Leins, William T. 1847-1919

LEINS, SCOTT, WOODS, FINNER, RICHARDSON, HERTER

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 8/23/2012 at 11:05:38

The Grinnell (IA) Herald

WILLIAM LEINS DIED ON FRIDAY
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GRINNELL LOSES HONORABLE AND RESPECTED CITIZEN
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Had Been Ill for Several Weeks and Was for Many Years a Semi-Invalid.
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Sincere regret is expressed at the news of the death of one of the good men of Grinnell, William T. Leins, which occurred at the home of his son, George Leins, at 7 o'clock Friday morning. People who knew him in his early manhood and middle age--when he was a man of great strength and ambition--as well as those who have known him in later years after misfortune had robbed him of much of his unusual vitality, will remember him always as an upright, hard-working and likeable man.

William T. Leins was born in Tetuang, Wurtemberg, Germany, on May 30, 1847, making him only a few months less than 72 years of age at the time of his death. When he was a lad of four, his parents and the family came to America.

Their first home in the free land was in Wisconsin, and later when he was eighteen, he went to Illinois to learn the trade of wagon-maker, at the age of twenty-six he came to Iowa, going to Montezuma to work for Joseph Schell. It was here that he met Miss Mary Scott, to whom he was married some time later.

For eleven years Montezuma was their home, when they came to Grinnell and have since been residents of this city where their children were raised and educated.

A number of years ago Mr. Leins suffered a severe stroke of paralysis, which would have resulted fatally had he not been a man of unusual physical strength and courage. However, it left him a semi-invalid, but he continued with his work and it was seldom that he was not busy. Several weeks ago, another stroke of paralysis further weakened him and from that time he grew worse until the end came.

He is survived by his wife, four daughters and two sons. The daughters are, Mrs. Mary Cason, of Parker's Prairie, Minn.; Mrs. Elmina Woods, of Colo, Iowa; Mrs. Nita Finner, of Malcom; and Mrs. Anna B. Richardson of Sigourney. Of the two sons, one, William, lives in Marshalltown, and the other, George is a resident of this city.

Mr. Leins also leaves twelve grand-children, a brother, C.F. Leins, of West Bend, Wis., and two sisters, Mrs. Lina Herter of Marshalltown and Mrs. Emma Herter of Cedar Rapids.

The funeral services were held yesterday afternoon at two o'clock from the undertaking parlors of Snyder Bros. Furniture store. The Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Grinnell Lodge of Masons, of which organizations Mr. Leins was a member were present in a body. Rev. J.M . Brown, conducted the services, followed by the regular ritual of the Odd Fellows. The Masons had charge of the services at the grave in Hazelwood cemetery.