Held, Philip 1831-1899

HELD, KOEHLER

Posted By: Linda Ziemann (email)
Date: 12/2/2005 at 14:22:00

Source: Le Mars Sentinel
Date: February 2, 1899

ONE OF THE FIRST SETTLERS

Phillip Held, who died on Sunday evening at his home near Hinton, was one of the very first settlers in Plymouth county. Away back in 1855 when the Indian and buffalo roamed at will over these prairies, Philip Held came to this part of the country. He was a member of a party of hardy pioneers, composed of some half a dozen families, mostly German, who settled up the beautiful valley of the Floyd river and who most of them after years of early struggle and pioneer hardships have become the most prosperous and wealthy among the farming classes of the community.

Philip Held was born on October 16, 1831, at Bechstolheim, Hesse-Darmstadt in Germany and when twenty one years of age came to the United States. He lived for a year in New York and then moved to Illinois and in 1853 came farther west arriving at Sioux City where he lived for two years. While a resident of Sioux City, he assisted in building many of the first houses erected there. After two years' sojourn there he moved to Jackson, Neb., near where he lived until 1863 when he returned to Plymouth County and lived on his homestead where he has ever since resided. On January 30, 1870, he was married to Miss Caroline Koehler of Galena, Ill. They celebrated the silver anniversary of their wedding in January, 1895. His wife survives him and with ten children mourns the loss of a good father and husband. Eleven children was born to them, ten of who are living, seven sons and three daughters. Mr. Held was one of a family of five children, two of whom are still living, Erhard Held, of Hinton and Mrs. Gustave Pecaut, of Sioux City.

Mr. Held was an uncle of Mrs. Jno. Schmidt, Mrs. P. Schindel and Mrs. Henry Schneider, of this city.

Mr. Held had a wide acquaintance throughout this and Woodbury county by virtue of his long residence. He was highly respected and liked by everybody and has always been an influential man in local affairs and was prominent in good works in the community. He was a good husband and father and most successful business man and farmer and by his industry and toil became rich and died possessed of several hundred acres of land.

The funeral service was held on Wednesday afternoon at 1 p.m. at the house and the interment was made at the Floyd Valley cemetery at Melbourne.

A large number from here attended.
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Source: Le Mars Sentinel
Dated February 6, 1899

FUNERAL OF PHILIP HELD

The funeral of Philip Held was held from the residence near Hinton on Wednesday afternoon and a large concourse of people from Sioux City, Le Mars and all over the county gathered to do honor to the memory of their old friend and neighbor. Rev. H. Kleinsorge, of Le Mars, and Rev. L. Brecher, of Melbourne, conducted the last rites. Rev. Kleinsorge preached the funeral sermon, taking for his text the words contained in Proverbs XXVII, 10: "Thine own friend and they father's friend forsake not." From these words he preached a magnificent sermon, paying tribute to the virtues of the deceased, describing the sacredness of kinship and friendship, and the everlasting hope of immortality.

The remains were followed from the home to the Melbourne cemetery, where they were laid to rest, by a very large procession of teams. The pall bearers were: Leonard Koenig, Philip Schneider, R. Spies, Bart Luce, Frank Hoesse, and Ira Pearce.