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HARDICOPF, Fritz -1912

HARDICOPF

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 9/21/2015 at 09:16:22

Dies Before He Gets Old Country Estate

Widely Advertised Fritz Hardicopf Victim of Creeping Paralysis

Fritz Hardicopf, the man whose name appeared in nearly every daily paper in the country a few years ago and whose photograph and career filled a page in the Sunday edition of a St. Louis paper died at the county poor farm last Thursday as the result of creeping paralysis. He was buried in the cemetery here Friday. There were no relatives to follow his remains to their last resting place.

Fritz Hardicopf was between 55 and 56 years old. He was born in Germany and came to this country some fifteen or sixteen years ago. He lived at Reinbeck for several years and was from there sent to the county poor farm. Fritz claimed to have an estate worth from $8000 to $10,000 coming to him from the old country. It was a provision of the will which gave him this supposed estate that he could not come into the property until he was married. Friends of the old man took his case in hand. They advertised it and as a result of this advertising offers of marriage came by the wholesale. Fritz accepted one of these offers while he was in a hospital in Iowa City. The bride was a widow of mature years who had been making her home on a claim in South Dakota. Fritz accepted her suit and the two were married in Iowa City. The groom was in bed when the ceremony was performed. The widow helped to take care of Fritz for about six months. The fortune that he expected didn't come across and the wife got sorry of her bargain and she returned her husband to this county and placed him in his former berth out at the county farm. He remained there until his death. The widow left the county at once and she has not been heard from since. The total of Fritz's estate amounted to $1.50 which he had in small change in his pocket book.

--The Grundy Democrat (Grundy Center, Iowa), 15 February 1912, pg 1


 

Grundy Obituaries maintained by Tammy D. Mount.
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