Culver, William A., 1874-1931

CULVER, POWERS, DAVIS, HANSON

Posted By: Lydia Lucas - Volunteer (email)
Date: 6/13/2021 at 20:33:32

From the Rock Valley Bee, February 27, 1931:

WM. A. CULVER DIED WEDNESDAY MORNING

Wm. A. Culver passed away at his home in Rock Valley Wednesday morning, following an illness of about eight weeks [with] rheumatism which affected his heart. Shortly before his death he seemed to be improving, and last week was able to be up and walk about the yard at his home.

The Culver family have lived in Rock Valley for the past six years, and are very well known here.

Mr. Culver was born at Helena, Wis., June 2, 1874. When he was six years old, his parents moved to near where the town of Dickens, Iowa, is now located. There was no town there at that time. There he spent forty-four years of his life, coming from there to Rock Valley.

Mr. Culver is survived by his wife and four children, Elma, Arthur, June and Betty, all at home. He also leaves his aged mother, Mrs. George Culver, of Dickens; two sisters, Mrs. Grace Story, Dickens; and Mrs. Dolly Halverson, of Atwater, Minn.; three brothers, Dewey and Harvey, of Dickens, and Leonard, of Dallas, S.D.

Funeral services were held in the Methodist church in Rock Valley Thursday afternoon, conducted by Rev. G. A. Tyler, and the remains will be taken to Dickens for burial.

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A similar obituary in the Alton Democrat, March 6, 1931, Rock Valley news adds that he was married to Ethel Davis and to this union were born five children, four of whom survive their parents, who are now both gone. In 1915 he was married to Hannah Hensen, and they had the four above-named children.

After the funeral services at Rock Valley, the body was taken to Dickens, accompanied by the family and Rev. Tyler, where another funeral was conducted by Rev. W. O. Tompkins at the Methodist church there, and interment made in the Dickens cemetery.

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RESEARCH NOTES

His death certificate has William Alvin Culver; born June 2, 1874 in Spring Green, Wisconsin; parents George Watson Culver, born in Wisconsin, and Millie Powers, born in Illinois (informant, Dewey Culver of Dickens, Iowa); wife Sena (no surname); occupation, day laborer, Railway section; died in Rock Valley at 7:30 a.m. February 25, 1931; cause, myocarditis, date of onset 2/10/1931; contributory cause, articular rheumatism.

FindaGrave.com has him has William Alvah Culver, born 2 June 1874, died 25 Feb 1931, buried in Dickens Cemetery, Dickens, Iowa. (A photo of his headstone has just William A. Culver, 1874-1931.) Parents George Watson Culver (1847-1925) and Melissa Powers Culver (1854-1940); spouse Ethel Davis Culver (1881-1915, married 1899). A biographical note (no source given) says he married Ethel Davis on April 6, 1899 in Dickens; she died in 1915. He married Sena Hanson in May 1916 in Sanborn, Iowa; the children from this marriage were Elma Marie Hanson Culver, Arthur William Culver, June L. Culver, and Betty Mae Culver. His first wife Ethel’s entry in FindaGrave.com says she died February 12, 1915 and lists their children as Bessie M., Ralph L., Glenn A., Neenah M., Martin, and Edith M.

The birth index entry on Ancestry.com for his son Arthur gives Arthur’s parents as William Alvin Culver and Hannah Sena Hanson.

The 1930 U.S. census for Rock Valley shows him age 55, odd jobs laborer, not employed last week; wife Hannah (36), children Elma (14), Arthur (11), June (5), and Betty (2).

The 1920 U.S. census shows him (age 45) living in Franklin, O’Brien County, Iowa and working as a city drayman; wife Sena (25) and children Ralph (18), Glenn (16), Neneth (14), Martin (6), Alma (4-6/12), and Arthur (1-6/12).

In the 1910 census he is working as a farm laborer, and in 1900 as a day laborer.

His World War I draft registration card (at age 45, Sept. 1918) has him as William A. Culver, resident of Sanborn, Iowa; born June 2, 1873; occupation, stationery fireman, C. M. & St. Paul Ry. Co. [presumably Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul]; nearest relative Sena Culver; medium height and build, grey eyes, brown hair.