CROUSE, Caroline 1882–1945

CROUSE, VALENTINE

Posted By: Pat Hochstetler, Volunteer (email)
Date: 3/9/2013 at 08:58:50

Mrs. Cal Crouse Dies Suddenly in Hospital

End Came Friday Forenoon While Husband was Attending Meeting of the Board of Supervisors.

Mrs. Calvin Crouse, widely known throughout Grundy and adjoining counties and wife of one of the members of the Grundy county board of supervisors, died at Deaconess hospital in Marshalltown about ten o’clock Friday forenoon. She had been afflicted with a heart weakness for some time, but she continued her daily activities until Thursday when she became distressed and her husband took her to the hospital for rest and treatment. The attending nurse at the hospital told Mr. Crouse when he called Friday morning that his wife had spent a very good night and that there was no immediate cause for worry. With this assurance, he drove to Grundy Center to attend a meeting of the board of supervisors. Very shortly after he arrived at the courthouse a call came from the hospital that Mrs. Crouse had suddenly passed away. The board immediately adjourned and a number of the members accompanied Mr. Crouse to his home.

Mrs. Crouse’s sudden death came as a shock not only to the members of her family but to her wide circle of friends. Conrad and vicinity had been her home during her entire lifetime, where after she grew up she became a leader in social, civic and church activities of the community. She was 62 years old.

Mrs. Crouse was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Valentine, among the early resident of Felix township. Her maiden name was Caroline Valentine. She was born August 18, 1882. On the same day of her birth Calvin Crouse was born on a neighboring farm in Felix township. The two grew up together and attended the same school, where because of the identical age, they were known as twins.

Mrs. Crouse’s father came to Iowa in a covered wagon in 1856. When he was married in 1874, he and his wife made their home on a Felix township farm and spent the remainder of their lived in that vicinity.

Mrs. Crouse attended a rural school in Felix township and later went to the Conrad school where she completed the high school course. After she completed her high school course she attended the State Teachers college at Cedar Falls for a short time. She began teaching in a country school in Grundy county at the age of 16 and continued in this work until her marriage to Calvin Crouse December 20, 1906.

After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Crouse lived on their farm 3 ½ miles northwest of Conrad for six years, after which they built a new home where they resided until they moved to Conrad in 1920.

After moving to Conrad Mrs. Crouse devoted much of her time to club and civic work. She served eight years as chairman of the Grundy County Federation of Women’s Clubs. She served for six years as district chairman of the Federation of Women’s Clubs. She was a charter member of the Entre Nous of Conrad and four years ago she was chosen as its outstanding member. She was actively affiliated with other social organizations of Conrad. She was a lifelong member of the Methodist church at Conrad and for many years was superintendent of the Sunday school and church historian.

Two years ago she was appointed as a member of the Social Welfare Board of Grundy county and served as its chairman. She was slated for reappointment to this position by the board of supervisors on the day of her death.

In addition to her other activities she took an active part in politics. She was local committeewoman of her precinct for her party for several years and she served two terms as treasurer of the Third District Federation of Republican Women’s clubs. She was local chairman of the American Red Cross for a quarter of a century. She was chairman of the Conrad station of the rationing board until a year ago.

Surviving are the husband and one daughter, Ruth, who is dean of women in the Dubuque senior high school. Other survivors are three brothers, Dr. James Valentine, Chicago; Dr. Frank Valentine, Evanston, Ill., and R. B. Valentine, Pasadena, Calif. Four sisters of the family of eight children preceded her in death.

Funeral services were held at the Presbyterian church in Conrad Monday afternoon. The services were conducted by her local pastor, Rev. E. C. Allen, and by a former Methodist pastor at Conrad, Rev. Oswald Sandbach of Reinbeck. Burial was in the Conrad cemetery.

There was a very large attendance at the funeral service and many messages of sympathy from friends in adjoining counties. Business in Conrad was suspended during the funeral services and the offices at the courthouse from 2 to 3 o’clock.

Relatives who were here for the funeral services were Dr. Frank Valentine, Evanston, Ill.; Dr. James Valentine and Richard Early, Chicago; Mr. and Mrs. Leo Nott, Alden; Mrs. Marietta McCoy, Miss Margaret Nott from Mason City; Mrs. Don Gettle, Green Mountain. The above four were nieces. Other relatives were John Wood, Eldora; Mr. and Mrs. Charles Lister, Albion; Mr. and Mrs. George Lister, Sweetwater, Texas; Mr. and Mrs. Howard Keene, LeGrande; Mrs. Lily Lord, Waterloo; Mr. and Mrs. Homer Card, and MR. and Mrs. Orva Modlin, Grundy Center; Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Crouse, Eldora; Chester Modlin and family, Eldora.

Many of the county officials attended the services. The board of supervisors attended in a body.

Source: Unknown newspaper clipping found in scrapbook belonging to my great grandmother.