WILHELM, Solomon 1827-1910

WILHELM, BOYER

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 8/16/2010 at 22:02:44

Oldest Grundy Resident Dead

Solomon Wilhelm Lived In Same Home 57 Years.

Expired Suddenly on Monday of Attack of Heart Failure.

Solomon Wilhelm, Grundy county's oldest settler, died at his home in the southwest part of this township Monday forenoon. Death was due to heart failure. Mr. Wilhelm had been about the place all the morning doing odd jobs as he had been accustomed to doing for a number of years. He came into the house about 10 o'clock and told his wife he was not feeling well. His wife asked him to go to his bed and he said he believed he would. Mrs. Wilhelm asked permission to send for a doctor and her husband said he didn't care, that she might ask Dr. Thielen to come out but that he didn't need to be in a hurry. Mrs. Wilhelm was busy with her household duties in the kitchen and for a time she and her husband talked back and forth but all at once the wife heard a gurgling sound and rushing to the bedroom, found her husband was dead.

Funeral services were held at Alice church yesterday afternoon.

Lived in Same House 57 Years.

Solomon Wilhelm was born in Alleghany county, Maryland, May 4, 1827. He was twice married. The first wife lived but a short time after her marriage and there were no children. Mr. Wilhelm married Miss Mary Boyer in Pennsylvania January 16, 1853, who survives him. Mr. Wilhelm and his family came to Grundy county in March, 1857. Here he acquired a 40-acre farm in sections 31 and 32, Palermo township, and land at that time could almost be had for the asking. They built their first house, which was 16x30 feet, on this place and though the frame work has been many times overhauled this house still stands on the old site and it had been Mr. Wilhelm's home for fifty-seven years. No other Grundy county resident has established a record of residing for so long a time in one place.

The nearest railroad to Grundy county at that time terminated at Iowa City and from that place to Grundy county the Wilhelm family came overland.

When Mr. Wilhelm built his first house there wasn't a habitable building between his place and Grundy Center, a distance of nearly ten miles. His closest neighbor was John Conrad, who lived in Conrad Grove, six miles away. James R. Lynn, deceased, came to Grundy county the same year the Wilhelm family emigrated to this place. They bought land adjoining for $5 an acre. This land today is worth $175.

Mr. and Mrs. Wilhelm celebrated their golden wedding anniversary seven years ago last January.

They were the parents of fourteen children, twelve of whom are living and all were present at the funeral. The children are: Susan, wife of J. J. Lighter, who is dead; William H., who died in infancy; Emma F., wife of J. H. Lighter, editor of The Rolfe Reville; Samuel E., a leading dentist of Sac City; Charles M., who is engaged in the furniture business at Hartley; Delia C., wife of L. G. Sherman of this county; Elmer S., who is engaged in the dry goods business at Clarion; Benjamin F., who is in the furniture business at Conrad; Curtis L. of this county; Luella M., wife of Fred Martin, who resides on a farm in North Dakota; Claude O., who is an electrician located in Indiana, and Clyde V., who is at home. Aside from these there are upwards of thirty grandchildren and about ten great-grandchildren.

--The Waterloo Evening Courier (Waterloo, Iowa), 18 November 1910