Clay Webster Ganfield (1918)
GANFIELD, RUTH, SEE, STEWART, STUART
Posted By: Mary Welty Hart
Date: 12/30/2011 at 09:06:13
Winterset Madisonian, Winterset, Iowa
April 10, 1918, Peru, page 6CLAY WEBSTER GANFIELD
The remains of Mr. Clay Ganfield arrived Wednesday morning from Benton county. Funeral services were held from the home of Mr. and Mrs. Henry See Wednesday afternoon at 2 o'clock conducted by Rev. Wood. Burial was at Peru cemetery
________________________The East Peru Mail
East Peru, Iowa
Friday, April 5, 1918
Page 8, Column 2Henry See received a telegram Friday morning from his daughter, Mrs. Mabel Ganfield of Blairstown, Iowa, that her husband was very sick with pneumonia. Mr. See, his sons Homer and Berl, and daughter Mrs. Fred Ruth left on the afternoon train.
Mr. Ganfield died Sunday and the body was brought to Peru, Tuesday night. A short service was held from the See home Wednesday afternoon and the body laid to rest in the Peru cemetery beside the little daughter. Deceased was a noble young man only 29 years old. Obituary will be given later.
________________________The Van Horne Record
Van Horne, Iowa
Friday, April 5, 1918
Page 1, Column 3Editor Ganfield In Last Sleep
Clay W. Ganfield, formerly editor of the Van Horne Record, died at his home in Blairstown Sunday, March 31. Mr. Ganfield was taken ill March 22 with what was regarded as grip but developed into pneumonia.
Mr. Ganfield is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. N. Ganfield of Atkins, a sister, Miss Vivian who lives with her parents; a brother, Dr. Ganfield, D. D. S., of St. Paul; his wife, baby daughter Ruth, and step-son, John Stuart.
At the time of his death, Clay W. Ganfield was publishing the South Slope Press at Blairstown.
The funeral services were held from the Methodist church at Blairstown Tuesday afternoon at 2:30 o’clock, being in charge of the K. of P. lodge. A large number of members of the local lodge together with other sorrowing friends from this vicinity attended the funeral. Rev. Dole, the former pastor of Mr. Ganfield, preached the sermon and was assisted in the services by Rev. Westfall of the Blairstown church. The remains were taken to East Peru for burial in the lot beside those of his baby, who died in Van Horne three or four years ago.
Dr. Ganfield remained at his brother’s bedside continuously during his critical illness and other relatives and friends did all in their power to stay the grim reaper, death, but could not.
Although our acquaintance with Mr. Ganfield was only a few months, his simple, trusting faith in mankind, endeared him to us, and for some little time past it has seemed as thought fortune was against him. His optimism and ambition to make a success in life are things to be admired.
________________________The Van Horne Record
Van Horne, Iowa
Friday, April 12, 1918
Page 4, Column 3CLAY W. GANFIELD
R. E. Lee Aldrich of the Belle Plaine Herald has the following to say of C. W. Ganfield, who formerly published the Van Horne Record and whose death was announced in this paper last week:
“Clay Ganfield was a young man about thirty years old, the youngest except one of the editors of the county. He was an exceptionally good printer, and a man through and through. Oftentimes he overlooked things for his own good in the interests of some friend who needed help. The writer has known him intimately for several years past and knows nothing but good about him. He was a christian man, being a strong worker in the Methodist church.”
C. W. Ganfield owned and published The Record for two years, he having purchased the plant from Frank Kregei, who now edits the Solon Economy. Mr. Ganfield sold The Record in April, 1916, to Hubert F. Mottet of Iowa City.
During Editor Ganfield’s residence here, he was assisted for a time in the newspaper office by his brother, Gordon, who is now with the “Rainbow” division somewhere in France.
Mr. Ganfield purchased the plant of The South Slope Press, purchased a Model 15 linotype and later founded the Atkins Tribune which he published in connection with The South Slope Press, first at Blairstown, then at Atkins, then back to Blairstown. Owing to the severe cold weather and lack of heating facilities, the Ganfield publications were suspended for a number of weeks during the winter and The Tribune was sacrificed.
