Joost Hoeksel Jr "Joe" (1905-1923)

HOEKSEL, ROOS

Posted By: jane austin (email)
Date: 6/12/2021 at 21:05:24

Joe Hoeksel, Jr., passed away at his home at 11:15 o'clock Friday evening after an illness lasting about two months. Joe, as he was familiarly known to nearly everyone in Hartley, was oldest child in the family and has ever been a comfort and never a trial to his parents. He has attended the Hartley school since he came here with his parents about eight years ago, until within the past year when he was a trusted employee in the Palmquist garage.

Joe, with the other members of his family, found his place early in the Sunday School and church life of Hartley and only in the immediate past has his face been missed among the young people gathered there. The last days of his life, when questioned as to his wants, he asked on the prayers of his people and friends.

Joost J. Hoeksel, the eldest of the six children born to Joe and Emma Hoeksel, was born in Amsterdam, Holland December 23, 1905, and after several weeks of suffering, fell a victim of milliary tuberculosis and passed away at the home of his parents in Hartley, Iowa, June 8, 1923, at the age of seventeen years, five months and sixteen days.

The family came to the United States in May 1907 and settled at Orange City, Iowa, where they resided for five years, when they moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan for one year, after which they returned to Orange City where they made their home until eight years ago when they moved to Hartley, Iowa which has since been their home.

Joe had completed the grades in the public school and had done some work in the high school, but found in necessary to leave school and accept a position in a garage. He was a hard working boy and well respected by those who knew him.

In June, 1919, he united with the Methodist Episcopal Church of which he had since been a member. He was also a member of the Modern Woodmen of America.

He is survived by his sorrowing parents, two brothers, William and Albert Hoeksel, three sisters, Tena, Mary, and Louise Hoeksel, and his grandmother, Mrs. Tena Roos of Orange City, Iowa.

His funeral was held at the M.E. church Monday afternoon and was in charge of the local M.W.A. It was one of the largest gatherings of the kind ever held in Hartley, and certain showed to the sorrowing family the sympathy of the community. Rev. A.J. Barkley spoke comforting words using the text, "The leaf withereth," and a ladies sextet sang Joe's favoreite hymns. The floral offerings were beautiful and profuse.

Art Lage, Clifford Fick, Emil Thietje, Fred Rost, Frank Hunt and A. Linder acted as pall bearers.

Those present from out of town were his grandmother, Mrs. Tena Roos, and uncle Albert Roos, a cousin, Emma Roos and Mrs. Ecking, and old friend of the family, all of Orange City.

Hartley (Iowa) Sentinel, 14 Jun 1923, p23