KATZ, Ben 1845-1914

KATZ, HAINSFURTHER

Posted By: Marilyn O'Connor (email)
Date: 1/30/2006 at 09:23:24

Osage News:

BEN KATZ DIED AT HOME THURSDAY

Born in Germany Dec. 6, 1845 and
Came to America at Early Age
Spent Some Time in South

In Business Here Many Years
Was Man of Broad Education
Could Speak Five Languages.

Ben Katz, a resident of Osage for many years and one of the pioneer business men of the town, died on Thursday Sept. 24, 1914, at his home after a long period of ill health. In his death Osage loses one of its most substantial
citizens.

He was born Dec. 6, 1845, in the village of Laubach, grand duchy of Hesse, Germany, the eldest of a family of three children. As a lad he attended the village school, later taking a course in the gymansium at Frankfort-on-the-Main. In this same city, at the age of thirteen, he was apprenticed for a term of four years to a large dry goods firm.

In his eighteenth year, having received his honorable discharge from military duty, he came to America. He spent a couple of years in New York and then went south, engaging in the dry goods business successively in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Columbus, Miss. While in the south he received word that his father was seriously ill in the old country and he at once began making plans to return to his home for a visit. In 1875 just as he was about to leave for Germany, notification of his father’s death came to him. However, being prepared to go, he continued his journey.

Saddened by his father’s death, his mother urged him to locate permanently in the land of his birth, but after a year spent there he decided to return to America, and did so bringing his mother with him.

In the meantime his brother, Sam, had come to this country and in Osage established a small clothing store on the site of the present postoffice. Ben joined him in the business and the two conducted it for several years, later moving to the store in which Lamberson’s drug store is now located. Their business grew steadily and a dry goods stock was finally added. At the end of fifteen years the firm was dissolved and the business closed out. Ben Katz formed a partnership with Guy Kennedy to conduct a cold storage and produce business. After three years Mr. Katz assumed entire charge of the concern, which he managed with encouraging success until 1895. In that year he disposed of the produce business to John B. Agen retaining only the poultry department. In 1897 the entire building including both departments was destroyed by fire.

The financial loss was a heavy one and Mr. Katz never completely recovered from the blow. While he was interested in the produce plant he had experimented in a small way with a dovery, and he now turned his entire attention to the development of this industry. The remainder of his years were spent in this business in which for several years his son Max has been associated with him.

Mr. Katz was married Dec. 31, 1879, to Miss Jeanetta Hainsfuther, of Winchester, Ill. To them were born three children, Max, Bernice and Helen, all of whom, with their mother, are still living.

Mr. Katz was one of the best informed men in the community. All of his life he was a student and in his library were found the best of the world’s literature. He had traveled widely and his knowledge of world politics and history was very extensive. In his youth he had studied Spanish and French, being a fluent speaker of the latter language, and his mother tongue of German was as familiar to him as English. His religious training had equipped him with a fair knowledge of Hebrew.

The many friends he made during his long life in Osage give testimony to the esteem in which he was held. He was a man of splendid habits, of strict integrity and honesty and of deep religious instinct. The war now in progress affected him as a personal calamity, and up to the very day of his death he prayed earnestly for peace in the Fatherland.

The funeral services were conducted Monday, Sept. 28, at 2 p.m., by Rabbi Eugene Maheim of Des Moines.

A large company of friends and all of the members of the immediate family, as well as Mrs. Katz’s sister, Mrs. Harry Schoen of Chicago, and her mother, Mrs. Moses Hainsfuther of Winchester, Ill, were present. Sam Katz of
Spokane, the brother of the desceased, did not receive the telegram in time for him to come. Friends of the family present were Mr. and Mrs. Joe Hecht and family, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Despres and Mrs. Henry Herman, all of Charles City, Maurice Despres and Mr. and Mrs. Irving Despres of Elma.