Hotchkiss, Robert Wendell 1911-1941

HOTCHKISS

Posted By: Barbara Hug (email)
Date: 8/1/2003 at 00:02:22

Hotchkiss, 30-Year-Old Chemist Dies

Death Takes Son of Mr., Mrs. C.E. Hotchkiss; Funeral Friday

Robert Wendell Hotchkiss, 30-year-old Newton man who had started a promising career as a chemical engineer, died early Tuesday night at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Hotchkiss, following an illness of more than a year's duration.

The young engineer held the position as a research chemist for the Meredith Publishing company of Des Moines when he was forced to leave his work in September of 1940 because of a malignant illness.

Funeral Friday

His condition had been critical for the last four months. He died at 6:00 p.m.

Funeral services will be held Friday afternoon at 2 o'clock in the Murdoch Funeral home with burial in Newton Union cemetery.

Born in Newton Oct 16, 1911, the only child in the family, he attended local schools and was graduated from high school here with the class of 1929.

Following his graduation he accepted a position as chemist in the laboratory of the Maytag company here and worked for two years before enrolling at Iowa State college, Ames. He later returned to Newton and his position with the Maytag company, and in all was employed by the local firm for five years before his graduation as a chemical engineer from Iowa State college.

He had been connected with the Des Moines publishing company for but a few months before illness forced him to leave his work.

Prominent on the Iowa State college campus, Mr. Hotchkiss was a member of Phi Kappa Psi, social fraternity, and was elected president of his fraternity in the 1938 school year.

He was also affiliated with the Iowa State Chemical society, and the A.I. Chemical Engineers, was a member of the Inter-Fraternity council and Iowa State Players, a dramatic society. He was a former member of the Newton Junior Chamber of Commerce.

Former Guardman

He was keenly interested in military training and was a former member of company A. 136th Medical Regiment of National Guards. Ill health prevented him from completing a Reserve Officers Training Corps course at Iowa State college.

Widely scattered fraternity brothers, some of them in Washington, D.C. are making plans to attend the funeral.

His parents are the only immediate surviving relatives. His father operates the Larchwood Gardens greenhouse and the Hotchkiss home is in Larchwood Court, in the Elm Park residential district. ~ The Newton Daily News, October 17, 1941

Newton Union Cemetery
 

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