Ver Heul, John Henry – 1841-1898

VER HEUL

Posted By: Diana Wagner
Date: 7/13/2021 at 21:35:34

Suicide of John Ver Heul
Word was brought to Newton on last Friday morning that the dead body of John Ver Heul had been found and Coroner Reynolds was notified. A jury was impaneled consisting of Robt. Banks, Robert Brunner and S.M. Robinson and they proceeded to search for means and reasons. The body was found in Md. Prairie township, just north of his son’s home, John Ver Heul, Jr., on the west side of the road, lying against an embankment. A search of the body revealed nothing relating to the cause of his death but a half opened bottle about half full, containing crystals covered with water. The contents of this bottle are a matter of conjuncture and, as yet, are not definitely known.
A letter was found in the front of the door which read that he intended ending his own life and signed by the deceased.
The story as brought out is, that since the death of his wife, about four years ago, he has been very despondent and cast down.
He has roved from one place to another, working here and there, has, had trouble with some of his children and that suicide has been threatened by him for some time. By the looks of the bottle and cork, the poison had been carried a long time. The verdict of the jury was that death was caused by some poison, unknown to the jury and administered by his own hand.
John Ver Heul was born in Holland, Dec. 2, 1841, and has lived in Iowa for about 22 years. He was buried in the Monroe cemetery, on Saturday.
Source: The Newton Journal; Wednesday, November 9, 1898.
(Information from Donna Sloan Rempp: John’s father was Kryn Arie Ver Heul b. 1792. John’s wife was Sarah Lucinda Clark b. June 2, 1851 in Henderson Co., IL and they were married July 14, 1866 in Marion Co., Ia. Their children were Frank (b. Aug. 18, 1868 in Mahaska Co., IA); Mary (b. 1869 in IA, she is buried in Monroe Cemetery as Mary Ver Heul Terpstra Klootwyk; John Andrew (b. 1871 in IA); James Henry (b. July 24, 1875); Louisa (b. Sept. 26, 1877 in Pella, Marion Co., IA); Charles (b. Sept. 27, 1879 near Pella, Marion Co., IA); Arie (b. Feb. 1, 1882 in Pella, Marion Co., IA); Katie (b. 1885 in IA); Jennie (b. 1887 in IA). After the death of their mother, Katie and Jennie lived with George and Sarah Hill in Monroe, IA in the 1895 Iowa Census.