Hatz, Nicholas 1876-1954

HATZ, ARENS

Posted By: Bob Arens (email)
Date: 8/2/2005 at 20:35:26

HATZ, NICHOLAS 1876-1954
Obituary of Nicholas Hatz in the
Remsen Bell-Enterprise October,
1954

NICHOLAS HATZ, 78, PASSES ON OCTOBER
16 AFTER FIVE DAYS ILLNESS

Funeral services for Nicholas Hatz, 78, prominent resident and public official here many years who died Saturday, October 16, were held in St. Mary's Catholic church Tuesday morning. The pastor, the Rev. George J. Theobald sang the requiem high mass.

Intermittently under a doctor's care although up and about daily. Mr. Hatz was in fair health and was stricken suddenly when about to leave the noon dinner table at his home Monday, suffering a stroke. He was taken to the Sacred Heart hospital, LeMars, immediately and after several hours lapsed into a coma from which he never rallied. Members of the family were constantly at his bedside and until the end came at 11 o'clock Saturday forenoon.

BORN IN LUXEMBOURG

Born January 31, 1876, in the village of Kautenbach, Luxembourg, Europe, he was of a family of six children of Peter and Margaret Hatz and was orphaned at the age of 12 years. Living among relatives and shifting for himself for five years, he came to the U.S.A. in 1893 and joined his brother Martin, who had come here the year before to Sioux City.

TO REMSEN IN 1901

The brothers operated the old
Northwestern House, a small hotel in the stockyards district for eight years, then came to Remsen in 1901. They took over the old Hoffman House, one of the two hostelries here and operated it several years.

Later Mr. Hatz dealt in real estate and along with this for a time conducted and automobile agency. He retired from active business in 1924.

MARRIED IN 1909

Her married Mary Arens, member of a pioneer local family, February 16, 1909, and the family has lived here since.

PUBLIC OFFICIAL

In 1926 Mr. Hatz was elected to the town council and served creditably for nine years after which he was appointed to the board of trustees in charge of the electric and water system. The electric plant had been in operation about one year. Mr. Hatz was a dependably member of this board until the time of his fatal illness and was intensely interested in the progress of the electrical system.

Among his last activities in line of the public duty were the conversion of the electric plant to the use of natural gas, and installation of the splendid new street lighting system along Main street.
Mr. Hatz was a stock holder in the Remsen Tank Line Co. since its formation some 30 years ago and in recent years was a member of the board of directors.
After a business and public career her for 53 years, Mr. Hatz left a highly creditable record and his passing, his experience and faithfulness considered, leaves a public record that his successor will find difficult to fill in equal measure. He was a strictly family man, a devoted husband and father and a loyal fellow townsman who enjoyed the confidence and highest esteem of all this acquaintances.

SUVIVORS
Surviving are the widow, Mary [Arens], and three children--Mrs. John W. (Margaret [Hatz]) Zimmerman, Remsen; Vernon Hatz, Hawarden, and Miss Kathleen Hatz, Remsen and living with her mother. An infant daughter, Mildred, passed away at the age of 10 months.
Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by his two brothers [my copy is too dark to read the remainder].