Textrum, John Frederick (1875-1950)

TEXTRUM, MCFARLAND, SOGARD, LUNDQUIST, NELSON

Posted By: Debbie Greenfield (email)
Date: 12/12/2020 at 10:52:00

Stratford Courier
December 21, 1950

Former Stanhope Farmer Passed Away at Ames

John Textrum of Ames, a former resident near Stanhope, and well and favorably known in this vicinity, passed away at Ames Dec. 6, after a long illness. He was past 75 years of age. He leaves to mourn his passing, three sons: Loren of Chicago, Ill., Myron of Ames, and Vernon of Ankeny. His wife preceded him in death in March, 1949.

Funeral services were held Sunday, Dec. 10, at Ames and interment was made in the South Marion cemetery southeast of Stratford.

Mr. Textrum lived for many years on his farm 4 1/2 miles southwest of Stanhope.

Stratford Courier
December 28, 1950

Obituary
John F. Textrum

John Frederick Textrum passed away at home on the evening of December 6, 1950, at the age of 75 years, 4 months and 4 days. He had been in poor health for a number of years. The last two years he was confined to his bed and required constant attention. He moved with his family to his home at 714 Douglas Ave., Ames, Iowa, March 1916, when he retired from active farming near Stanhope, Iowa.

John Textrum was the youngest of four children born to Hans and Elisa Textrum, who emigrated from Sweden prior to 1870. His parents raised their family of four children on a small farm in the northern edge of Boone county. As the family grew and they were able to help with the work on the farm, they sold this small farm and purchased a larger place on the southern edge of Hamilton county, which later became the home for the John Textrum family.

His only brother, Erick, died when but a young man in his twenties, one sister, Anna, married to Ed McFarland, died a comparatively young woman and the other sister, Marie, wife of J.E. Sogard of Ames, preceded him in death.

John Textrum was united in marriage to Selma Lundquist at Stratford, Iowa, on February 12, 1901, and to this union was born four boys: Myron of Ames, Vernon of Ankeny, Lorren of Park Ridge, Ill., and Herman, deceased. Herman, the youngest of the four boys was 9 years old when he was accidentally killed. This was a great shock to John and Selma Textrum and neither fully recovered from the tragic event which struck the family shortly after moving to Ames. John and Selma decided early in their married life that they want their sons to attend college, so they made plans accordingly and retired from farming about the time the boys were ready to attend high school. His wife preceded him in death, March 1949.

Shortly after moving to Ames they affiliated with the Bethesda Lutheran church. The family grew with the church and the sons were confirmed there. John and his wife devoted much of their time and gave of their talents in the building of Bethesda church. He worked with his co-workers on the many problems a small congregation experiences and performed many hours of physical labor in the erection of the church; was a member of the many church boards and served on its many special committees. His only interest outside of his family was his church and in later years he derived a great deal of satisfaction and comfort in being able to look back on the years when he was able to take an active part there.

Funeral services were held in the Adams funeral home, Ames, Iowa, on December 10. Interment was in the South Marion cemetery at Stratford. Pallbearers were nephews: Conrad and Eldred Lundquist and Clifford Nelson of Stanhope, Warren and Walter Sogard of Colton, S.D. Besides three sons there are seven grandchildren surviving.