GEORGE WANDER

ALLGAYER, WANDER, LIGHT, BRAUSE, RANDALL, GORDON, DIBBLE

Posted By: Mary Durr (email)
Date: 12/13/2002 at 19:39:02

GEORGE WANDER

Widely Known Man Passes Without Warning Sunday Noon at Clermont Home, Aged 82

A SOLDIER OF FRANCE

Had Lived in County For Fifty Years; Is Survived by Ten Children -- Funeral Today

George Wander of Clermont, widely known throughout Fayette county, died suddenly on Sunday about noon, leaving behind him the record of a long, adventurous, and successful experience in life. Mr. Wander, who had been feeble for years, suffering a great deal from asthma, was up and about as usual on Sunday, and was discovered dead by his daughter, Miss Anna, when she returned from attending Sunday school at about noon. The funeral is to be conducted this afternoon in Clermont by Rev. Gilbert Chalice of West Union.

Mr. Wander was born in Alsace, then a French province, eighty-two years ago. His period of military service in the then French empire began in 1859, and shortly after his enlistment he was sent to Italy as a member of the French force with which Louis Napoleon was upholding the temporal power of the Pope. The regiment to which Mr. Wander belonged was stationed at Camorra, which afterwards became the location of the Italian revolutionists known as the Camorrists. Mr. Wander was an eager partisan of France during the World war, desiring to see his native province returned to that country, and through his assiduous reading of almost everything that was printed during the war was probably the best posted man in this county on the progress of military matters from 1914 to 1918. To converse with him was to read a living page of modern history.

Mr. Wander came to America about fifty years ago, and has spent the time since in Fayette county, locating first on a farm south of Elgin, then on the farm on the Clermont road, and for the past five or six years in Clermont. He was one of the most extensive breeders of pedigreed live stock in the county, specializing in short-horn cattle and by industry and sagacity acquired a large amount of good farming land.

Mr. Wander's wife died about six years ago, and he shortly afterwards moved to Clermont. He is survived by ten children as follows: George Wander, Jr., of Clermont; Mrs. Fred Brause of Cedar Rapids; Mrs. David Brause, near West Union; Mrs. Hugh Randall of West Union; William Wander of Clermont; Philip Wander of Fenton, Iowa; Mrs. Emma Gordon, near Postville; Mrs. Ezra Dibble of Clermont; Charles Wander and Miss Anna Wander, both at home.

Mr. Wander was man of strict integrity, of kind heart, of upright life, and was respected and loved wherever he was known.

Probably a West Union newspaper of that time or the Clermont Enterprise newspaper found in a collection of personal family papers. George was born December 17, 1838 and died on January 30, 1921 and his buried with his wife, Francis Light, in the Clermont Cemetery. She died January 11, 1916 at the age of 72. George's parents were Jean George Wander and Barbe Allgayer.