Harker, Frank 1883-1923

HARKER, HODGSON

Posted By: Viv Reeves (email)
Date: 1/22/2006 at 15:30:15

From the LeMars Sentinel, Friday, April 27, 1923, Page 1, Column 1:

FRANK HARKER IS DEAD
SUCCUMBS TO AN ILLNESS OF LONG STANDING
LIVED IN COUNTY NEARLY ALL HIS LIFE
Was Born near Merrill and Came to LeMars When a Youth Attending School and Was Popular Young Business Man Here for Years

Word was received yesterday by LeMars relatives that Frank Harker, who has been in the hospital at Cherokee for about a year, died at 11:30 on Wednesday night. (*Note--Burial record says April 26, which would have been Thursday.) His wife had been summoned to his bedside on Tuesday afternoon, he having been taken suddenly worse following a gradual decline throughout his long illness.

Frank Herbert Harker was born in Stanton township on February 15, 1883, and lived there until his parents removed to Merrill in the early 90's. When eight or nine years old he came to LeMars to live with his grandmother, Mrs. Alice Harker, and made his home with her until Mrs. Harker's death. Frank attended the public schools in LeMars and when quite a young man began working in a grocery store in which occupation he continued either as employe or proprietor until three years ago. He was married on October, 1909, to Miss Jennie Hodgson, who with one daughter, Harriet, survives him. In 1919 he sold out his business here and worked in Sioux City for a year. Three years ago he rented a farm south of town for two years and in March, 1922, moved to a farm near Washta. About this time his health failed and on May 2d, 1922, he went to the hospital at Cherokee for treatment.

Frank was a genial and popular young business man and a kind and considerate husband and father and his affliction and death have brought sorrow to many who were his friends as well as those in the home he loved and cherished. He is survived by his wife and daughter, his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John (sic--James) T. Harker, of Merrill, two brothers, John, of Pennsylvania, and Charles, of Pennsylvania, and three sisters, Mrs. L. J. Walker, of Blunt, S. D., Mrs. Jas. Frost, of Thompson, Illinois, and Mrs. Clarence Miller, of Merrill.

The funeral will be held at the First Methodist Episcopal church of which he had been a member since boyhood, at 2:30 o'clock on Saturday afternoon, with Rev. C. H. Seward, pastor of that church, in charge. Burial will be in the city cemetery and the services at the grave will be in charge of the Odd Fellows lodge, of which he was a member.

(Note--The published wedding write up for Frank and Jennie names his father "Jas." Harker, rather than John T.; also "James Harker" is listed as his father in the burial record)