William "Bill" Recher 1904-1956

RECHER, PETERSON, HUCK, BOERNSEN, KUEHL, MARSHALL, KELLER, WILLE

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 1/9/2011 at 22:36:58

William Recher, 52, Dies
William Recher, 52, prominent Estherville businessman, Immanuel Lutheran church layman and civic leader, was found dead in the seat of his panel truck at about 6:30 last evening on Westwood drive near his home. Death is believed to have occurred about 4 p.m. as a result of a heart attack.

Mr. Recher had complained earlier in the afternoon of not feeling well when Ray Miller stopped at his home to inquire if he was going to play golf. Miller suggested that perhaps he’d better not play but Mr. Recher said he’d take a couple of aspirin and would play. Mr. Recher also suggested that perhaps he shouldn’t play but Mr. Recher said he would be all right.
He told Miller that if he wasn’t there to start he would join him at the second hole.

While on his way to the Country Club, Mr. Recher had stopped in front of the Kenneth Kautz home in Westwood to talk to Maurice Seylar, an employee, who had driven up to see him. He apparently suffered a heart attack while sitting in the vehicle after Seylar had driven away and before starting his panel truck to continue on to the golf course.

Mr. Recher was found in a prone condition in the seat of his car by some children and Roger Theesfeld, son of Mr. and Mrs. Al Theesfeld, reported this to Kenneth Kautz, who investigated. The fact that he was in a prone position in the car was the reason he was not discovered sooner.
Mr. Recher was active in the work of the Immanuel Lutheran church, being a member of the local church since 1936. He has served as chairman of the board of assembly, building committee chairman and church treasurer.

He had served for six years as a member of the Estherville school district board of education and was re-elected last March to his third three-year term. His advice and counsel on the school’s building program was valued highly by his colleagues on the board, who persuaded him to serve another term. He had intended to retire from the board last March.

He also had served one term on the city council from April, 1945 to April, 1947.

He was a member of the Isaak Walton League, Golf and Country Club and Rotary Club.

William Recher was born Apr. 29, 1904 at May City. He was married to Christine Peterson, Sept. 7, 1932, at Marion.

Mr. Recher was in the automotive business at May City until the summer of 1931 at which time he went to Oakland, Calif. Returning that fall he was employed in Spencer with an automotive supply company until 1934.
From 1934 to 1936 he was employed at the Milne Motor Co. in Fairmont. In 1936 he started Motor Supply here in Estherville, locating first on First avenue north and then at its present location at 616 First avenue south. Two additions to the initial building have been made by Recher in recent years, enlarging the business to include hardware and electrical supplies.

Survivors in addition to his widow include three daughters, Gladis,21, who has been working for her father; Beulah Rae (Billie), 19, sophomore at the University of Iowa, Iowa City; and Beryl, 16, junior in high school. Also surviving are seven sisters, Mrs. Emma Huck, Melvin; Mrs. Bill Boernsen, May City; Mrs. Henry Boernsen, Harley; Mrs. John Kuehl, Lake Park; Mrs. Minnie Marshall, Sioux Falls, S.D.; Mrs. Carl Keller, Goldfield; and Mrs. Delmar Wille, Hartley; and two brothers, John at Ocheyedan and Sam of May City. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, May 29, 1956)