David Schrack 1844 - 1912 Civil War Veteran

SCHRACK, KUNKLE, BAKER, BETTS, MILLIGAN

Posted By: Dorothy Gosse (email)
Date: 5/22/2011 at 16:51:02

David Schrack was born April 14,
1844, in Center County, Penn., and
died March 24, 1912, at Oelwein, Iowa.
He was 67 years, 11 months and 10
days old.
He leaves to mourn his loss a wife
and five children; three sons, Fred, of
Minneapolis; Harry, Westgate; Bert,
Oelwein; two daughters, Mrs. John
Kunkle, of Hazleton, and Mrs. Frank
Baker, of Oelwein; also two brothers,
Theodore of Alma, Neb., Jonah, of
Fairbank, and one sister, Mrs. Isaac
Betts of Fairbank; also eleven grandchildren
and a host of friends.
When he was about four years old
his parents moved from Pennsylvania
to Stevenson County, near Freeport,
Ill. Here they resided till the fall of
1855 when they moved to Blackhawk
county, Iowa. Here in the fall of
1861, when but 17 years old he enlisted
as a soldier in the 12th Iowa
Regiment, Co. E., at Waterloo, Iowa.
He was a gallant soldier, marching
shoulder to shoulder with Comrade
George Kint now residing in our city.
He fought in the battles of Shiloh
and Corrinth. He was wounded in
the battle of Corrinth, the bullet passing
through a lung and lodging in
the spinal column where he carried
it the remainder of his life. He also
received several other wounds that
caused his honorable discharge after
three years of active service.
In the year 1865 he with his brother
and the later's family joined a
company traveling overland to the
west. They arrived in Virginia City,
Idaho, after a long and tiresome journey.
Here his brother's wife died.
From this place he and his brother
went to Portland, Oregon. After
spending two years in the west they
went to Linden, Atchison county, Mo.
Here his brother died. Mr. Schrack
then returned to Black Hawk county,
Iowa, where in 1867 he was married
to Miss Kate Mllligan, to which union
were given five children who
with their mother are still living. Mr.
and Mrs. Schrack moved from their
Missouri home to Fayette county in
1875 and ten years ago they moved
into Oelwein, which has since been
their home. Mr. Schrack was for over
thirty years a veterinary surgeon.
He was known far and wide and his
friends were legion.
He was a member of Griffith Post
G. A. R. His comrades testify of him
that he was a brave and courageous
soldier, a genial and happy comrade
and a faithful friend and brother.
He was initiated into Fairbank
Lodge No. 148 A. F. and A. M. on
March 21, 1881. He was passed to the
degree of a fellowcraft March 23, 1883
and raised to be sublime degree of a
Master Mason April 22, I883. His
membership was transferred to Hebron
Lodge No. 374 on June 6, 1895
where he has since been a valued and
beloved brother. He possessed an exalted
idea of the bonds of fraternity.
The funeral was held in Grace M.E.
church Wednesday afternoon at 2
o'clock, Rev. Van Horn officiating. It
was under the auspices of the Masonic
Lodge and attended by the Grand
Army in a body. There was a large
attendance of relatives, friends and
the Masonic fraternity, and the floral
offerings were elaborate to a degree.
Rev. Van Horn spoke of the noble
character of the man who had fallen
asleep, of his bravery in defense of
his country's flag and of his unswerving
fidelity to his family, fraternity
and friends.. Following the services
ritualistic and otherwise the body
was borne to its last resting place
followed by a long procession. Another
highly respected citizen of Oelwein
and one of the "Boys in Blue" has
been mustered out.

Oelwein Register - 3 April 1912
Note: burial in Woodlawn Cemetery