DIRKS, Jans 1864-1932

DIRKS, WICKERS

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 9/5/2015 at 07:15:15

J. Dirks Early Grundy Resident, Dies Suddenly

Suffered Stroke While Working In His Garden at Stout Friday; Died Before Doctor Could Reach Him

Jans Dirks, for 57 years a continuous resident of Grundy county, died very suddenly at his home in Stout Friday forenoon. He had been at work in his garden. He took sick very suddenly and was barely able to get to his house and his bed before he was completely overcome. His wife phoned for a doctor immediately and before she was able to leave the phone her husband had passed away. He had been in good health continually prior to the time he was stricken. His sudden end came as a shock to the relatives and the hundreds of friends residing in all parts of the county.

Mr. Dirks was the youngest of a family of six who came to this country in 1870 and he is the second of the family aside from the father and the mother to answer the final summons. He was born in Emden, Eastfriesland, Germany, Nov. 5th, 1864. He was six years old when the family came to this country. During the first five years they made their home in Illnois. In 1875 the family came to Grundy county. That was before the coming of the railroad. The father had come to the county the year before and bought a farm in Lincoln township which is still in the Dirks family. They came by train from Illinois to Parkersburg.

Jans was the last of the six children to establish a home of his own. He was married in 1888 to Miss Stena Wickers. During the first ten years of their married life they lived on the home farm. After that they moved on a farm of their own at Beaver Center.

In addition to carrying on his farming operations Mr. Dirks maintained a general store at the inland town of Lear. This store and the creamery nearby was the business, the political and the social center of the community. The store was kept in operation until the town of Stout was established, when its needs were supplanted by the stores in the new town.

Mr. and Mrs. Dirks left the farm in 1915 to become citizens of the town of Stout, where Mr. Dirks opened a hardware store which in later years was taken over by his son.

Mr. Dirks served as assessor of the town of Stout for many years. He was one of the charter members of the church at Stout and was one of the elders during the past ten years. He was also a director in the bank at Stout. During the many years that he resided in this county he gained a wide acquaintance and the many who learned to know him were his friends. His neighbors respected and trusted him and they rated him as one of the most trustworthy and dependable men of his community.

Funeral services were held at the church at Stout Monday afternoon and the large and new church building which he helped to erect did not have sufficient seating capacity for the bereaved friends and neighbors who came to attend the final rites. The services were conducted by the local pastor, Rev. Heyenga. Burial was in the Stout cemetery.

Mr. Dirks' death occurred 37 years after the death of his father, almost to the day. The father, C. E. Dirks, died on May 19; the son, May 20.

Surviving relatives are the widow, one son, Ben, and three daughters, Mrs. Owen Rich, Mrs. Joe Schuck and Mrs. Isaac Nieman; Mrs. D. J. Dieken, Grundy Center, is a sister. The three surviving brothers are Otto and E. H. from Grundy Center and Henry from Holland.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 26 May 1932, pg 1