Arens, John Peter 1853-1920

ARENS, ARENSDORF

Posted By: Bob Arens (email)
Date: 7/29/2005 at 08:53:20

ARENS, JOHN PETER 1853-1920
From the Remsen Bell-Enterprise June 24, 1920.
JOHN ARENS IS CALLED Aged Sioux County Resident, Familiar Here for 40 Years Dies of Cancer. Was 67 Yeas of Age.

John Arens, of Sioux County, and well known thruout this community for the past forty-one years, died in the Sacred Heart hospital, LeMars, last Thursday evening following an operation of cancer of the liver. The operation was performed in the morning of the same day, at 11:00 o'clock, and the patient survived the ordeal but nine hours. Mr. Arens was 67 years of age, and spent most of his life in this vicinity. He is survived by 10 children and five brothers. The funeral was held at Alton Monday morning.

Mr. Arens, who was a particularly robust man and who enjoyed perfect health all his life, was taken ill rather suddenly about six weeks prior to his death, and the nature of his ailment was not fully determined until he was operated on at LeMars last Thursday. Immediately after the operation it was seen that his case was hopeless and that his life was slowly ebbing away, and the suddenness of his departure came as a surprise and a shook to his relatives and many friends thruout the communities of Alton and Remsen.

John Arens was born on a farm near St. Donatus, Jackson county, Iowa in May, 1853, and lived there with his parents [Nicholas Arens and Anna (Arensdorff) Arensdorf] until he reached young manhood, and in St. Donatus he was married, in 1879, to Miss Helena [Magdelena] Mousel, also of that vicinity. Immediately after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Arens came to Sioux county, spending one year on a farm, and then spent two years farming near Oyens. Then they returned to Sioux county, buying a form soon thereafter, and settling down for a long period of residence in that community. Mrs. Arens died six years ago, [September 11, 1911] and the widower remained on the home farm, working the place with the assistance of his sons. He turned the farm over to his son Charles last spring, but continued to make his home there until the time of his death.
The deceased was the father of 13 children. Two of them died in infancy, [Mary and Frances or Justine] and Joseph, a young man, died two years ago [December 24, 1918] during the flu epidemic. The remaining 10 children are: Frank and Paul, Lismore, Minn.; Fred, Remsen; Charles, on the home place; Margaret, now Mrs. Paul Neyers, Sleepy Eye, Minn.; Mary, now Mrs. Nick Hoffmann, Wadena, Minn.; Annie, now Mrs. Philip Lichter, Tripp, S. D.; Katie, now Mrs. James Kinney, Sioux County; Elizaleth, now Mrs. Mike Gengler, Oyens and Josephine, now Mrs. George Homan, also of Oyens vicinity.
Mr. Arens was one of a family of 14 children---eight boys and six girls. Of this family John Arens was ninth to pass away, but five boys remaining to mourn his departure. They are: Theodore, Alton; Peter and J. P. Arens, Remsen; Charles, Woonsocket, S. D. and Matthew, White Lake, S. D.
The Deceased was a highly respected and well beloved neighbor friend, father and brother, and his sudden passing brings sorrow to the homes of his many relatives and hosts of friends. He was known as thoroly upright and honorable in all his business and social relations and the community is poorer by his death.
The body was taken to the Arens home six miles north of here Friday morning, and the funeral was held with services in St. Mary's Catholic church, Alton, Monday morning at 9:OO o'clock. The services were very largely attended and many Remsen relatives and friends were among the mourners.