MARTIN KIMPORT

KIMPORT, REIFENSTAHL, DEXTER, LAUGHLIN, JOHNSTON, CAMPBELL

Posted By: Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert (email)
Date: 2/24/2002 at 22:07:16

Decatur County Journal
Thursday, August l2, l9l5

MARTIN KIMPORT, one of the highly respected
citizens and old soldiers of
Leon, passed away at his home in this city
about noon on Monday August
9th, at the age of seventy years, four
months, and five days.

MR. KIMPORT was born in Wilkes-Barre,
Pennsylvania, March 4, l845. When
he was three years of age his parents moved
to Iowa, locating in Cedar
County, where his boyhood days were spent.
In l863, when he was a lad
of eighteen he enlisted in the services of
his country in Co. A. l3th
Iowa Vol. Inf., and served with honor until
the close of the war. He
was with General Sherman on his "March to the
Sea," and during the last
six months of his service was color bearer of
his regiment. When the
Union Forces were successful, he had the
honor of placing the Stars and
Stripes on the Capitol of South Carolina.

December 2, l868, he was united in marriage
to MISS AUGUSTA REIFENSTAHL,
at Vinton, Benton County, Iowa. To this
union were born nine children,
five daughters and four sons, all of whom
with the widowed mother
survive him. The children are: MRS. EMMA
DEXTER, of Des Moines; MRS.
NETTIE LAUGHLIN, of Lineville; MRS. EDITH
JOHNSTON, of Pleasanton;
CHARLES E., of Manchester; WALTER, of Des
Moines; WILLIAM, MAMIE and
MRS. ELLA CAMPBELL, of Leon, and ELMER, of
Vernon, Colorado, the last
two named being twins. All of the children
were present at his funeral
except ELMER and MRS. DEXTER, who were unable
to be present. The death
of MR. KIMPORT makes the first break in the
family circle. In addition
to his wife and children, he is survived by
twenty-two grandchildren.

MR. KIMPORT and family came to Decatur County
in l895 and located on a
farm in Morgan Township, removing later to a
farm in Eden Township, and
when his health would no longer permit active
work, he moved to Leon
five years ago, where he continued to reside
until his death. For a
number of years after the close of the war he
taught school. In l890 he
united with the M.E. Church, and always took
an active interest in the
church and its affairs. Some years ago on
account of not being able to
attend the church of his choice, he
transferred his membership to the
East Eden Church of Christ. His health had
been gradually failing for
several years.

Funeral services were held at the home on
Tuesday afternoon at 2:30
o'clock, conducted by Rev. Guy J. Fansher,
Pastor of the Leon M.E.
Church, the services at the grave being in
charge of the G.A.R. Post, of
which he was a member. The floral offerings
were many and beautiful,
testifying to the high esteem in which he was
held. Interment was in
the Leon Cemetery. The sorrowing wife and
children have the sympathy of
many friends in their great affliction.

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Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert
February 23, 2002