Lutjens, Johann H. (Henry) 1856-1917

LUTJENS, STOEHR, BLESSING

Posted By: Lydia Lucas - Volunteer (email)
Date: 6/27/2010 at 23:27:28

J. H. LUTJENS IN FATAL ACCIDENT

J. H. Lutjens, a prominent citizen of Hull, was killed last week in an automobile accident near Sioux Falls, S.D., when his car turned over, crushing him beneath it. Mr. Lutjens was 61 years old and the following obituary gives in full details of his eventful life.

Johann Heinrich Claus Lutjens was born the 25th day of March, 1856, at Niederstricherteich, near Oberndorf on the Oste River, in Hannover, Germany. His parents were Johann and Margaretha Lutjens. He was baptized on the day of his birth and confirmed in the Evangelical Lutheran church of Obendorf, in April, 1870.

At the early age of 15 years he, together with his brother Fritz, in April 1871, emigrated to this country of ours; they first came to Winneshiek county, Iowa, where they stayed only for a short time. On the 5th day of October, 1871, they came to Sioux county, where they at first made their home with their brother-in-law, Henry Winter. After a few years Mr. Lutjens purchased a farm in Lincoln township where he lived for over 30 years. He, like others of those first settlers and pioneers of this country, experienced many a hard time caused by the frequent appearance of grasshoppers and other difficulties in those early years.

But he stayed and endured, and with God's help, succeeded. The deceased was married in 1881 to Miss Anna Stoehr. They had four children, one daughter and three sons, all of whom are still living. His first wife died on the 8th of November, 1892, the youngest child being then only one year and five months. That was certainly a very hard time the family then had, when the mother had left them. But the Father in heaven and good relatives and friends helped to overcome these sad times.

Mr. Lutjens was married for the second time to Miss Friederika Blessing, which marriage occurred the 3d of October, 1895. This marriage was blessed with two sons who are still living. The deceased, with his family and some friends, made a visit to the old country, the beloved Germany, in November, 1900. They came back here in March, 1901. Mr. Lutjens quit farming in September, 1907, and retired to Hull where he and his family have been living for nearly 10 years. He has been one of the founders of St. Paul's German Evangelical Lutheran congregation in Lincoln township and when living in Hull he took interest in Zion's German Evangelical Lutheran church there. During the last years he was somewhat troubled with bronchitis, nerve trouble and rheumatism. But during the last winter he was getting much better [line illegible].

On Friday of last week about 4 o'clock in the afternoon, near East Sioux Falls, while going home in an automobile, he had an accident that caused his sudden death. While going up a hill 14 feet high on a road that only lately had been fixed up and is very narrow, the rear wheels of the car started to go back, the ground giving away. Though the machine was in good order and the brakes worked all right, they could not hold the machine as the ground gave away, the road having been graded a couple of days before and it being very narrow at that dangerous place. It so happened that while the auto overthrew itself for several times coming down that hill his death occurred. [Omitted several sentences about everyone's time coming.] As the doctors declared the death of the deceased was instantaneous so that he had not suffered any great pains. His earthly days ran up to 61 years and 2 months.

The mourning survivors are: His wife, Friederika, nee'Blessing, his daughter, Carrie Tiedemann, his sons, Hermann, William, Louis, Otto and Arthur, his son-in-law, Henry Tiedemann, his daughters-in-law, Lucy, Lizzy and Tilly Lutjens, 11 grandchildren, his mother-in-law, Mrs. Blessing, Sr., his brother Hermann, his sisters Margaretha Hansin, Anna Sternberg and Charlotte Stier, his brother and sisters all living in Germany, and a great many other relatives and friends.

The funeral occurred on the 29th of May, in the afternoon. Though the weather was somewhat threatening, a great many people were present to show their sympathy with the so suddenly bereaved family. Services were held at the home, church and grave and were conducted by Rev. C. G. Eisenberg of Humboldt, S.D., and Rev. P.J. Bunge, of Hull, Iowa. Many and beautiful were the floral contribution made by relatives and friends. The sons and close relatives acted as pallbearers, according to a wish of him. A special choir added, by the beautiful songs they rendered, to the solemnity of the sad occasion. P. J. B.

Source: Alton Democrat, June 2, 1917.
The obituary includes a photograph.
The newspaper microfilm was illegible in places. Some of the illegibility were supplied from a similar obituary in the Sioux County Index, June 8, 1917.

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A news article in the Sioux County Index, June 1, 1917, gives additional details about the accident:

Mr. Lutjens had gone to Sioux Falls, that morning, with H. P. Lutjens, F. H. Schroeder and Paul Rehm -- Mr. Lutjens going in Rehm's car. All went well--H. P. getting some repairs for his cornsheller, this being the primary cause of the trip--until they came to the hill about three miles east of East Sioux Falls. Both occupants of the car agreed that it would not make the hill on high and Paul started to change transmission and killed his engine. The hill being steep the car started backward, and the brakes not working it went to the bottom, struck the grade and rolled once and one-half over down a 14-foot grade, landing on top of both of the men. As soon as the car stopped rolling, Paul called to Lutjens but received no reply. A farmer in a field nearby came to Paul's aid, assisted him to get from under the car and then the two together got the car off Mr. Lutjens, but life was extinct--he never moved.