FRENZEN, Albert T. 1893-1949

FRENZEN, PSOEKANEY

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 10/25/2016 at 11:03:55

New Grundy County Sheriff Dies Suddenly

Al. T. Frenzen Suffers Heart Attack Early Sunday Morning and Dies Within a Few Minutes

Al T. Frenzen, who had served as sheriff of Grundy county but three weeks, died very suddenly at about four o'clock Sunday morning at his home in the county jail, following a heart attack.

Mr. Frenzen had never before complained of a heart affliction. He had been in his usual good health the day before and was on duty in the sheriff's office. He went to bed at the usual time Saturday night. About four o'clock in the morning he sat up in bed and awakened his wife. He said to her, "It is warm in this room." He put one hand on his chest and said, "It hurts here." He then fell backwards without saying a word. Mrs. Frenzen called Dr. Rose at once. He got there within a few minutes but the sheriff was dead. The body was taken to the Dahl funeral home at Cedar Falls. He was 55 years old.

Was New In Politics
Al Frenzen was new in politics in the county. The only elective office he ever held before becoming sheriff was that as a member of the town council at Dike. He didn't ask for the sheriff's office. After Lyle Rodd resigned as Grundy sheriff, it became the duty of the county board of supervisors to fill the vacancy. Within a short time there were ten applicants for the place. The county board at a number of meetings to get a sheriff were unable to agree. It was then that Al Frenzen was asked by Lloyd Ohrt, member of the board of supervisors from Frenzen's district, to become a candidate and he consented and was chosen at the next meeting of the county board. His term of office began on March 1st. His death followed just three weeks later.

Was In Restaurant Business
Mr. Fenzen had been a resident of Dike for about 20 years. During most of that time he was engaged in the restaurant business. After he was appointed to a county office he sold his business at Dike and he and Mrs. Frenzen moved into their new quarters in the county jail on the day that the former sheriff and his family moved out March 1st.

The new sheriff was slowly becoming familiar with the duties of his new office and he was doing well and the county official family and others who became acquainted with him during the short time liked him.

Wednesday afternoon. They were conducted by Rev. Baskerville, local pastor. Burial was in the Dike cemetery. The county courthouse was closed Wednesday afternoon out of respect for the death of one of its members and the courthouse officials were at the funeral service.

Albert Theodore Frenzen was born Sept. 9, 1893, on a farm near Morrison, son of John and Mary Frenzen. His early life was spent on farms in Grundy county. He was married Dec. 3, 1919, to Miss Mary Posekaney of Dike. They made their home on a farm near Lincoln for 9 years, then moved to Dike where they had resided the last 20 years. During this time he was in the trucking and restaurant business.

Mr. Frenzen was a member of the Dike Methodist church. He was active in community affairs, having just completed 10 years as a member of the town council, a past commander of the American Legion, served on the Dike fire department for ten years and was a member of the Commercial club and Ben Hur.

He leaves besides his wife, three daughters, Mrs. Lyman Knudsen of Dike, Mrs. Verner Sloth and Mrs. Andrew Cannegieter living south of Dike, and three grandchildren; two sisters, Mrs. Ben Henness of Chrisman, Ill., Mrs. Louis Schmidt of Reinbeck, and a brother Ernest in Reinbeck. A son, Albert Jr., his parents and one sister preceded him in death.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 24 March 1949, pg 1