Hentges, Daniel 1886-1956

HENTGES

Posted By: Mary Holub, volunteer (email)
Date: 3/26/2020 at 14:27:40

From: Le Mars Globe-Post, October 15, 1956

Daniel Hentges

Daniel A. Hentges, Shields township supervisor for 27 years, died Tuesday in Lake Forest, Illinois hospital at the age of 70.

Mr. Hentges had been a patient seriously sick September 28 in his home 406 E. Westminster Ave. His sickness was diagnosed as uremic poisoning.

He was born May 11, 1886 in Le Mars, Iowa, and moved to Lake Forest from Chicago about 30 years ago. He operated a meat market on Western Avenue for many years, retiring from business about 10 year ago.

Mr. Hentges was a former chairman of the Lake County Board of Supervisors and currently was chairman of the Judiciary Committee.

He was a member of the Church of the Holy Spirit in Lake Forest and had been active in church work.

Mr. Hentges originated the plan for Community Gardens, for relief of the poor. This plan was adopted throughout the nation and included a canning factory to assist the needy in preserving commodities raised at their Community Gardens.

The cannery was located in North Chicago and supervisors were hired to guide the poor preparing their produce for storage. In its first year of operation, the cannery packed 12,000 cans of food and later operated at a maximum capacity of 35,000 cans of fruit and vegetables.

Another project to aid the needy was Mr. Hentges’ Help Yourself to Comfort project that put needy persons to work cutting donated timber to use as fuel. He also operated his own free soup kitchen for the benefit of the needy during the slack days of the depression. His kitchen was small but what it lacked in space it made up for by untiring effort. It was located in the rear of his marker and operated unknown to many.

Mr. Hentges also was active in the program to build the Lake County Tuberculosis Sanatorium and worked n many church projects regardless of the denomination.

Surviving are his widow, Laura C.; a son, Thomas . of Burlington, Wisconsin; five grandchildren; a brother, William, of Santa Ana, California; and three sisters, Cleo, Gena, Helen and Emma of Le Mars.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Friday, October 12, at the Church of the Holy Spirit. Burial was in the Lake Forest Cemetery.