Umhoefer, Joseph, 1830-1906

UMHOEFER, GRODA

Posted By: Lydia Lucas-Volunteer (email)
Date: 12/26/2011 at 22:49:51

JOSEPH UMHOEFER

At his home in this city Sunday evening [February 18] at eight-ten Joseph Umhoefer passed away at the age of nearly seventy-six. Deceased was a hale rugged man and had been sick for so short a time that few knew of his illness and his death came as a shock.

He was born in Bavaria seventy-five years ago last September and came to America when a lad of sixteen and soon thereafter went to Australia in search of gold where he endured all the privations and hardships of a miner for four years. He then returned to America and soon thereafter was united in marriage to Miss Anna Marie Groda who survives him.

On the fifteenth of last November they celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary. On that occasion after services at the church there was a big family dinner at the Umhoefer home. The children and grand children present--in the order of age--were Andrew and wife of Sioux City, Joseph and wife and six children of Alvord, Gregg and wife and four children of Alvord, John and wife and five children of Struble, Mrs. J. A. Pins and husband and four children of Alton, Frank and wife and two children of Adrian Minnesota. All were here again at the funeral. Three children are dead.

The esteemed couple had lived in Alton since 1884. They moved here from Cherokee county where they migrated from Wisconsin in 1873.

The funeral was held from St. Mary's church Wednesday morning. Deceased was a prominent member of St. Mary's church and a member of its financial committee. He was a good business man and in office as town councilman or other official was as clean and honorable a man as ever lived. The esteem in which he was held was evinced by the closing of the business places during his funeral. Besides the family there were present from abroad his brother from Cherokee, Peter Schmit and Mike Nemmers from LeMars and a large number from Maurice where he was well known. All Alton regrets his demise.

Source: Alton Democrat, February 24, 1906.
The obituary includes a photograph.

The Sioux County Cemetery Index gives his birth date as 17 Sep 1830.

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From the Sioux County Herald: Correspondence: Alton, February 21, 1906:

An old and respected citizen of Alton has passed away, Joseph Umhoefer at the age of seventy-five. He was ill with pneumonia for only a few days, but so seriously so that his children ... had all been called home and were at his bedside, as was also his only brother, Theodore Umhoeffer of Cherokee. Mr. Umhoeffer was in his younger days engaged in the lumber business in Alton and took an active interest in local matters as a member of the town council. Business houses here will all close during his funeral which takes place Wednesday morning at nine thirty from St. Mary's church.