was one of the prominent business men of Denison and he and his family were identified with the business an social and church life of the community.

A native of New Jersey, Mr. Warbasse springs from a noble family in his native state. He was of that untiring disposition which has marked the pioneers of America. Deceased was born in Stockholm, N.J., Feb. 18, 1846. During the gold excitement in 1849 his father went to California by way of Cape Horn and engaged in banking and invested his his earning in real estate. There is good reason to believe that at the time of his death he was possessed of considerable wealth. At the age of seventeen J. L. Warbasse enlisted in the army and was put in Company K, First New Jersey cavalry, and was at once sent to the front. He took a very active part in the dreaded struggle at Amelia Court House, Va., where his regiment suffered great loss. He was taken prisoner and held until the surrender of General Lee. During his confinement of five days he received only one pint of corn meal as his rations. During his service in front of Petersburg and on the march to Appomattox he was favorably situationed for seeing many of the noted generals of both the union and confederate sides. At the close of the war Mr. Warbasse returned to New Jersey and remained until the death of his grandfather, and after closing out the homestead, which consisted of a fertile and productive tract of 1,000 acres of land, a mill,, a store and iron mines, he came west in 1869. His first stop was at Council Bluffs, but he soon retraced to Davenport and then up the river to Clinton and finally into Minnesota, and then to Mason City, where he located, first on a farm and then in the hardware business with a brother, where he remained in this business until 1875, when he sold out to his brother. He was united in marriage to Miss Ellea M. Curtis, of Davenport, Nov. 21, 1878, and to this union seven children were born. Two died in infancy and one daughter, Carrie, at the age of sixteen.

The others surviving him are: Mrs. Anna Christensen, of Denison; Jennie Whiting, of Denison; Hattie and Raymond Warbasse, of Central City; and his beloved wife and one brother, Edward, who resides at Ft. Scott, Kans. After his married in Davenport, Mr. and Mrs. Warbasse moved to Crawford county, settling on a farm in Hayes township. In 1895 he retired from the farm and engaged in the mercantile business at Denison, and for a number of years conducted a music store in partnership with Mr. A.J. Bond. This was the only exclusive music store in Denison for a number of years. After conducting this business for several years, Mr. Warbasse sold out his interest and moved to Westphalia, Hans., where he engaged in farming. In January, 1914, he moved to Central City, Iowa, where he was engaged in farming up until the time of his death. He was an ardent worker of the I.O.O.F. lodge for over twenty years and was an enthusiastic member of the G.A.R. and will be greatly missed in these circles. In 1895, he was united with the First Methodist Episcopal church of Denison and was an officer of trust and a worker in the same until he moved to Kansas.

Funeral services were held at the Methodist Episcopal church in Denison on Sunday afternoon, Rev. J.L. Boyd, pastor, officiating, after which the body was laid to rest in Oakland cemetery.

Source: The Denison Review, Denison, Crawford, IA., 05 Jan 1916.