William R. Prewitt 1868 -1944

PREWITT RINGLER

Posted By: Connie Swearingen-Volunteer (email)
Date: 6/26/2014 at 00:19:40

Onawa Democrat
24 February 1944

A Former Onawa Sentinel Publisher, Succumbs to Heart Attack

The following was taken from the Winnebago-Hancock Summitt, Forest City, Iowa.

William R. Prewitt son of De-Wilton and Elizabeth Light-Prewitt, was born July 11, 1868, in Owen County, near Freedom, Indiana. In the fall of 1876 he came with his parents by covered wagon to a farm near Fontanelle in Adair county, Iowa., where he attended the local schools and grew to young manhood.

He had a long record of newspaper experience. In October 1885 he entered the Observer office in Fontanelle as a printer apprentice. In 1889 he took his first venture into the newspaper field for himself and established a paper at Irwin, Iowa, known as the Journal. After remaining there for a year he moved the plant to Gilmore City where he established the Globe. He remained there until the fall of 1892 when he sold the paper to H. M. Marmon, at which time he went back to Fontanelle and took charge of the Observer.

Following the sale of the Observer he went to Oklahoma where he took part in the opening of the Cherokee strip and they spent a few years in the west. He returned to Iowa in 1896 and purchased the Index at Victor, Iowa, in 1898. He sold the Index in 1903 and went to Onawa, Iowa, where he purchased the Sentinel. Following his appointment as postmaster at Onawa, which office he held for eight years, he sold the Sentinel.

In August 1915 he purchased the Summit, at Forest City and moved his family here at that time He also served as postmaster in Forest City for nearly ten years, holding over into the early part of 1930. In June of 1930 his son Lester Prewitt, who had been practicing law at Osage, came to Forest City to assist in the publication of the Summit. In November of 1939 the two Forest City newspapers were consolidated. He continued active in the newspaper field until a little more than two weeks before his death, so for more than, 58 years he watched the growth and participated in the work that has brought newspapers to the place that they now hold in People's lives.

He was married April 12, 1898 to June Ringler at Marengo, Ia. One son Lester D, was born to this union.

He died suddenly at his home in Forrest City Monday, January 31, 1944, as the result of coronary thrombosis. He had been confined to his home although not top hi bed for a little over two weeks with illness resulting from hardening of the arteries. However, he apparently was improving nicely having talked of returning to his work at the office in a few days when death came suddenly. He had reached the age of 75 years, 6 months and 20 days.

He is survived by his son, Lester, who is stationed at the naval training station at Grant Lakes in Red Cross work and who had been home since Friday morning, having been called her by the death of his wife's father, the late Lee O. Wolfe, of Algona. He is also survived by one brother, Wilson Prewitt of Excelsior Springs, Missouri; other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his wife on December 8, 1925; by three brothers, George A., in 1935, Joseph A, in1931, and Albert Wesley in 1924; and one sister Edna in childhood.

Mr. Prewitt was a 32nd degree Mason and while at Irving joined the Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias. He was also a member of the National Editorial Association. He was a charter member of he Rotary Club in Forrest City and retained active membership in the organization until about three years ago when he was made an honorary member. He was also active in the Republican party, having served as county chairman in Iowa and Monona Counties. Through the years he has also been greatly interested in various hobbies--hunting and fishing in his more active years, gardening with a special interest in roses in the more recent years. and photography.

Funeral services were held on Thursday afternoon at 1:30 at the Hanson Funeral Home and at two O'clock at the Methodist Church, conducted by Rev. C.H. Peterson. Burial will be made Friday beside his wife at the cemetery at Marengo, Iowa.