Walter H. Vance

VANCE, KNOX, NICHOLS, WAUCHOPE, BARR

Posted By: Ida Morse (email)
Date: 2/19/2006 at 22:27:21

Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
December 10, 1947

Dies One Week after Being Seriously Burned at Home Here

Walter H. Vance, whose long career of public service in Madison county ranged from postmaster to state representative, died at the Iowa Lutheran hospital in Des Moines Sunday morning, Dec. 7, just one week after he had been severely burned in a fire at his home here. He was 90 years of age.

The elderly man received third degree burns about the body when he dropped off to sleep in his easy chair, which became ignited from the coals of the pipe he was smoking. Mrs. Vance, who is 86 years old, was severely burned about the hands and arms when she tried to rescue him. They were both taken to the Lutheran hospital in Des Moines, where Mr. Vance's death occurred a week later. Mrs. Vance was still a patient there early this week, but her condition was not as serious.

Most of Mr. Vance's long life was spent in Madison county. He was a native of Washington county, Ind., where he was born April 19, 1857, the son of William M. and Mary Knox Vance. In 1865 the family moved to Sangamon county, Ill., where they were living when Lincoln was assassinated and where they were privileged to view his funeral train enroute to Springfield, 15 miles away. That same year they moved to Oneida, Ill., where they lived until coming to Madison county in 1878.

As a young man here he engaged in farming and taught rural schools. He was married here Dec. 24, 1880, to Miss Lucy May Nichols. They were the parents of six sons and two daughters, all of whom survive.

In 1892 Mr. Vance moved his family to Winterset where he engaged in the insurance business. The next year he was named janitor of the old South ward school building, working at that until 1901 when he was elected to his first public office, that of county recorder.

He served two terms as recorder and later was deputy clerk of the district court and deputy county auditor. He was elected state representative from Madison county in 1918, serving until 1921. He served two terms as Winterset postmaster, from 1908 to 1913, and 1922 to 1934. He had been curator of the Madison county Historical society for many years.

Mr. Vance long was prominent in local Republican party circles, having served as chairman and secretary of the county central committee. He had been a member of the Masonic lodge here for 60 years, and of the Knights of Pythias for more than half a century. He was an active member of the Winterset Methodist church.

He and Mrs. Vance would have observed their sixty-seventh wedding anniversary this Dec. 24.

Surviving are his wife; the six sons, Raymond, George, and Harry Vance of Winterset, Claude Vance of Norwalk, Calif., Lynn Vance of Des Moines and Robert Vance of Sydney; and the two daughters, Mrs. J. M. Wauchope of Longview, Wash., and Mrs. Glenn Barr of Lorimor.

He also leaves 16 grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren, and one great great grandchild.

Funeral services were held from the first Methodist church in Winterset Wednesday in charge of the pastor, the Rev. G. L. Hufstader. Burial was made in the Worthington Cemetery.

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