Hans Wiese

WIESE

Posted By: Rebecca Foster (email)
Date: 7/6/2014 at 16:54:56

Sudden death of an old resident.

An old citizen named Hans Wiese, who was well known among our German citizens, though he was a laborer, died very suddenly this morning. For the past 9 years he has lived at the Western House, corner Scott and West 2nd Street doing chores and such work. He rose early this morning, as usual, was as cheerful and sprightly as a man of 60 years could well be, ate a hearty breakfast and cracked his jokes with the other help as was his custom. At a quarter to 8 o'clock he went to work turning the crank of a washing machine and at 8 o'clock he stopped, pressed his hands to his head, cried "Oh, Oh, Oh" and fell to the floor. He was carried to his room and Dr. Hoeptner was called. Hans Wiese was beyond human aid, however - he died in about fifteen minutes after he was taken ill. Dr. Hoepfner gave it as his opinion, that his death was caused by the bursting of a vein in the brain. The deceased was a native of Holstein. He was a soldier in the Schleswig Holstein patriot army during the war of the revolution against Denmark, belonging to the first Company of the 2nd infantry. At the close of the war, in 1850, he emigrated to America and settled in Davenport in 1851. He was one of the charter members of Rescue Engine Co. and belonged to it to the day of his death. He was a member of the Schleswig Holstein Veteran Association. A divorced wife survives him -- the two having been separated many years. The funeral takes place from the Western House at 2 o'clock tomorrow afternoon.

Source: Davenport Democrat, 31 May 1880.