Martin Nothomb (1833-1908)

NOTHOMB, BALLARD, YEAGER, WIER, AYERS

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 3/3/2017 at 21:07:57

From Nevada Representative April 10, 1908

MARTIN NOTHOMB.

Colo Citizen Found Dead in Northwestern Depot at Nevada.

Martin Nothomb, a retired farmer and prominent citizen of Colo, was found dead Thursday forenoon in the closet of the Northwestern depot at Nevada. The discovery was made about eleven o'clock in the forenoon, and he may have lain there for half an hour before the discovery. He had come up from Colo on the morning train, which on Thursday arrived at Nevada about 9:30. He walked down town as far as Matheny grocery store, talked there for something like half an hour, bought a bushel of seed potatoes, shouldered the sack and started for the depot, hoping the catch the way freight east, which was due to leave at 9:45 but which was quite a little late. It is not reported that anyone noticed him after his departure from the store; but he left the potatoes at the corner of the depot, was probably too late for the train, went into the closet and was found there sometime later by a traveling man, who called the attention of the operator. He was lying face down and not being immediately recognized, he was a first taken for a drunk and the marshall telephoned for Closer inspection, however, revealed his real condition, and Station Agent Harrington arriving from the freight house, recognized the stricken man. He was dead and the only service it was possible to render him was to call an undertaker and notify the relatives. Presumably he had hurried too much to catch the train and had loaded himself too heavily with his sixty pounds of potatoes, and he had in consequence of his over-exertion experienced a fatal attack of apoplexy. Mr. Nothomb was a native of Belgium, and he was born April 1, 1833. He died at Nevada April 9, 1908, aged 75 years, and 8 days. He came to America when he was 23 years of age and settled in Illinois, where he lived for about eighteen years, and where he ws first married. He came to Story county in spring of 1874 and on May 30 of that year bought the farm in Sherman township on which he lived for many years. Mrs. Nothomb died there about ten years ago, and he was again married in September of 1903 to Mrs. Eliza Ballard of Nevada, who now survives him. He had by his first wife four children, three of whom died in infancy, and the one survivor of whom is his well-known son, Henry Ed. Nothomb, now a lawyer in Chicago. Mr. Nothomb was a most estimable citizen and worthy man, and his death was a great shock to all who knew him. Mrs. Nothomb was over from Colo Thursday afternoon, accompanied by Mesdames Yeager and Wier; but it was only arranged to have the body taken back to Colo. Funeral arrangements await the arrival of the son today from Chicago.

From Nevada Representative April 13, 1908

Mrs. Richard Ayers passed through the city Friday evening on her way to Colo, called by the sudden death of her step-father, Mr. Nothomb. She expects to call on Nevada friends before returning to her home in Ottumwa.

The funeral of the late Martin Nothomb was conducted Saturday afternoon at Colo. Henry Ed. Nothomb was in Nevada for a short time Friday evening, having come out from Chicago on No. 11 and returning to Colo on No. 4.