Peterson, William (John William), 1883-1938

PETERSON, SCHWARTZ, SWARTS, CORNFORTH

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

Born: June 28, 1883
Died: September 28, 1938

From the Sioux Center News, October 6, 1938:

HULL—Special—Mr. William Peterson passed away unexpectedly Wed., Sept. 28, 1939 [i.e., 1938] at his home some five miles north and one mile west of Hull.

Funeral services were held Saturday at 2 o’clock at the home and 2:30 at Doon, Rev. Bates of Rock Rapids and Rev. Cheney of Doon officiating. Interment took place in the Hull Cemetery.

Mr. Peterson was born June 28, 1883 on the Peterson farm north of Hull. On Dec. 19, 1911 he was married to Emma Swarts and they moved to their present location. He is survived by his widow, 1 sister, Myrtle Flessner of Mankato, Minn., 1 brother, H. J. Peterson of Fulton, S.D.

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From the Sioux County Index (Hull), October 7, 1938:

“Billy” Peterson, 55, buried In Hull Cemetery, Saturday

J. W. “Billy” Peterson, aged 55 years, a prominent farmer of this vicinity, died at his farm home, north west of Hull, late last Wednesday afternoon, as the result of a heart attack. He had been assisting with some fencing work at his place Wednesday morning and became ill and so went to the house to rest.

Mrs. Peterson, her sister Miss Schwarts, and a neighbor, Mrs. Peter Wallinga, attended a meeting in Hull that afternoon and on returning home in the late afternoon, Mrs. Peterson let her sister out at the Peterson farm home and then took Mrs. Wallinga to her home. Upon entering the house, Miss Swartz discovered the lifeless body of Mr. Peterson on a couch and summoned a physician, who pronounced him dead as the result of a heart attack.

Mr. Peterson’s death came as a shock to his many relatives and friends, as up until the day of his death he had been in good health.

J. William Peterson, son of James and Sarah Peterson, both deceased, was born on June 28, 1883, on a farm northeast of Hull. In early manhood he moved with his parents to Doon and later moved to a farm northwest of Hull, where he died last Wednesday.

On December 19, 1911, he was united in marriage to Miss Emma Schwartz, at Sioux City, Iowa. Besides his wife, he is survived by one sister, Mrs. Myrtle Flessner, of Mankato, Minnesota, and one brother, H. J. “Bert” Peterson, of Fulda, Minnesota, and a host of other relatives and friends.

The funeral was held Saturday at 2:00 o’clock from the home and 2:30 from the Congregational Church of Doon. Burial was made in Hope Cemetery at Hull. Rev. C. P. Bast of Rock Rapids, assisted by Rev. Cheney of Doon, officiated at the services. The Lockwood funeral home of Rock Rapids was in charge. The pall bearers were Ralph Ray, Earl Van Valkenburg, H. B. Hoogeveen, Fred Hoppe, Ralph Anderson, and P. W. Moeller. The Index joins the many friends of the family in extending sincere sympathy to the bereaved ones.

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From the Alton Democrat, October 7, 1938, Hull news:

William Peterson died Wednesday, Sept. 28 at his home, six miles northwest of Hull following a heart attack.

He was born June 28, 1883 on the Peterson farm north of Hull. He attended the Doon public school and later the Academy at Hull. On Dec. 19, 1911 he was married to Emma Swarts. He is survived by his wife, one sister, Myrtle Flessner of Mankato, Minn., and a brother, H. J. Peterson of Fulton, S.D.

Funeral services were held Saturday at the home and at the Congregational church at Doon in charge of Rev. Bates of Rock Rapids and Rev. Cheney of Doon. A male quartet sang two numbers and a solo was sung. Pallbearers were Messrs. Hoogeven, Peter Moeller, Ralph Anderson, Ralph Ray, Howard Thorn and Fred Haupe. Interment was in the Hull cemetery where his mother was laid to rest just two years ago.

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RESEARCH NOTES

The Sioux County Cemetery Index has him as John William Peterson, 1883-1938, Hope Cemetery, Hull, IA.

His death certificate also has him as John William Peterson, resident of Garfield Township, Lyon County; a farmer, for 32 years;; wife Emma Schwartz Peterson; born 28 June 1883 in Hull, parents James Peterson, born in Denmark, and Sarah Ann Conforth, born in Illinois; died Sept. 18, 1938; cause: “Sudden Death, no Physician called till after Death, Angina Pectoris”; called by coroner.

His FindaGrave.com page has John William Peterson, parents James Peterson (1850-1923) and Sarah Ann Cornforth Peterson (1857-1936); wife Emma Schwartz Peterson (1891-1984).

His World War I draft registration card (Sept. 1918, signed John William Peterson) gives his address as Route 1, Doon, occupation farming; medium height and build, eyes light blue, hair dark brown, slightly grey.