Wolter, Henry (J. Heinrich), 1861-1901

WOLTER, WOLTERS, WALTERS, KRUSE

Posted By: Lydia Lucas - Volunteer (email)
Date: 7/22/2014 at 22:22:47

From the Hull Index, July 19, 1901:

Killed by Lightning.
On Monday evening during the thunderstorm Henry Walters, one of our well-to-do and industrious German farmers living just north of town was touched by a stroke of lightning and instantly killed. Mr. Walters had gone to the barn to close the barn doors. He had taken hold of the rope attached to close the doors of the hay mow to close them and just at that instant, lightning struck the gable of the barn and followed the rope down through the body of Walters. The funeral of Mr. Walters was held Wednesday, the interment taking place in the Lutheran churchyard northeast of Hull. Mr. Walters was held in high esteem by his neighbors and friends. The sympathy of everyone goes out to the family so suddenly bereft of its main stay.

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His surname is variously rendered in local reporting of his death. Brief notes in the Sioux Center Nieuwsblad (July 17) and the Alton Democrat (July 20) call him Henry Walters, and one in the Sioux County Bee (July 19) calls him Henry Wolters.

From the Sioux County Herald, Orange City (July 17):
Word came from Hull yesterday that Mr. Henry Walters, a farmer living four miles north of Hull was struck by lightning Monday evening about 5 o'clock and instantly killed. Mr. Walters had put his team in the barn when the rain came up and had gone to the house; he discovered in his hurry that he had left the barn door open and went out to close it when he met his death.

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However, his tombstone can be presumed to be the authority:
The Sioux County Cemetery Index has Wolter, J. Heinrich, b. 7 Jan 1861, d. 15 Jul 1901 ss Jurgen H. Mary, St Pauls Luth Cem Hull IA.

The obituary of his widow Anna, Mrs. William Sohl (posted separately) says that she was born Anna Kruse; married Henry Wolter on February 23, 1893; they resided on a farm near Boyden and had four children, one of whom died in infancy; he died July 15, 1901; she married William Sohl in 1904; her children (all with Henry Wolter, apparently) were August and Henry Wolter of Hull and Mrs. William Becker of Pipestone.