Mr. Ganfield leased The Record from Mr. Mottet, taking possession the first of August last year at which time we entered his employ, continuing for three months, during which time The Atkins Tribune, South Slope Press and Van Horne Record were printed in this office, his linotype machine being located in Blairstown.
Since the death of C. W. Ganfield, his wife is continuing the publication of The Press, being assisted by the Belle Plaine Herald. The future plans of Mrs. Ganfield in regard to the publication are not known to us.
The first of last November, Mr. Ganfield surrendered his lease of The Record and since that time we have been responsible for its publication.
In the death of Mr. Ganfield, we feel the loss of a friend whose self-sacrificing spirit often prompted him to carry more than his full share of the burdens of life. We sympathize deeply with the relatives in their bereavement.
________________________The East Peru Mail
East Peru, Iowa
Friday, April 12, 1918
Page 1, Column 1Obituary of C. W. Ganfield
Clay W. Ganfield was a young man, about thirty years of old, the youngest except one of the editors of the county. He was an exceptionally good printer, and a man through and through and though. Oftentimes he overlooked things for his own good in the interests of some friend who needed help. The writer has known him intimately for several years past and knows nothing but good about him. He was a christian, being a strong worker in the Methodist church.
Funeral services were held in the Methodist church here last Tuesday afternoon at 2:30 and the remains were taken to the depot and shipped to Peru, Iowa, where interment was made. His father, mother, and sister, of Atkins, were with him most of the time during his sickness. His brother, Dr. Garfield of St. Paul, was present for the funeral. The other brother, Gordon is with the rainbow division in France – R. E. Lee Aldrich.
Mrs. Ganfield’s father, Henry See, her two brothers, Homer and Berl See, and sister, Mrs. Fred Ruth, went to Blairstown by the first train after receiving word of his illness, and were with him to the end.
The obituary follows:
Clay Webster Ganfield was born at Iowa Falls, Iowa, May 26th 1888. He moved to Gretinger , where he began learning the “Printer’s Trade” when he was but 14 years of age; and this his chosen profession he continued thru life.
He was united in marriage to Mabell Stewart of Panora, July 2d, 1910, to this union were born two children, Nina Florence, who passed away in infancy, and little Ruth Mabel, who together with the bereaved widow, one “step son,” John his father, mother, two brothers, Dr. Ganfield of St. Paul, Minn., Gordon, with the “Rainbow” division, somewhere in France, Vivian at home with the parents at Atkins, and a large circle of friends survive to survive to mourn that which may seem his unsimely death.
Soon after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Garfield commenced housekeeping at Glidden, Iowa, and after some moves which were necessitated because of his avocation in life, the came to Van Horne, where they continued to reside till finally coming to Blairstown, where he remained till God called from his labors on earth, to his reward in Heaven.
When a lad of only nine years he united with the Methodist Episcopal Church, and remained a faithful and devoted member to the same often advising those about him to “never loose faith.” In his departure the church has lost a faithful and devoted member. The Knights of Pythias Lodge will miss a loyal brother:
A devoted husband, a kind loving father, gentle in spirit, always ready to sacrifice, and even deny himself the comforts of life in order that those who were near and dear to him might enjoy in a larger measure the luxuries thereof in his home. He will be missed the most of all.
On Friday, March 22d, Mr. Ganfield was stricken; critical as his condition from the first, the early crisis seemed to pass and he was thought to be on the way to recovery; but the flesh was week, the strain thru which he had passed during the winter had left its mark, complication arose, relapse followed, and all that medical skill, the ministrations to his needs by gentle sympathic hands, the kind words of cheer and encouragement from loving hearts, all that earthly power could do was done to stay the hand of death, but such was not to be, and quietly in the closing hour of that beautiful “Easter Day,” March 31, 1918, he closed his eyes in Heavenly sleep at the age of 29 years, 10 months and 5 days.
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________________________Coordinator's note: The East Peru Mail version of this obituary is filled with typos and misspellings too numerous to address individually. The documents are transcribed as published.
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