DITCH, Daniel A. 1885-1952

DITCH, KNOUSE

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 2/24/2019 at 17:38:16

Dan A. Ditch, Hotel Manager, Died Saturday

Operated Dry Goods Store In Grundy Center Before He Entered Hotel Business

Daniel A. Ditch, who for the past twelve years operated the Columbia Hotel in Grundy Center, died at 12:30 Saturday morning in his hotel apartment. He had been an asthma sufferer for several years and that with a heart affliction was the cause of his death. His condition was critical for only a few hours before the end came. He was 67 years old on the 15th of last March.

Mr. Ditch was born on a farm near West Bend, Iowa. He was a son of Mr. and Mrs. William Ditch. The early part of his life was spent on the farm, and later he attended high school at West Bend and graduated there. After finishing school he took a job as clerk in a store at West Bend. From West Bend he went to Williams, Iowa, where he worked in a store. Later he acquired an interest in one of the Shipley Dry Goods stores at Dows, Iowa, where he remained until 1921 when he came to Grundy Center to become part-owner and manager of a Shipley Dry Goods Store at Grundy Center. The Shipley organization was dissolved in 1930 and their stores were liquidated. Mr. Ditch continued the dry goods business in Grundy Center a number of years after the Shipley organization was dissolved, but the depression made it impossible to carry on at a profit.

He was engaged as assistant manager of the Columbia Hotel for two years that the hotel was owned by H. K. Wilson. After the hotel was sold to J. Vanderwicken twelve years ago, Mr. Ditch leased the building and continued the hotel's operations. Only two weeks ago the hotel was purchased by Mr. Ditch's son William, who leased it to his parents.

Mr. Ditch was a member of the Grundy Center school board for two terms and later was the board's secretary for several years. He was a member of the Grundy Center Masonic lodge was a Knights Templar and was one of the early members of the Grundy Center Rotary club. He was a member of the Grundy Center Community club since its organization and served one year as president.

Dan Ditch and Maude Knouse were married June 1, 1920. A year after their marriage they came to Grundy Center and their home has been here ever since. They have two sons, Robert W., Whittier, Calif., and William I., Corpus Christi, Texas. There are two grandsons. There are two surviving brothers, Lee, Brewster, Minn., and Calvin, Mallard, Iowa. Another brother died two years ago. His mother also died two years ago at the age of 96. The father died many years ago.

Funeral services were held at two o'clock Tuesday afternoon at the Coffman funeral home. Services were conducted by Rev. Gerben Van Putten, pastor of the First Presbyterian church. Burial was in the Grundy Center cemetery.

Relatives from a distance who were here for the funeral service were Mrs. Lucy Davis and Mr. and Mrs. Robert Davis, Iowa City; Mrs. Levina Benshoof, Mrs. Maud Roarman and Mrs. Harold Benshoof, Blue Earth, Minn.; Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Ditch and son Richard and wife, and Mrs. Ernest Zank, Mallard, Iowa.

Business Houses Closed During Funeral Services
Business houses in Grundy Center were closed during the funeral services.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 3 July 1952, pg 1, 8