Kearns, John R. 1878-1970 & Mary Elizabeth Foppe Family

KEARNS, FOPPE, BUTLER, SANDSCHULTE

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - volunteer (email)
Date: 12/21/2021 at 15:14:41

Kearns, John R. 1878-1970 and Mary Elizabeth Foppe family

This story was taken from the ‘Rock Valley Records & Recollections’ book (pp. 61-62) written about 1976 in honor of the two hundredth birthday of our nation. Story found on pages 61 and 62. It was a revision of the history written by Lottie Thomas in 1955. It was transcribed for this BIOS by Beth De Leeuw of the Greater Sioux County Genealogical Society and some research notes were added.

John H. Kearns was born in Webster City on January 5, 1878 and attended public and high school there until the “Panic of 1893” when he quit school to help in his father’s grocery store. Later he worked in another grocery store and then moved back to Webster City and worked in a dry goods store there for five years. He was then employed by a wholesale grocery company and transferred to Sioux City Wholesale Grocery Co., where he worked as a city buyer until he was hired by Mr. J.B. Foppe to come to Rock Valley as dry goods manager and buyer in the Foppe Pioneer Store Company.

He married Mary Elizabeth Foppe on September 22, 1904 and they had one son and one daughter.

Mr. Kearns served for a number of years as a member of the town council in Rock Valley and also served at different times as president, secretary, and treasurer of the Rock Valley Commercial Club. He was the first treasurer of the Rock Valley branch of the American Red Cross and served for many years in this office, being instrumental in rightfully keeping local funds here in Rock Valley. He received praise from a Red Cross official in the Chicago office for doing this.

With Mr. J.B. Foppe, Mr. J.C. Wiggerman and Mr. Gerrit Ver Meulen, Mr. Kearns assisted in forming the corporation known as the Foppe Pioneer Store Co. in the year 1907, and he served as secretary and treasurer for a number of years and succeeded to the presidency of the corporation upoin the death of Mr. J.C. Wiggerman.

In 1950 the Foppe Store building and grocery business was sold to Hein Kosters. The Foppe store continued in ladies’ and men’s wear in the west end of the store. In 1955 Mr. Kearns sold his men’s wear business to Clayton Arend. Upon his retirement he went to California to spend the winter with his daughter, Mrs. Clayton Matlock. The following spring he went to Huron, South Dakota to be with his son, Richard. Here he spent the rest of his life except for a few months prior to his death in 1970, which was spent in a nursing home at Hartington, Nebraska. He was buried in Rock Valley.

Above - (A revision of the 1955 history)

RESEARCH NOTE added by Wilma J. Vande Berg
Find a Grave lists John H. Kearns as born 1878 died 1970 buried St. Mary’s Cemetery Rock Valley IA His parents were John Vestol and Ada Eleanor Kearns. Wife Mary Elizabeth Kearns.
In a report on ancestry.com by others, His father was John Vestol Kearns born May 1843 Indiana and died 1931 Webster City IA and mother was Ada Eleanor Butler born 1868 Pennsylvania and died 1957.
Mary Elizabeth Foppe was born 1878 Loretto TN died 25 Dec 1966 the Daughter of John Bernard Foppe 1850-1914 and Catherine Sandschulte 1855-1921. See their story in a separate BIOS.

Obits added by Beth De Leeuw.
OBITUARY OF JOHN H. KEARNS
Funeral services were held at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Rock Valley July 23 for John H. Kearns, 92, of Rock Valley, who died at a Hartington, Nebr. nursing home July 20 following a long illness.
Services were conducted by the Rev. Richard E. Zenk and burial was made at Rock Valley.
Mr. Kearns was born January 5, 1878 at Webster City. He was manager of Foppe's store in Rock Valley for a number of years.
Survivors include a son, J. Richard, of Huron, S.D.; a daughter, Mrs. Clayton Matlock of San Marcos, Calif.; three grandchildren and six great grandchildren.
Source: Sioux Center News, July 23, 1970

OBITUARY OF MARY ELIZABETH KEARNS
Mrs. Kearns, 76, Life Long Resident Dies Wednesday
Mrs. John Kearns. 76, who spent almost her entire life in Rock Valley and a daughter of one of this town's earliest founders, J.B. Foppe, died Wednesday morning as a result of a heart attack suffered Tuesday, Dec. 4. It was thought that Mrs. Kearns was feeling better and recovering from the attack but early Wednesday morning she complained o£ feeling ill and a little while later, about 8:00 o'clock, she died. She was feeling good Christmas day, it was reported
Funeral services will be held St. Mary's church Friday morning at 9:30 with the Rev. Edward Hoffmann officiating. Interment will be in St. Mary's cemetery. Mrs. Kearns was the wife of John Kearns, widely known throughout Iowa and in the clothing industry as president of the Foppe Pioneer store company; which spanned nearly three quarters of a century in Rock Valley. It was only last year that that the company went out of business. Mr. and Mrs. Kearns only couple of years ago celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. She came here with her family in 1882 from Tennessee.
Surviving are her husband, son, Richard of Huron and daughter. Mrs. Clayton (Calherine) Matlock of Manhattan Beach Calif.; three grandchildren. Mary Kay and Joan Kearns of Huron; and two sisters. Minna Anna Hogan of Huntington Park Calif., and Mrs. Josephine Davi of Oakland, Calif. Mrs. Kearns was born June 9 1880. The Rosary will be recited 8:00 o'clock Thursday evening at the home.
Source: Rock Valley Bee 12/27/1956

This picture came from an ancestry.com report. John and Mary Kearns with grandchildren.

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