William R. Blake died 1949

BLAKE, STEELE

Posted By: Cheryl Locher Moonen (email)
Date: 2/2/2016 at 17:29:08

Dubuque Telegraph Herald – November 11, 1949

CLERMONT MAN
EX-SOLON, DIES
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Rites for William Blake
Set for Tuesday
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Clermont, Ia. – Services for William R. Blake, 71, who died early Sunday morning at a Postville hospital of a heart ailment, will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Presbyterian Church here with burial in the Clermont Cemetery.

Blake was born in Elizabeth, Ill. He was a graduate of the Elizabeth high school, the Danville, Ill. Normal School and the Chicago Park Business College. While teaching school he learned the printing trade.

He was connected with newspapers in Illinois and Michigan before going to Delaware County were he was engaged in newspaper work until he came to Clermont in 1905 to start the Clermont Enterprise which he operated until 1925.

He was mayor of Clermont from 1918-1922 and state representative from Fayette County from 1921 to 1925. In 1925 he retired from the newspaper business to become state agent for the bureau of investigation. From 1927 to 1929 he was a deputy state fire marshal.

In 1929 he began work as a special representative for the Interstate Power Company and Central State Power Light Company. In 1942 he was made secretary manager of the Iowa Utilities Association with headquarters in Des Moines. He resigned from that position in 1948.

During his residence here he took an active part in civic affairs and was instrumental in the successful promotion of the annual Clermont Dairy Days.

Besides his wife he is survived by a son, William B., of Des Moines; a daughter, Mrs. R. W. (Lolita) Steele, of Sherburn, Minn., and four grandchildren.