Sidney M. Rowley 1870-1970

ROWLEY, DICKEY, KEZAR, WADE, MEANS, HUFFMAN, LYNN

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 1/16/2013 at 23:50:38

S.M. Rowley, who formerly owned the laundry in this city, is reported as missing. He now resides in Mason City. He and Mrs. Rowley have charge of an Odd Fellows Orphanage there. Mrs. Rowley took her vacation some time ago. A little over a week ago he decided to take his vacation. He left Mason City in a Chevrolet car. A week later the car was found in Topeka, Kans., by the police. It had some of his clothing in at the time. When he left he had considerable money with him. Up to this time no trace has been found of the missing man. (Estherville Enterprise, Estherville, IA, September 14, 1927)

Murder Victim in Kansas Identified as Ex-Waterlooan
Positive identification of the body of a man found several days ago in a ditch beside a lonely road 30 miles from Topeka, Kan., shot thru the head and with one arm and one leg broken, as Sidney M. Rowley, Mason City, Ia., brother of Mrs. Florence Kezar, 905 Washington street, has been established at Cottonwood, Kan., by Mrs. Rowley’s son-in-law.

Rowley was a former resident of Waterloo.

Circumstances pointed to a murder and robbery. Rowley, who had operated the laundry in the Odd Fellows home at Mason City, left there four weeks ago Friday in his automobile for Kansas, insearch of other employment. The first word from him reached relatives thru the police department at Topeka, where Rowley’s car was found abandoned.

Sidney M. Rowley was born Feb. 28, 1870, at Nevada, Ia., the son of George M. and Rosa Rowley. The family moved to Charles City when deceased was a small child. He grew to manhood at Charles City and enlisted from there for service in the Spanish-American war.

He was married 17 years ago to Dora Dickey, at Mitchell, S.D. The couple resided for a while at Estherville, Ia., where Rowley operated a laundry, later moving to Mason City, where he again engaged in the laundry business.

He was associated with Joe Portunski in the first hand laundry in Waterloo 25 years ago. Rowley was a member of the Masonic fraternity at Estherville and was affiliated with the Methodist church.

Surviving besides his widow are four sisters: Mrs. Florence Kezar, 905 Washington street, Waterloo; Mrs. Glenn Wade, Charles City; Mrs. O. H. Means, Los Angeles and Mrs. Emma Huffman, Cottonwood, S.D.; also a brother, Henry Rowley, Oak Ridge, Ore. and a half-brother, J. L. Lynn, South Dakota.

The body will probably be brought to Iowa for burial. (Waterloo Evening Courier, Waterloo, IA, September 21, 1927)

Former Owner of Spencer Laundry is Reported Murdered
S.M. Rowley, who was owner of the steam laundry in Estherville four or five years ago and lived in Estherville then, was mysteriously murdered in Kansas three weeks ago, according to a news story printed in Estherville last week. Mr. Rowley sold his Spencer laundry four years ago to Joe H. Johnson of Albert Lea, Minnesota, the present owner.

From Estherville Vindicator, September 21 – In the belief that the body of a murdered man found last Monday, Sept. 12, near Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, was that of S.M. Rowley of Mason City, but formerly of Estherville, his wife’s son-in-law, C.L. Mulock of this city, went to that place Thursday to identify him. In spite of the condition of the body it could be determined without doubt that it was that of Mr. Rowley. A wound in the head showed that a bullet from a high powered gun had penetrated from the left cheek and cut through the right jaw, indicating the cause of his death. Robbery had evidently been the motive as his auto had been stolen and was found on the streets of Topeka. In the search that followed for the owner of the car, Mrs. Rowley received the first intimation that anything was amiss, as her husband, who is an employee of the Odd Fellows home at Mason City, had been gone for about ten days on a vacation auto trip. He had left with only a reasonable amount of money enough for the needs of the trip which had no special destination.

Mr. Mulock drove to Mason City for Mrs. Rowley but as her health is poorly she remained here while he made the trip to Kansas.

The body had been found in a deep ditch beside the road four miles east beside the road four miles east of Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, at the intersection of two main highways, which is about an equal distance from Strong City, Kansas. A farmer first noticed the odor of decomposition and notified authorities. Mr. Rowley had evidently been killed about five days when the body was found. No papers of identification were found in the clothing. Burial was made the same day. The finding of the stolen auto at Topeka, seventy-five miles away, was connected with the finding of the body.

Upon the arrival of Mr. Mulock, the body was exhumed long enough for identification but was again buried at Cottonwood Falls

Mr. Rowley was well known in Estherville. He owned and operated the Estherville Steam Laundry for six years. He was first in partnership with R.E. Dickey, then with C.L. Mulock, finally selling his share in the business to A.J. Knepper four years ago.

Besides his wife he is survived by a sister living at Charles City. (Spencer Reporter, Spencer, IA, September 28, 1927)

Think Former Estherville Man Was Murdered
Mason City, Sept. 21. S.M. Rowley, Odd Fellows home employee who left here two weeks on a vacation trip, was murdered and robbed and his body placed along a highway near Emporia, Kan., according to word received by police here.

Positive identification of the decomposed body found near the Kansas town has been made by C.L. Mulock, Estherville, relative of the slain man.

The body was disinterred for purposes of identification. Decomposition had reached such a stage that it was necessary for reburial to take place at Cottonwood, Kan.

Mr. Mulock says that Kansas officials are of the opinion that Mr. Rowley was robbed and that the robbers killed him to obtain possession of his car, a small coupe.

The local man’s automobile was found on a street at Topeka, Kansas, a short time after Mr. Rowley was reported missing. The body was stripped of valuables and an open face watch which was taken may turn up and lead to identification of the murderer, according to Mr. Mulock.

Concern over the safety of the local man was aroused when Mrs. Rowley did not hear from her husband after he left home. (Estherville Enterprise, Estherville, IA, September 28, 1927)