Albert Barber, 1843-1935

BARBER

Posted By: Emmet County IAGenWeb Coordinator (email)
Date: 7/28/2006 at 09:59:28

A. BARBER CALLED

Aged man passed Away Last Week After Long Illness; Resident of this Community Many Years.

Albert Henry Barber, pioneer of Estherville and the town's first furniture dealer, passed to his reward at 10 p.m. Thursday night [13 Jun 1935]. In spite of his advanced age of 92 years Mr. Barber had been active about his home and in unusually good health until the past two years.

He was born March 17, 1843, at Barberville, R. I., a son of Henry and Mary Palmer Barber. When he was six years of age the family moved to Delevan, Wis., later to other points in Wisconsin and in 1862 to Estherville.

Coming to Estherville in 1862, Mr. Barber has watched the town develop from a tiny village to a progressive little city. He homesteaded the farm known as the Leo farm, tried farming for some time, but decided in 1882 to go into the furniture business. The stock of goods for the store located at the corner of Sixth and Pleasant was shipped to Estherville over the Milwaukee [Railroad]. Mr. Barber often told of how the railroad company, then in a contest to reach the town before the B.C.R. and N. [Railroad] and loath to cross the hastily constructed tracks over the river trestle, dumped the shipment on the other side of the river from which point Mr. Barber was compelled to haul it by team.

Mr. Barber later built the store on Seventh street now owned by Mahlum and Anderson. Henry Mahlum bought the business 27 years ago at which time Mr. Barber retired. Charlie Anderson who had been an undertaker with Mr. Barber later acquired a partnership in the firm.

As a young man Mr. Barber was married to Miss Clara Ames who has been his devoted and loving companion through all the years and who survives him. He was the last to survive of a large family of seven brothers and two sisters.

Funeral services were held Sunday afternoon at two-thirty from the Union Baptist church with Rev. Frank Yearnd in charge. Mr. Barber had been an active worker and supporter of this church. Interment was made in Oak Hill cemetery. Pallbearers were Theo. Myhre, Dr. B. T. Osher, Vance Noe, H. O. Sillge, Robt. Knight, and R. O. Clark.

Contributed: Ruth Hackett. Source: Estherville Enterprise, Estherville, Emmet County, Iowa, June 17, 1935.