Ruben Bertram Crone 1871-1927

CRONE, HULSEBUS, AKINS, HAMMON, GIBBONS, KNEPPER

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 5/10/2012 at 22:27:05

Friends Crowd Church to Pay Tribute to R.B. Crone, County Legislator Who Died Suddenly Last Week
Funeral Her Followed Service in Des Moines
Had First Funeral Ever Held in Capitol Building
At 2 o’clock last Saturday afternoon the sorrowing friends of R.B. Crone, representative from Emmet County, who died suddenly in Des Moines last Wednesday, began to gather in the Presbyterian church to pay a last tribute to the man whom they all loved. Before the services started, the church was crowded.

The Rev. P.A. Davies was in charge of the services and preached the sermon. He was assisted by the Rev. H.L. Olmstead, the Rev. L.L. Anderson. Dr. C.H. French, president of Hastings College, Hastings, Neb., where Mr. Crone was formerly president, was here for the funeral and paid a tribute to the former college head.

The church was beautiful with the masses of flowers and wreaths and appropriate music was furnished by the Presbyterian quartet.

Six fellow legislators of Mr. Crone were here to serve as honorary pallbearers. They were the Hon. Howard Mathews of Des Moines County, Hon. Francis Johnson of Dickinson County, Hon. Frank Hollingsworth of Boone County, Hon. James A. King of Clay County; Hon. G.H. Patterson of Kossuth County and Hon. W.E.G. Saunders of Palo Alto County.

Pallbearers were the following close friends of Mr. Crone: Messrs. Galloway, Kirby, Book, Olmstead, Jackson and Bingham. Following the beautiful and impressive service, interment was made in the Oak Hill cemetery.

Was 56 Years Old
Ruben Bertram Crone was born in Cedar County on January 7, 1871, and died at Des Moines on March 30, 1927. He was 56 years old. When he was five years of age the family moved to Tama county. After being graduated from high school he taught for several years, and then entered the University of Iowa and was graduated in the class of 1897.

After his graduation he took up school work, between the years 1897 and 1911, acting as the superintendent of the following high schools: Churdan, Fonda, Tipton, Washington, and Fort Dodge. After spending one year in Emmet County, he was called to the presidency of Hastings College at Hastings, Nebr. To this institution he gave eight of the best years of his life. Working with earnestness and zeal he started it on its upward way. Hastings College, today one of the finest colleges of the west, owes much to Dr. Crone.

Farm Bureau President
In 1920 he returned to Emmet County where he has lived ever since, taking an active interest in all community problems. He was president of the Emmet County Farm Bureau for two years. During these years the organization greatly increased its membership and activities. Deeply interested in all the churches, he was a member of the Presbyterian church and a worthy leader, teaching in the school of missions and the men’s Bible class. His place in the church will be hard to fill.

At the time of his death, Mr. Crone was just completing his first term in the state legislature. He took a very active part and interest in all questions that came before that body.

He was married on July 28, 1899, to Miss Lillian Hulsebus of Burlington. To this union three children were born: Bertram of Chicago, Edith of Estherville, and Morris of Burlington.

There are three sisters, Mrs. Mary Akins of Hartington, Nebr., Mrs. Ida Hammon of Mechanicsville, and Mrs. Carrie Gibbons of Estherville. Mrs. A.J. Knepper, of Estherville is one of several nephews and nieces. (Estherville Democrat, Estherville, IA, April 6, 1927)

Funeral in State Capitol
The business of law making was suspended last Friday while the Forty-second general assembly paid its last respects o Representative R.B. Crone, in the first funeral ever held from the state capitol in the memory of today’s legislators.

The Crone funeral recalled to state officers who rose high in the affairs of state and nation – Senator Albert B. Cummins and H.A. Wallace, secretary of agriculture.

First Capitol Funeral
Although the bodies of these statesmen lay in state at the capitol and were viewed by thousands of citizens their funeral services were held elsewhere. Senator Cummins died in July last year and the death of former Secretary Wallace occurred in October, 1924.

Representative Crone was the fourth member of the present assembly to be taken by death. D.H.Miller, member of the house from Dallas county, died Jan. 20 and Senator Samuel F. Wilson of Wapello followed him on Feb. 21. Charles Harvey Scott, elected to the house from Appanoose county, died Dec. 3, 1926, before qualifying for office.

Representative E.A. Grimwood of Jones county, elected to give a memorial address, delivered the eulogy over the body.

Hollingsworth Speaks
Representative Frank Hollingsworth of Boone told house members today of his associates with Crone during their college days at University of Iowa. During the summer of 1896 they sold books through the states of Wisconsin and Minnesota to help defray their expenses the following school year.

Although they were interested in different subjects, Hollingsworth followed the practice of law and Crone being involved in educational affairs, they kept in fairly close touch with each other during the last twenty years, Hollingsworth said.

The invocation was given by Dr. C.H. French, president of Hastings College of Hastings, Neb. Two trio numbers were sung by Mesdames Kloster, Osterm and Gustafson. Miss Josephine Buckley sang a solo “Beautiful Isle,” and the sermon was preached by the Rev. Roy H. Brown of Des Moines. (Estherville Democrat, Estherville, IA, April 6, 1927)

The Tribute of a Co-worker
(Editor’s note: The following beautiful tribute to Rep. R.B. Crone was given by one of his fellow legislators, the Hon. C.G. Oliver of Monona, at the funeral held in Des Moines last Friday.):

From the beginning, the living have paid homage to the virtues of the dead; for immortality is the dream of man. Mountains have been excavated; pyramids built; temples have been erected; and granite marble and bronze shaped into every conceivable form, to give expression to honor, respect, affection and love for some dead hero, warrior, statesman or philosopher.

These earthly tributes can be of no service to the dead, but they form lasting records of deeds held honorable among men; are strong incentives to noble acts in the present, and work a steady progress toward that better condition which is the ultimate destiny of the human race.

We are not here assembled to shape in marble or granite or bronze, the human form of our fellow member and friend R.B. Crone, but – in order that those who knew him best may – by simple tribute of thought and feeling, bear public testimony to the merits of one who stood forth a most splendid type of moral and intellectual manhood, and who with little thought of self rendered eminent service in the cause of mankind labored faithfully to the end.

Death hath no breach,
In love and sympathy and hope and trust
There is an inward spiritual speech
That greets s still – though mortal tongue be dead.
And bids us do the work that he layed down.

He needs no monument; his memory will be ever be cherished in our hearts, he will be missed by all who knew him, most by those who know him best.

We know that moons shall wane – that summer birds from far shall cross the sea – but who shall tell us when to meet with death? (Estherville Democrat, Estherville, IA, April 6, 1927)