Charles Sylvester Churchill 1858-1955

CHURCHILL, CRAWFORD, TROESTLER, WILSON, YORK, REEBLE, REEBIE, GAARDE

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 9/20/2014 at 20:23:03

Pioneer of Armstrong Dies at 97
Charles Churchill, 97, oldest pioneer of the Armstrong area, died at 9:15 p.m. yesterday at the Balmer Rest Home where he had been a patient for the past 3 ½ years.

A pioneer resident of the Armstrong vicinity, Mr. Churchill came with his parents to the Armstrong area in 1872 at the age of 14 when his parents homesteaded a farm two miles east and one-fourth mile south of Armstrong.

He was born in Blackhawk County, Iowa Jan. 26, 1858, [per cemetery records, January 25] the son of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Churchill. In 1895 Mr. Churchill moved into Armstrong where, as a carpenter, he helped construct some of the first buildings in that settlement and helped break ground for the town of Armstrong.

He served for 17 years as marshall of Armstrong, using his own home as a jail. In 1921 he was injured in a fall from the cupola of the Armstrong Lutheran church which he was helping to build but recovered from his injuries without hospitalization.

About eight years ago he slipped and fell on the ice, breaking his collar bone. That time he had to to to the hospital but recovered and until recently had been fairly active for his age.

In 1953 he celebrated his 95th birthday at the Balmer Rest home with a daughter, Mrs. Marie Troestler of Clarion and residents of the rest home as his guests.

Survivors include four daughters, Mrs. Marie Troestler of Clarion, Mrs. Addie Wilson of St. Paul, Mrs. Sadie York of Hatland, S.D., Mrs. Lillian Reeble of Watertown, S.D., 18 grandchildren, many great-great grandchildren and three brothers, Harvey, 93, of Parson, Kans.; Aura, 82, and Sam, 77, both of Armstrong.

He was preceded in death by his wife [Amanda Jane Crawford Churchill], one daughter, Mrs. P.A. Gaarde of Armstrong, four sisters and one brother.

Funeral services will be held Monday at 2 p.m. at First Presbyterian church at Armstrong with the Rev. Alex Orr officiating. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, February 25, 1955)