Hannah Michelina Ringheim (1859-1920)

RINGHEIM, BERG, SIMMONS, LIVINGSTON, HANSELL

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 10/29/2021 at 23:56:42

From Nevada Representative July 22, 1920 (page 1)

HANNAH RINGHEIM KILLED BY AUTO

WAS KNOCKED TO PAVEMENT BY CAR AND DIED FROM FRACTURE OF THE SKULL

While attempting to cross Linn street at the intersection of Second Avenue South early Thursday evening of last week, Miss Hannah Ringheim, one of the best known and most beloved women of Nevada, was knocked down by a passing automobile and received injuries from which she died three hours later.

Miss Ringheim and her niece, Miss Lettie Simmons, at the time of the accident, were on their way to the U. S. Alderman home for a visit with Mrs. Klove. Starting to cross the street their attention was directed on a car coming from the south and they did not observe a car driven by D. G. Berry approaching them from the north until Mr. Berry's car was close to them. Instead of both ladies continuing across the street, Miss Ringheim apparently became confused and started back to the west side of the street. Mr. Berry thinking to avoid both women, turned his car into the curb. The car by this time was very close to Miss Ringheim and, instead of directly taking the curb as Mr. Berry intended, the front wheels slid along the side of the curbing far enough to strike and knock Miss Ringheim to the pavement.

She was carried into the S. S. Hanson home close by and physicians summoned. At first it was thought that she had received only superficial injuries, but after removing her to the family home it was found that a fracture at the base of the skull had been sustained, from which injury this estimable woman died at 11:10 o'clock.

Mr. Berry, who was driving the ill fated car at the time of the accident, claims that he was driving slowly and had his car under control, and his contentions are substantiated by witnesses to the accident, consequently no blame is laid to him. The direct cause of the accident can most likely be laid to the fact that all parties became confused at the same time, the two ladies striking out in opposite directions to one another and Mr. Berry not knowing just what to do in the emergency quickly enough to avoid the accident.

Funeral services for Miss Ringheim were held Sunday afternoon both at the home and at Memorial Lutheran church, attended by perhaps the largest gathering of people ever brought together in Story county at a funeral service. Both services were conduced by Rev. C. N. Swihart, pastor of the Memorial Lutheran church, assisted by Rev. James O. Simon of Cedar Rapids, a close friend of the family.

A mixed quartette, consisting of Mr. and Mrs. Kloster, O. O. Mullen and Mrs. N. S. Nutty, sang two songs at the church an one at the cemetery. Mrs. Kloster also rendered a solo at the church.

Floral tributes from friends of the family were many and most beautiful.

On page six of this issue will be a tribute to Miss Ringheim, written by a close friend and neighbor of the family, that conveys more than the editor feels capable of undertaking on such short acquaintance.

Same issue of the Nevada Representative, page 6

OBITUARY

DEATH OF HANNAH RINGHEIM

Last Thursday evening July 15th, 1920, at eleven o'clock at the sequel of a mortal hurt received in a distressing automobile accident, some three hours earlier, the veil that separates the "life that now is from the life to come" was lifted and untitled, but royal, Hannah Ringheim passed beyond and into the larger life. When the morning dawned, and the people of this goodly city and vicinity awoke to the full knowledge of what had happened, they experienced a knock that rarely breaks into the life of any community. A wave of genuine sorrow broke upon all hearts, and the universal thought, expressed and unexpressed, was--How can we have it so! And sur it is that the shadow cast over our community life, by the unhappy event will not be easily nor quickly dispelled.

The public have become so familiar with the details of the accident that we refrain from any restatement. In passing, however, we wish to observe that it is not difficult to see how easily the accident might have been avoided if this and that little thing had been done at the time to modify the situation. But in the present case the concensus of opinion, in which those most deeply interested full concur, is, that when all the elements of the situation are taken into the account, the accident passes into the unavoidable class and hence all participants therein are held blameless.

However when the close of any life has come, whether the surroundings be peaceful or tragic, it is fitting an profitable that the usual obsequies of the Christian communities be observed and their consoling benefits appropriated. Indeed, the more tragic the close, the more need of all the helps, mental, moral and spiritual, that can be brought to our attention. Therefore, as one of the strengthening and comforting helps for mourning family friends, and for a fuller public appreciation of the life and character of a valued fellow citizen, we have record a condensed story of Miss Ringheim's eminently worthy and useful life.

Miss Hannah Michelina Ringheim was born in Decorah, April 30, 1858. She was the fourth daughter of Mr. Knud and Mrs. Bolette Berg Ringheim. She was educated in the Decorah public schools and later on in the early seventies was a student in the public schools of Nevada for a year or more when the schools were in charge of Prof. Clingan. Paintings of the school buildings in which he taught and in which she was a student, are in the historical rooms of the library. Following her school attendance in Nevada, she secured a teacher's certificate and successfully taught several terms of school in Lyons county, this state, an near the then home of her eldest sister, Mrs. Edward Simmons, the mother of her niece, Miss Letta Simmons. During this her first residence in Nevada, her home was in the family of her uncle, I. A. Ringheim, pioneer merchant and esteemed citizen. Returning from Lyons county to the family home in Decorah, she accepted a clerkship in the leading general merchandise store in that thriving city, and there began her long and successful business career. During the summer of 1881, she, her sister Margaret and her mother, moved to Nevada where the family home was established and of which her sister, Bessie, now Mrs. Livingston, and her brother, Andrew, became members. At this time Miss Hannah entered the store here of her uncle, I. A. Ringheim. Two years later she was joined by her sister Emily from Decorah. From that time to the hour of deeply lamented passing, they were happily and successfully associated in the same line of business activity.

