SENTS, A. F. 1852-1924

SENTS

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 3/14/2015 at 11:22:20

German Township Farmer Killed in Auto Accident

A. F. Sents Meet Death Suddenly Near Austin, Minn., Last Thursday

Accident at Intersection

Was on Way Home With Son From Business Trip to His Minnesota Farm

A. F. Sents, of German township, was killed instantly in an automobile accident which took place nine miles east of Austin, Minn., about two o'clock last Thursday afternoon. Mr. Sents with his son Fred, who was driving, left their home in German township early Thursday morning and drove to Moore county, Minn., where Mr. Sents owned a farm. He had finished the business that he went up to give attention and was on his way home when the accident took place. As the Sents car was crossing a country intersection a large Buick roadster coming from the west at a terrific rate of speed, crashed into the side of the Ford car and tossed it several rods and left it a complete wreck. The collision came from the right side on which the elder Sents was riding and it struck him with undiminished force and apparently killed him instantly. His son, Fred, suffered an injury to his head and one of his arms was broken. He was taken to a hospital at Austin as soon as help arrived and was able to return home the following day. Mr. Sents' chest was crushed and his neck broken.

The accident took place near a farm home. A woman who was seated on the porch was the only witness of the collision aside from the occupants of the two cars. Help arrived within a few minutes and the dead and injured were taken to Austin.

Relatives in German township were advised of the accident by phone shortly after it took place and they left for Austin at once and accompanied the remains to the home the day following.

Funeral services were held at the home at one o'clock Monday afternoon and later at the Evangelical church of Pleasant Valley township. Rev. Wedel pastor of the Baptist church at Aplington, of which Sents was a member, spoke in the German language and Rev. Raecker and Mr. Cruzon spoke in English. The church could not accommodate one-fourth of all the people who came to pay tribute to one who had lived among them for so many years. It was the largest concourse of people that ever attended a funeral service in that section of the county.

Mr. Sents was born in Germany on March 11th, 1852, and was in his 73rd years. He came to America with his people in the year 1869 and located in German township, which was his continuous home for fifty-five years. He is survived by his wife, two sons, Fred and Eilert of German township, and by the youngest daughter, Margaret. Four children preceded the father to the land beyond. He was married forty-five years ago.

Mr. Sents was a devoted husband and father, a sincere Christian, a helpful neighbor and friend and a model citizen. He held many positions of public trust in township and county and in every one of them he showed a devotion to duty and an ability to perform it that won him the full respect and confidence of all whom he was chosen to serve. During his service as a member of the board of supervisors, of which a portion of that time he presided as chairman, his common sense, his integrity and ability won for him the approval and confidence of the people of the entire county.

It was Mr. Sents' home life, his Christian character and his outstanding inclination to assist all worthy benevolent purposes that marked for him such a large place in his community and has left so many hundreds of those who came in contact with his life bowed in grief since the news of his sudden death came to them. When the history of Grundy county's most worthy men is written the name of A. F. Sents will occupy one of its first pages.

The following relatives from a distance came to attend the funeral: J. D. Kruse and family from Little Rock; John Abben and Ben C. Abben Jr., Mrs. B. C. Abben Sr., Abe Abben and Webbe Heinrichs from Little Rock; Mrs. H. Sieman from Sibley; Rev. Abbo Abben from Odeboldt, and Rev. Carl Swyter from Chandler, S.D.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 25 September 1924, pg 9