Erasmus Orion Garrett (1937)
EVANS, GARRETT, MOSBY, OELBERG, REFSHAGUE
Posted By: Treva Patterson
Date: 5/21/2007 at 13:54:04
The Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Tuesday, November 2, 1937E. O. GARRETT OF CEDAR RAPIDS DIES
Erasmus O. Garrett, former Madison county resident, died at his home in Cedar Falls, Saturday evening, October 30th after a long illness with cancer. Mr. Garrett who was 69 years of age was born and raised in this county, his family residing in the stone house two and a quarter miles north of Winterset which was later known as the Koehler farm.
Mr. Garrett has been general agent for the American Book company of Chicago for forty years. He was a prominent Nebraska educator at one time and was once Democratic-populis nominee for Lieutenant governor in Nebraska. He lived in Cedar Rapids from 1915 to 1926.
While city school superintendent at Broken Bow, Nebraska, he organized a teachers' summer short course that was a forerunner of the present five normal schools in that state.
He is survived by his wife, two sons, three daughters, and two brothers. He has visited Madison county a number of times and has many cousins here.
Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Ryner are driving to Cedar Falls on Tuesday to attend his funeral services which will be held there.
________________________The Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Tuesday, November 09, 1937
Page 1, Columns 5 & 6Recent Death of E. O. Garrett Recalls His Long, Active Career
The recent death of E. O. Garrett, a native of Winterset, attracted prominent notices in Waterloo and other northeast Iowa points where he was prominent in the field of education. This article was taken from the Waterloo Courier of October, 31.
Cedar Falls – Erasmus Orion Garrett, textbook publisher’s general agent for 40 years, and prominent Nebraska educator, and conservationist, near the turn of the century, died in his home at 1322 Walnut street, at 8 p. m. Saturday. He was 69 years old.
Mr. Garrett who had continued his work as a general agent for the American Book company, Chicago, after carcinoma confined him to his home a year ago, retained his position until he became bedfast six weeks ago.
Born October 25, 1868, at Winterset, Ia., he is he was a son of William and Tabatha Evans Garrett, who settled on a Nebraska homestead in pioneer days.
After starting his career as a school teacher in Nebraska rural schools, Mr. Garrett became city superintendent of school at Broken Bow, Neb., in 1894. While there he organized and conducted the Central Nebraska Summer school, a short course for rural and city school teachers. The innovation was the forerunner of the four state normal schools later established in Nebraska.
In 1908, Gov. George L Sheldon appointed Garrett to represent Nebraska at the organizations meeting of the Missouri River Navigation congress in Sioux City, Ia.
In May of that year he was named a member of the governor’s congress and conservation of natural resources, called by President Theodore Roosevelt to meet in Washington, D.C.
His activity in school and conservation work in Nebraska that year won him support of the Democratic and Populist parties in the 1908 primaries. Carrying 87 out of 89 counties in the primaries he was nominated as candidate for lieutenant governor of Nebraska but was defeated in the general election.
In 1915 the Garretts moved to Cedar Rapids, Ia., where Mr. Garrett was active in Masonic circles. There he was a member of the Shrine and Knights Templar and was a thirty-second degree Mason. He was amember of the Baptist denomination.
In 1926 he moved to Cedar Falls, where he since had lived.
Surviving is the widow, the former Louise Mosby, whom he married June 24, 1894 in Broken Bow. Other survivors are two sons Marmion Garrett, U. S. immigration inspector, Detroit, Mich., and Erasmus O. Garrett Jr., at home; three daughters, Mrs. Richard C. Oelberg of 1021 Clay street, Sister Mary Louise (Virginia Grace Garrett) of the sisters of Mercy at Cedar Rapids and Mrs. W. S. Refshague of 714 Olive street.
Also surviving are two brothers, R. V. Garrett, Fremont, Neb., and C. F.. Garrett, El Paso, Texas; three grandchildren, Pauline Grace Garrett of Detroit, Mich., Marolyn K. Oelberg and Sharon Lee Refshague, both of Cedar Falls.
Because of his wide acquaintance with school men, they were largely represented among the casket bearers.
Active casket bearers will be Floyd Pratt, Manchester, Ia., Delaware county superintendent of schools; Joseph Flynn, Dubuque, Ia., Dubuque county superintendent of schools; James E. Patterson, Cedar Rapids attorney; R. C. Oelberg and W. S. Refshague, the sons-in-law, and Mrs. M. J. Albert, Cedar Falls, American Book company representative.
Honorary casket bearers will be Arthur Deamer, Cedar Rapids city superintendent of schools, Charles F. Martin, Maquoketa, Ia., Jackson county superintendent of schools; B. K. Orr, Waukon, Ia., city superintendent of schools; James C. Dockrill, Chicago of American Book company; A. H. Refshague and C. J. Connell, both of Cedar Falls.
Funeral service will be Tuesday morning in Dahll funeral home here hour and details to be arranged later. Burial will be in Fairview cemetery here.
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