WERNER, Fred Wm. (1842-1930)

WERNER

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 9/3/2020 at 23:12:42

Frederick William Werner
(January 27, 1842 – November 9, 1930)

Ida County Pioneer Record, Ida Grove, Iowa, Thurs., Nov. 13, 1930, p.1
Next To Last Survivor of the Civil War Dies
Military Funeral Accorded Veteran at Holstein Turner Hall Tuesday
W. F. Werner Was 88. Had Resided at Holstein Last Sixteen Years of Life – Born in Germany
Holstein, Iowa, Nov. 12, 1930 – Frederick William Werner, the last but one of the Civil War survivors residing in Holstein, died November 9, being in his 89th year. Since his death there is only one veteran left, Abe Fulton.
He was born in Husem, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, January 27, 1842. There he remained until he came to America in 1865, when the conflict between the North and South was at its climax. He entered the army, fighting on the side of the Union. Mr. Werner was married November 2, 1868, to Miss Anna Christine Moeller at Davenport. Of the eleven children born to them, three preceded their father in death. Those remaining are Mrs. Mary Weinert, where Father Werner made his home during the last 16 years of his life and where he received the most tender care; Mrs. Sophia Pewe of McHenry, N. D.; Christian of Holstein; Hans of McHenry, N. D.; Peter of Holstein; Edward of Ida Grove; Anthon of McHenry, N. D.; and Mrs. Alma Schmidt of Holstein. The latter is at present confined to a hospital and was thus unable to attend her father’s funeral. Mr. Werner was highly respected among his neighbors and friends. He never missed attending the Memorial services or Decoration Day. Well do his friends remember his presence at the last Memorial service. Though burdened with the weight of infirmity of his years, nevertheless, he was as sprightly and vigorous in spirit as ever and the same fire of patriotism that prompted him to enlist many years ago still flashed from his eyes.
He died Sunday morning, November 9, 1930 at the ripe age of 88 years, 9 months and 13 days. A military funeral was accorded this respected veteran. Services were conducted Tuesday by Rev. Gauger at the Wienert home and later at Turner hall in charge of the American Legion, who took part both at the hall and at the grave, where a salute was fired and taps sounded for their aged comrade. A place of special honor was accorded the only surviving comrade of the deceased, Abe Fulton, who feels the loss most keenly. The following story of Mr. Werner’s life was written by his grandson, Raymond Werner, while a student in the Holstein High School under the title: “My Grandfather’s Story,” will be of interest at this time:
“In 1865 I crossed the Atlantic ocean to America. When I arrived here I entered the Civil War. I enlisted at Albany in the 75th Infantry and was sent down to Georgia. After the war I had heard so much about Iowa that I made up my mind to go there. I arrived in Davenport in the fall of 1865. Here I raised onions and potatoes for a year. Then I hauled corn for two years, and after that broke prairie for three more years. I was married in Davenport in 1868. I moved on a farm near Walcott, Iowa and lived there a few years. Leaving there, I moved to New Liberty. I lived there until 1881, the I decided to go west and get a home of my own. I left New Liberty in the spring of 1881, moving my furniture on a wagon to Wheatland to board the train. My family left ahead of me and arrived in Crawford County to stay with relations until I arrived with the household goods. When I was loading my stock and furniture they made me unload again. They told me there was a big snowstorm out west. We left later, but got only twenty-eight miles when we had to get out and shovel the snow off the track. There were enough little towns along the line but they did not have food for the stock so we either had to shovel or back up. At the end of four weeks we arrived at Ida Grove. From here I had to haul the stock and household goods on a wagon to the farm. I bought one mile north and a mile and a half east of where Holstein is now located. Just when I arrived there was a big snow storm. I did not have a very good place for my cattle, just had an old straw shed. The snow storm was such a big one that you could not see any strawstack. We had to shovel down through the roof of the strawshed and put planks down slanting so we could drive the cattle down there for this was the only place I had for them. Our neighbor, H. Thielmann, the man I bought the farm from, had a saloon and dance hall on his farm. This is where we spent the long, winter evenings, and here we would stop when we came back from Ida Grove (the closes town) and warm up.
In 1882 the railroad was laid through where Holstein now stands. A depot was put up, a post office and store and this is the way it started to grow. This saved us a lot of trouble, because we did not have to go to Ida Grove to get our groceries. This also made the price of land go up and I was glad I had bought when I did. I paid $17 an acre. In 1906 I retired from farming and moved to town, renting my land to one of my sons. Later I sold it when the prices were high; I sold it for $240 per acre. In 1914 my wife died and so I sold my house and furniture and am now staying with my daughter.