Willmes, Maria "Mary" 1844-1909

WILLMES, WILMES, HAUSER

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, volunteer (email)
Date: 3/26/2023 at 20:27:28

LeMars Semi-Weekly Sentinel
Friday, December 17th, 1909

NO WARNING OF HER DEATH
MRS. NICHOLAS WILLMES PASSES AWAY IN HER SLEEP
Is A Great Shock to Relatives.

Husband Going to Awaken His Wife is Grief Stricken by Finding Her Still in Death
Having Succumbed to Heart Disease During the Night.

Mrs. Willmes, wife of Nicholas Willems, residing on Court street, was found dead in bed between half past six and seven o’clock on Tuesday morning. Her death was due to heart trouble. Mrs. Willmes after a hard day’s work on Monday spent the evening with her family and was apparently in the best of health and spirits. She retired about eleven o’clock.

Mrs. Willmes slept downstairs and alone in a bedroom of the sitting room. She was in the habit of rising early every morning as soon as Mr. Willmes had lighted the kitchen fire.

On Tuesday morning as she did not get up her husband went to her room and asked if she were up. On receiving no response he approached the bed and taking her hand which was lying outside the coverlet found it was cold and on a closer look discovered that his wife was dead. He quickly summoned the other members of the family and a physician was telephoned. Dr. Schwind and Dr. Mammen came as hurriedly as possible, but she was beyond the reach of medical skill as the doctors said she had been dead for some hours.

The dead woman lay as if in sleep and there was nothing to indicate that the parting of soul and body had caused pain or anguish. Her death under such appalling suddenness came as a terrible blow to the husband and children and their sorrow and grief is intense.

Mrs. Mary Willmes was an old resident of LeMars, having come here in the early eighties and was well known to a large number of people.

She was born at Tete’ de Morte’, now St. Donatus, on April 10, 1842, being a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Vebrar Hauser, early settlers of Iowa, and was one of a large family of children. She spent her girlhood in Dubuque, where she was reared and educated, and was married forty-seven years ago last September to Nicholas Willmes.

Mr. and Mrs. Willmes came to LeMars in 1882 and this has been their home since. Mr. Willmes engaged in his trade of stonemason and subsequently they engaged in the hotel business, conducting the Windsor Hotel, City Hotel and the Railroad Hotel for many years.

Twelve children were born to them, three of whom died in infancy, and also Mrs. Fred Coddington and Mrs. Otto Blau (sic Blaul) preceded their mother to the spirit land.

The surviving children are Mrs. John Thoma, Shickley, Neb.; Mrs. G. B. Spears, of Sioux City; Mrs. C. Mullaney, Mrs. E. G. Oldham, Adam, Peter and Nicholas Willmes, of this city.

The deceased also leaves a sister, Mrs. C. Bauerly, of this city, and several brothers, Adam and Gottfried Hauser, of Salem, S.D., Nick and August Hauser, residing west of Merrill.

Mrs. Willmes was one of the splendid band of women who are essentially homemakers. She devoted her life to her husband and children and no toil was too arduous for her, no sacrifice too great if it added one jot to their comfort or happiness. To keep her sons and daughters bound by home ties and in the right path was her chief aim and their troubles or sorrows brought double grief to her.

She was much esteemed by a large circle of neighbors who knew her for a quiet, somewhat reserved woman, but with an abundance of deep feeling and charity for humanity.

She was a member of St. Joseph’s church and the funeral was held there yesterday morning and was very largely attended. The pallbearers were old friends and neighbors, Math Ernsterhoff, J. A. Sauer, Peter Nothem, Paul Brauch, A. Thoma and Mich Welter.

Relatives from abroad who came to attend the funeral were: Mrs. Peter Willmes, Nic Willmes, Mrs. Peter Franzen, of Dubuque; Jos. Arendt, Emory, S.D.; Nic Arendt, Parkston, S.D.; Mrs. R. Braum, Miss Rachel Klein, Sioux City; Mr. and Mrs. John Thoma, Shickley, Neb.; Mrs. G. B. Spears and Miss Florence Coddington, Sioux City; Adam Hauser and Gottfried Hauser, Salem, S.D.