Frost, Nelson 1857-1926

FROST, PLAYLE, CLIFFORD, HOFFMAN, SLOAN, LEGGINS

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 8/6/2010 at 19:44:53

The Grinnell Herald (Grinnell, Iowa) March 19, 1926

COUNCILMAN FROST IS DEAD

Long Time Resident of This Community Passed Away Tuesday Night March 16.

WAS MEMBER OF CITY COUNCIL FROM THIRD WARD

Funeral Services Were Held Thursday Afternoon From Friends Church.

Nelson Frost was born at Battle Creek, Michigan, April 12, 1857. His parents died when he was a boy and at the age of nineteen he came to Iowa and lived near Grinnell for a good many years before he moved into town. He was united in marriage November 29, 1884, to the lady who survives him. Besides his wife he leaves four children, Mrs. Rosa Playle of Grinnell, Mrs. J.E. Clifford of Grinnell, Mrs. Lizzie Hoffman of Toledo, Ohio, and Clark Frost of this city. One brother at Battle Creek, Michigan, survives him and also a brother James of Des Moines. He also had in his home and cared for them four step-children, Tom Sloan, Squire Sloan, George Leggins and Billie Leggins. Twenty-two grandchildren also survive him. Mr. Frost has always been a hard working man. He lost his eye while working in a Grinnell foundry years ago and has gone through his life work crippled to a large extent by this loss.

He joined the Congregational Church of Grinnell in 1900 and has been a member ever since.

He has lived for about thirty years on the lot where his home now stands and he has taken pleasure in building it up and making it an attractive spot in that part of town. That he was a man of good taste is evident from the surroundings in the home. He also has been a reader and in his earlier days was a frequent debater in the lyceums at the country schools in the vicinity of Grinnell.

For a number of years he has had the worthy ambition to serve on the city council. Though a candidate several times he lost out at the polls, but last spring he was elected and he took up the work with a determination to do it honesty and to the best interests of the city. All the present Council will testify to his uniform courtesy, to his conservative character and to his evident desire to serve in the best way the city which he represented on the Council.

One man remarked since his death that he lost his life trying to serve the city; that in his effort to attend to his duty as he saw it ought to be done, he gave time on the streets to consulting with other people and to working out the problems which it seemed to him ought to be worked out. He gave time and attention to the water works plant and helped in many other ways. The gentleman who spoke of him as giving his life for the city meant that during the recent cold days he had been on the streets looking after city interests and caught the cold which resulted in his death.

The Council attended the funeral in a body. The city employees were also present, and the city office was closed. The members of the Council acted as pall bearers, L.G. Lemley, J.J. Corrough, W.H. Alley, T.H. McIlrath, John Jentzen and Mayor Ray.

The writer wishes to say that in his observation of Mr. Frost he came to recognize him as a square and upright man. He has stated several times that as Councilman he would not ask for anything which was not right and that thought seemed to dominate him,--to do what was right but do it with determination and force and we believe that we voice the sentiments of the entire Council when we say that his views were worthy of kind and careful consideration and that his work as an official for the city was on the square and was performed to the extent of his strength.

We learned to know him when we met him at the Council table and we learned also to respect his views and to regard him as a worthy man who respected the views of the other members of the Council and treated them with courtesy.

The funeral was held Thursday at the Friends church at two o'clock conducted by Rev. A.J. Fryhoff. Rev. John Lincoln offered prayer and spoke a few appreciative words. There were three songs by Mrs. Fryhoff, with Mrs. Richards at the piano.

Mrs. Frost, Clark Frost, Mrs. J.E. Clifford and Esther Frost were all sick with the flu and unable to attend the funeral. Esther is now at the hospital.

Mrs. Lizzie Hoffman of Toledo, O., and James Frost and Pearl Frost of Des Moines came to Grinnell to attend the funeral.