Louis Gardner 1876-1947

GARDNER, HAVLIK, THOENI, COTTON, ROWE, SQUIRES, ANDERSON

Posted By: Sharon Elijah (email)
Date: 8/6/2021 at 08:30:34

30 January 1947 - The Anamosa Journal

OXFORD JUNCTION - Lou Gardner, 70, Des Moines, died Thursday at 7 a.m. at Oxford Junction in the home of his wife's mother, Mrs. Joe Havlik.

Body was at Hayden Funeral home at Oxford Junction, but no funeral arrangements had been made as The Journal went to press.

Mr. Gardner has been state publicity director the Republican State Central committee for a number of years. He was publisher of the Anamosa Eureka with the late George Bye until Mr. Gardner sold his interest in 1925 to Clifford L. Niles.

Mr. Gardner had been in ill health for several months. He was a patient at Mercy hospital at Anamosa from Nov. 9 for several weeks as a result of a stroke, and re-entered the Anamosa hospital again Jan.7 when he collapsed at the bus depot.

2 February 1947 - The Anamosa Journal

Funeral service was held for Louis Charles Gardner, 70, Saturday, Feb. 1, at the Smykil Home for Funerals, Anamosa. Rev. Edgar E. Walker, jr., officiated.

Gardner, publicity director for the Republican state central committee, died in Oxford Junction, Thursday, Jan. 30, at 7 a.m. following his return home from Mercy hospital, Anamosa.

He was born in Monticello, June 10, 1876, the youngest son of David and Mary Wales Gardner, from Pennsylvania and Vermont.

His father died when Lou was in the eighth grade and at the age of 12 was forced to go to work. His first job was sawing a cord of wood and carrying it to the second story printing shop in Monticello for J. W. Doxsee.

At the age of 17, Gardner entered the employ of the Monticello Express and continued as a member of its staff for 13 years.

While employed by the Express, Gardner married Blanche M. Thoeni, June 24, 1900. He quit the Express in 1905 and entered show business for three years. Mrs. Gardner died in 1906.

In 1908, he was elected auditor of Jones county and served in this office for two terms. During the first year of his second term, Gardner became a partner of George Bye, as co-owners of the Anamosa Eureka on Jan. 1, 1911.

Oct. 8, 1913, Mr. Gardner married Miss Sadie Cotton. To this wedding, three children were born, Robert L. and Charles E. Gardner, both of Chicago. Couple was divorced in October, 1945.

In October 1925, Lou sold his half of the Eureka to Clifford L. Niles and left Anamosa to become executive vice-president of the Second Citizens State bank, Chicago. After his retirement from the bank, he was employed for a time by a Chicago publishing house before he went to Des Moines to succeed H. A. (Tex) Grantham as Republican State Central committee publicity director, in 1941.

Celia Havilk, Oxford Junction, became his wife in 1932, and they made their home in Des Moines. Gardner was stricken by a heart attack in Hotel Franklin, Des Moines, last Nov. 11, a week after election.

He was brought to Mercy hospital, Anamosa, which he did so much, in 1910 as chairman of the committee for X-ray and new east wing addition. He was released two weeks ago and went to the home of Mrs. Joe Havlik, his wife's mother, in Oxford Junction. Mrs. Gardner resigned her position as senate enrolling clerk in Des Moines, to be with Mr. Gardner during his illness.

Besides Mrs. Gardner, he is survived by two sons and one daughter, Robert L. and Charles E. Gardner, Chicago, and Mrs. V. K. Rowe, Midland, Mich.; a brother, David, Oakland, Calif., and two sisters, Mrs. Catherine Squires, Chevy Chase, Md., and Mrs. Mary Anderson, New York City.