In 1887, the sisters, Emily and Hannah, and H. A. Warner, now of Cresco, entered into a partnership under the title of H. A. Warner & Co., and established a dry goods business in the room where the present Ringheim store is now located. Not long after, the brother, Andrew M., moved his clothing business into the adjoining room on the north.

In 1893, the Ringheim firm opened a dry goods store in Perry under the conduct of Mr. and Mrs. F. M. Livingston. Later the business was sold to them. Previous to the above noted business changes and additions, in 1882, the Ringheim home became permanently located as at present, on Locust street near the park. From 1905 to 1908, the mother, the sisters and their niece, Miss Simmons, resided in Perry and the Nevada home was occupied by Andrew M. and family. The mother died in Perry in 1906. Her remains were returned to Nevada and tenderly and affectionately sepultured in our attractive cemetery.

In 1872, at the age of 14, Miss Ringheim became a member of the Augustana Lutheran church of Decorah by confirmation. On coming to Nevada she entered into full fellowship with the Memorial Lutheran church of this city, of which institution she was a devoted, consecrated, helpful member to the end.

This is the brief, unadorned story of her life journey, her business activities and her institutional affiliations. But back and within all these visible aspects of her three score and two years, there was an invisible mental, moral and spiritual force that made of these outward and visible agencies, evangels for the enduring betterment of the world in which we abide. She possessed excellent ability in many directions, but the basic elements of her character were intelligent, every day, common sense, absolute integrity and a strong but unheralded desire to help humanity in its upward climb for better conditions. She utilized her educational opportunities to develop her own powers and to make herself a more efficient helper to fellow travelers along the way. She was a born business woman. She made friends of her customers. She mixed kindly service in her dealings. She bought and sold with studied thought of the tastes and needs of her patrons. There was no taint on the profits of her mercantile operations. She possessed a fine, discriminating community spirit No worthy community enterprise ever made its appeal to her without due and friendly encouragement. And this willing "Lend a Hand" spirit was not confined to the narrow bounds of a city's corporate limits. It went out far and wide with kindly response when the need was genuine and the cause worthy. Miss Ringheim was a good neighbor, one of the very best. Her neighborly remembrances brot no suggestion of return obligation. They came always without ostentation, and the left hand never knew what the right hand had been doling. For a quarter of a century out home doors have not been far apart, and we know whereof we write. Even the daily salutations have made for us, day unnumbered, better and happier. As stated, she was a faithful, consecrated member of the Lutheran church and gave it generous and affectionate support. But her vision and sympathy were wider than the metes and bounds of any denomination. In her attitude towards the public or the individual church affiliations did not enter into her solutions of the varied problems and social demands of every day life.

The biographical portion of this obituary records that for nearly forty years, the Ringheim sisters, Hannah and Emily or Emily and Hannah, as one chooses, live and labored in intimate and harmonious association. And while there were minor differences in purely personal characteristics, in the major matters of spirit, purpose, achievement, aspiration and helpful service, they were one and inseparable. Indeed, so pronounced and constant was this unity that they were rarely spoken of in business and social circles, except in terms of both. Hence it follows without saying, that all the true and kindly words spoken and written of the one who has passed on, may be justly appropriated by the one who happily remains. That this appropriation may be thus made, and freely, is the sincere desire of a multitude of loving friends.

The immediate family friends left to mourn a great loss are: Mrs. F. M. Livingston, daughter Adah and son Barton; Emily Ringheim and niece Letta Simmons; Andrew M. Ringheim, son Wright and daughters Margaret and Ruth, all of Nevada; and Mrs. Wm. Hansell, daughter Hortense and son Whitefield, of Ottumwa.

Other relatives and special friends from out of the city, present at the obsequies, were Dr. Wm. Hansell and John Neasham of Ottumwa; Mrs. Jennie Ringheim and son David T., of Garden City; Mr. and Mrs. Ivan Ringheim, Harriet Fitchpatrick and Gold Sherman, of Des Moines; Mr. and Mrs. H. A. Warner and Mrs. Martha Mott of Decorah; Margaret McNichols of Carroll; Mrs. Bert Jewett, of Ames; and Miss Elizabeth Heightshoe, Mrs. Orrin White, Mrs. George Hardy and Mrs. Omspoch of Perry.

The funeral services were held in the Lutheran church Sunday afternoon at four o'clock, as announced. Rev. C. N. Swihart, pastor, was in charge, Rev. J. O. Simon of Cedar Rapids, a former pastor, assisting. The services throughout were in all respects eminently fitting and helpful. The floral tributes were many and beautiful and tokened the voiceless remembrances of a wide circle of fellow citizens. The attendance was unprecedently large. Not more than one-third of those present could be seated in the church, and the total number in attendance, coming from near and far, was not much less, if any, than a thousand. Interment was in the Nevada cemetery beside kindred dust.