Ludwickson, John, 1873-1940

LUDWICKSON, LARSON, JOHNSON, PETERSON

Posted By: Lydia Lucas - Volunteer (email)
Date: 6/13/2021 at 20:33:35

From the Sioux County Index (Hull), June 21, 1940:

Former Superintendent of Hull School Passes Away

John Ludwickson, 67 years of age, superintendent of the Hull schools many years ago, died at his home in Lincoln, Nebraska, last week.

Mr. Ludwickson was head of the local schools for five years—from 1909 to 1914. He moved to Wayne where he attended college and owned and operated a dray company. In 1915 he became head of the Walthill, Nebraska schools, remaining there until 1936 when he retired—moving to Lincoln where he lived with his daughter, Miss Helen V. Ludwickson. A son, James K., also of Lincoln, and a sister, Mrs. Katherine Hansen of Harlan, Iowa, also survive.

* * * * * * * * * *

From the Sioux Center News, June 20, 1940, Hull news:

Word came to Hull that Supt. John Ludwickson died at Lincoln, Neb. Mr. Ludwickson was superintendent of the Hull public school for five years. They moved to Wayne, Neb., where he attended college and owned and operated the City Dray Co. In 1915 he became Supt. of the Walthill school, remaining until 1936, when he came to Lincoln, Neb. to live with his daughter who owns a drug store. Mrs. Ludwickson died a few years ago.

He leaves to mourn his departure, one daughter, Helen, one son, Jim, also a sister, Mrs. Katherine Hansen of Harlen, Ia. Both of the children were brilliant students and both had their handicaps. Helen had infantile paralysis when a small child. She gets around on crutches and Jimmy was caught in some machinery a few years ago and his hand had to be amputated.

Mr. Ludwickson was 67 years old. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge in Hull, the Scottish rite at Sioux City, and the K. P. in Walthill.

* * * * * * * * * *

RESEARCH NOTES

No obituary was found in a name search of online Lincoln, Nebraska newspapers.

FindaGrave.com has John Ludwickson, born 9 March 1873 in Denmark, died 11 June 1940, buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Walthill, Thurston County, Nebraska; spouse Marie Larson Ludwickson (1880-1936, married 1906); son James Kenneth Ludwickson (1910-1995).

The marriage register for Shelby County, Iowa, 1906/1907 has groom John Ludwickson, age 31, resident of Thompson, Iowa, occupation teaching, born in Denmark, parents Ludwick Johnson and Anna Peterson; bride Marie Larson, age 27, resident of Harlan, Iowa, born in Denmark, parents Knud Larson and Dorothy Marie Jensen; married at Marinus Larson’s (no town given), August 29, 1906.

The 1910 U.S. census shows John (34) and Marie (29) Ludwickson, both born in Denmark, married 4 years, their daughter Helen W. (2-11/12, born in Iowa), and his mother-in-law Dorothy Larsen (72) living in Hull, Iowa; John immigrated in 1891 and is the high school principal. In 1920 John (44), Marie (39), daughter Helen W. (12), son James K. (9, born in Iowa), and three boarders are living in Walthill, Omaha Precinct, Thurston County, Nebraska, where John is a public school superintendent; he was naturalized in 1898. In 1930 the four of them are still living in Walthill, now with 6 boarders; John now owns a $5000 home and is still a public school superintendent.

In 1940 John (67), Helen (33), and James K. (29) are living in Lincoln, Nebraska. All three are college graduates, John and Helen with four years and James K. with six. John is retired, Helen works in a drugstore pharmacy, and James is an instructor (industry illegible). All three are noted as also having other sources of income.

(Subsequent articles in Lincoln newspapers show that Helen, who graduated from the University of Nebraska College of Pharmacy in 1931, started her own drug store in 1940 and married Charles Lucas of Los Lunas, New Mexico, in November 1951. James K. married in ca. 1940 and retired in 1976 from the University of Nebraska, where he had been a professor of mechanical engineering and several times cited as an outstanding instructor.)