John Protextor (1867-1934)

PROTEXTOR, EHRKE, GETTING, DINGEL, FETTES, TALMAGE, JOHNSON, JULIAN, JENSEN, GUNDERSON, AMUMDSON, BROWN, LAGER, BOWMAN, WEINKEL, SCHARFF, NEITZKE, TALMADGE

Posted By: jane austin (email)
Date: 3/13/2017 at 17:52:33

John Protextor Dies Suddenly Friday PM
Funeral Services Held From Presbyterian Church at 2:30 Monday Afternoon

This community was grieved at the sudden, death of one of their most prominent citizens, John Protextor, pioneer O'Brien county settler who died at his home in Sanborn at 4:30 Friday afternoon from cerebral hemorrhage.

John Adam Protextor was born Feb. 19, 1867, at Davis, Illinois, and died Jan. 12, 1934 at his home in Sanborn at the age of 66 years, 10 months and 24 days.

He was the sixth child of a family of 12 children of the late J. G. and Charlotte (Ehrke) Protextor. In the year 1881 when he was fifteen years of age, he moved with his parents from Grundy county to O'Brien, locating in Sheldon. He received his education in a rural school in Grundy county and in the high school in Sheldon.

On January 2, 1888, he was united in marriage to Anna Wilhemina Getting at Little Rock, Iowa. Here they made their home until the fall of 1890, moving then to their farm north of Sanborn in Franklin township where they resided for 26 years. In the spring of 1916 Mr. and Mrs. Protextor retired from farm life, moving into the town of Sanborn, living there until the time of his demise.

Mr. Protextor leaves to mourn his sudden passing: his widow, Anna Protextor; one daughter (Clara Belle) Mrs. Henry Dingel; two sons: Earl Oscar, and Emmett Leo,; all of Sanborn; 11 grandchildren, (Helen Dingel) Mrs. Gregory Fettes of Sibley, (Vivian Dingel) Mrs. Ray Talmage of Hawarden, Engrete, Clara Kenneth, Henry, and Donald Dingel. Marjorie, Jack Evelyn, and Doris Maye Protextor, all of Sanborn; one great granddaughter, Susan Clara Fettes, small daughter of Mr. and Mrs Gregory Fettes of Sibley; two sisters, Mrs. Al Johnson of Spirit Lake, and Mrs. Ellen Julian of Rock Rapids; and two brothers, Henry Protextor of Mantorville, Minn., and Walter Protextor of Little Rock,

The deceased was precceded in death by his parents who were also O'Brien county pioneer settlers, coming from Grundy county to O'Brien county in the year 1881, locating in Sheldon. The father purchased 120 acres of prairie land in Franklin township which he later sold to good advantage. He worked for the Springfield Land company when living in Sheldon and operated a hotel there for 12 years, later retiring and moving to Sibley. Six brothers, Dan, William, George, Frank, Charles, and Christian, and one sister, Louisa, have also preceded him in death.

Mr. Protextor was a firm believer in educational advantages, hence his three children, after finishing tho rural grade schools attended the Sanborn high school, of which all three are graduates and hold prominent parts in the community in which they and their families live. After Mr. and Mrs. Protextor retired from the farm their two sons took up the duties of operating the 360 acres of land owned by their father where they and their families still reside.

Mr. Protextor was one of Franklin township's most prosperous farmers and was an extensive raiser of live stock. He also served as manager of the Farmers' Elevator here for two years of which he is a stock holder and has also been interested in various other business enterprises here.

Mr. Protextor was elected city assessor at the last election and was preparing to start out on his second year's duties, having but last week attended a meeting for assessors held at the court house in Primghar for instructions.

Sanborn citizens will miss one of the most efficient assessors they ever had in the death of Mr. Protextor who knew the value of property from years of experience. In his 53 years of residency here he has acquired a wide acquaintance and will be greatly missed by a host of friends throughout the country, having always taken an active part in public affairs for the betterment of the community.

He is mourned by his relatives and immediate family to whom he was most kind and de­voted.

Funeral services were held from the Presbyterian church here at 2:30 on Monday afternoon with the pastor, Rev. A. C. Grafton, officiating. He was assisted in the services by a quartette composed of Mesdames R. H. Leonard and Ellis Miller, and Messers Earl Brahan and Ellis Miller, who sang "In the Garden." The floral offerings were many and beautiful, attesting the high esteem the deceased was held by his many friends in the community of which he had been a part for the past half century and who filled the church auditorium to over flowing to pay their last respect to their departed friend and neighbor. Messers C. A. Hakeman, G. W. Harges, G. S. Melvin, C. C. Dean, Mike Johnson and John Blahauvietz acted as pall bearers and bore the body to its last resting place in Roseland cemetery.

Out of town relatives attending the funeral were Henry Protextor Mantorville, Minn., Walter Protextor. and son, Rodney, Little Rock, Mr. and Mrs. Al Johnson, Spirit Lake Mrs. Tracey Jensen, Dunkerton Oliver Stemstad, Mrs. Rika Protextor, Mrs. Lottie Gunderson, Mrs. Olaf Amundson, and Mrs. Boyd Brown, all of Slayton, Minn., Mr. Fred Getting, and Mr. and Mrs. Roy Getting of Bingham Lake, Minn. Mrs. A. J. Lager and daughter, Mountain Lake, Minn., Mr. and Mrs H. C. Bowman and family, Chester, S. D., Low Getting, Matlock, Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Getting and family, Lake Preston, S. D., Mr. and Mrs Albert Weinkel, Ashton, Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Fettes and daughter, Sibley, and numerous out of town friends and former neighbors.

On Sunday relatives in the Protextor home from out of town were Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Julian, Flandreau, S D., Mrs. Lee Scharff, Rock Rapids, Mrs. Ellen Julian, Rock, Rapids, Mr. and Hrs. Carl Neitzke, Sioux City, Mr. and Mrs. Ray Talmadge, Hawarden. Miss Caroline Getting, Sioux Center.

A Tribute to Our Dad

Here's to our Dad
That prince of a guy
Who always stopped in
When just going by.

If we needed a helping hand
he'd stay
To plow the corn
Or to rake the hay.

Never too tired
To do his bit
Never complaining,
Full of grit.

But alas, he has gone from our midst
And we shall miss him more and more
As the days, months, and the years go by,
And we do our tasks o'er and o'er.

We know not why these things must be.
We only know that these things are.
But memories of him will always be
Our bright and guilding star.

Sanborn (Iowa) Pioneer, Jan 18, 1934