John Paul Littell 1855-1925

LITTELL, JOHNSON, BOTTOM, BROWN

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 10/28/2010 at 00:19:29

John P. Littell
Pioneer Insurance Man Passed Away Saturday
John Paul Littell was born in Presque Isle, Michigan, on the 18th of December, 1855, and died at Estherville, Iowa, July 11, 1925, aged 69 years, 6 months and 24 days. He was the third of eight children born to his parents, Aaron and Mary E. (Brown) Littell.

J. P. Littell attended school in Alma, Wisconsin, and Wabasha, Minn. When a young man he engaged in lumbering in the pine regions of Wisconsin and became a foreman of a log drive on the Chippewa river. July 18, 1878. at Wabasha, Minn., he was married to Miss Mary E. Johnson, who was born and educated in Westfield, Wisconsin, and who shared his life and home for forty-four years, dying at Estherville, Iowa [Des Moines], Aug. 3, 1917, full of good works and rich in community esteem.

In 1885, Mr. and Mrs. Littell, with their two children, Harry and Ada, moved to Estherville, Iowa, and for about a year ran a milk business. In 1887 he began to write insurance. For a term of four years he acted as City Marshall and Street Commissioner also, but after this he gave himself unremittingly to the insurance business, and over a period of almost forty years attained considerable success. Most of this period he has represented the National Life Insurance Company of Chicago, Ill.

Mr. Littell has always been a good community man. Estherville was a very small town when he came to it, and in practically all the community efforts that have boosted it to the eminence among the cities of Iowa it enjoys to day, he has had active and generous part. He has been an active and generous supporter of many movements and causes that have sought to relieve the needy and suffering both at home and abroad.

He was a member of several fraternal societies.

For almost fifty years he has been identified with the Methodist Episcopal Church as a member and official. Every preacher found in him a friend and supporter and every cause of the church a liberal contributor. In later years he has made exceptionally large donations to the Methodist Missionary and Educational interests.

During the summer and fall of 1922 he suffered a severe nervous breakdown and for about four and one-half months was a patient in a Des Moines hospital. After his return home he went about his business seemingly as usual, and only a short time ago manifested the acute sickness of Bright’s disease which has resulted in his death.

He leaves to mourn his death a son, Harry A. Littell and wife and children, Everett and Evelyn, of Dows, Iowa; and a daughter, Edith M. and her husband, Rev. Arthur Bottom, and four children, of Sanborn, Iowa; also two brothers, Judson and Charles of Spokane, Washington, and a sister in Wisconsin.

In addition to Mrs. Littell he was preceded in death in 1903 by a daughter, Ada, aged 18, and also be an infant son.

A host of people will for a long time miss John P. Littell from the community in Estherville and the country roundabout. (Estherville Enterprise, Estherville, IA, July 15, 1925)

John P. Littell Dies; He Insured Lives 38 Years
Masons Conduct Burial; Services Held at Methodist Church Tuesday

Last rites were given on Tuesday afternoon to John P. Littell, active Life Insurance man in Estherville since 1887, who died quietly Saturday evening at 11:25 at the Birney hospital. Only a short time ago he became ill with Bright’s disease which resulted in his death. During the summer and fall of 1912 [1922] he suffered a severe nervous breakdown and for about four and one-half months was a patient in a Des Moines hospital. After his return home he went about his business seemingly well.

The funeral services were held from the Methodist Episcopal church, the local Masonic lodge of which the deceased was a highly respected member, being in charge, and participating in the solemn and impressive ceremonies at the grave in Oak Hill cemetery.

He is survived by his son Harry A. Littell of Dows, Mrs. Arthur Bottom, of Sanborn, and two brothers and a sister. Mrs. Littell died in 1917.

John Paul Littell was born in Presque Isle, Michigan, on the 18th day of December, 1855. He was the son of Aaron and Mary E. (Brown) Littell. The father was born, reared and educated in Virginia, but when a young man went to Brookfield, New York, where he engaged in the practice of medicine and surgery. Subsequently he removed to Presque Isle, Michigan, becoming one of the pioneer physicians of that place, and about 1860 he located in Alma, Wis. His mother was a native of Massachusetts and in childhood became a resident of Brookfield, New York.

John Paul Littell attended school in Alma, Wisconsin and Wabasha, Minnesota. He engaged in lumbering in the pine regions of Wisconsin, when a young man, and later became foreman of a log drive on the Chippewa river.

In 1885 he came to Estherville, Iowa, where his mother and brother had previously located, and here he bought a milk business, which he ran for one year. It was in 1887 that Mr. Littell became identified with the life insurance business as a general agent for the Des Moines Life, which merged with the National Life Insurance Company of the United States of America, with headquarters in Chicago. He was in the service of the same companies for thirty-eight years, a record probably unexcelled by any other life insurance agent in America and certainly not by any other agent with the National Life. He probably wrote more life insurance policies than any other man in Iowa and frequently led all Iowa insurance agents in the volume of insurance written annually. He was a member of the Hundred Thousand Dollar Club of the National Life Insurance company and attended all of the annual conventions of the club in Chicago.

At Wabasha, Minnesota, Mr. Littell was married July 18, 1878 to Miss Mary Johnson who was born in Westfield, Wisconsin, and from there removed to Wabasha. To Mr. and Mrs. Littell were born four children: Harry A. Littell, born in Wabasha and educated in the schools in Estherville, now lives at Dows, Iowa, with his wife, Grace and children, Everett and Evelyn; Ada Littell, also born in Wabasha, was educated in Estherville, but her health failed and she died at the age of eighteen years, Edith M. Littell, born in Estherville is now the wife of Rev. Arthur Bottom; they and their four children live at Sanborn, Iowa. She was for some time deaconess of the Methodist Episcopal church at Des Moines. The fourth child died in infancy.

Two brothers and a sister are also left to mourn his death, Judson and Charles of Spokane, Washington, and a sister in Wisconsin. Mrs. Littell died in 1917. She had done much in Estherville for charity and other good works.

Mr. Littell was a staunch supporter of the republican party and took an active part in local politics, serving on the congressional committee for Emmet county. He served at one time as city marshal and as street commissioner in Estherville. He was a strong temperance worker – never using liquor or tobacco and was active in church affairs, having been for many years as a member of the official board of the Methodist Episcopal church. He also was a Sunday School teacher for some time.

During the last few years of his life he has made gifts amounting to several thousands of dollars to the church and to Morningside college. (Vindicator and Republican, Estherville, IA, July 15, 1925)