William Jasper Veneman (1844-1916)

VENEMAN, KIRBY, BLACK, COLE

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 3/17/2022 at 22:59:15

From Nevada Representative April 21, 1916 (page 5)

OBITUARY

WM. J. VENEMAN

Wm. J. Veneman, prominent resident of Indian Creek township, veteran of the civil war and twice representative of Story county in the general assembly, died Tuesday evening at Long Beach, California, where he has been spending the winter. His death was evidently sudden and we know that almost immediately before it he was planning his return to Iowa; for this office has received since his death a letter from him directing that the address of his paper be changed from Long Beach to Maxwell.

Mr. Veneman's death will be a shock to people of this county and particularly of the southern part. He was an old-timer in the county, was active in public affairs, esteemed where he was known, and deserving and commanding the confidence of the county His home for many years was on a farm northwest of Maxwell; but his wife died a few years ago, and since then he had made his home in Maxwell and traveled about very mush as suited him. Death happened to find him far from home. We have not the data for an obituary; but further notice will be made of him later.

From Nevada Representative April 28, 1916 (page 4)

OBITUARY

WILLIAM J. VENEMAN

Tribute of the Maxwell Tribune

William Jasper Veneman was born in Kosciusko county, Indiana, June 5, 1844. He died at Long Beach, California, April 18, 1916, at the age of seventy-one years, ten months and thirteen days.

Mr. Veneman's life story funs parallel to the development of Iowa. In this development he had a part. He came here as a boy of five years on the tide of the great westward wave of 1849. His father's family was one of five forming a caravan which penetrated to northern Polk county. The parents of Billy Sunday, who were kinsmen of the Venemans, were of the number.

At that time between Marshalltown and Des Moines there lived but one family. A settlement was made in Elkhart township, log houses were built, followed soon by a school of similar construction. Among the first institutions of the neighborhood was a Methodist class with which the family were identified. Everything was primitive. Every one suffered privation, but such condition made stalwart men, self-reliant, resourceful and aggressive.

Under the influences of this frontier home, church and school Mr. Veneman passed his boyhood. When the Civil war began he lacked yet a year of the necessary eighteen, but when the required age was reached he hastened to enlist. He was mustered in August 11, 1862. He fought in the western theatre of war under Sherman. His regiment was the 39th Iowa Infantry. On October 5, 1864, occurred the battle of Altoona Pass. Private Veneman was serving with the color guard which was surrounded and captured. The prisoners were taken to Macon, Georgia, and then to the prison at Milan. After fifty-two days of terrible hardships of war imprisonment and an almost successful attempt to escape, the young soldier was paroled and later exchanged, reaching his regiment again in April, 1865. On June 5, 1865, the regiment was mustered out. That day was also his twenty-first birthday. He had seen more of adventure before attaining manhood than most men experience in an entire lifetime.

The armies melted away over night. This seasoned pioneer and veteran of a great war returned to his father's home and took up the school books he had laid down. He attended school for two years, and on August 30, 1867, he was married to Miss Margaret Kirby, of Des Moines. During the following winter each taught a country school. The next spring Mr. Veneman's father died and he took charge of the home farm. In 1873 he bought a farm in Story county, near Maxwell, where he lived for twenty-nine years. Six children came to his home. Roy, the eldest, passed away in 1906 It was on his tenth anniversary of the funeral of this son that his father's body reached Maxwell. The remaining children are located as follows: Lemuel J., of Milford, Iowa; Nelson J., of Maxwell, Iowa; Mrs. Harriet Black, of Scranton, Iowa; Mrs. Alberta Cole, of Winterset, Iowa, and Ward W., of St. Paul, Minn. They were all able to attend their father's funeral.

Mr. Veneman was always willing to be of service to his community. He held many offices of the local government and represented his county in the state legislature for two terms. During fifty years of active life he was in the service of the public as soldier, school teacher and civil official for more than thirty-five years.

His service to the church was continuous. From earliest boyhood he was in the church at Cory's Grove. In 1874 he and his wife joined the Methodist church then in Iowa Center. When Maxwell was founded they moved their membership and were charter members of the Methodist church here. Mr. Veneman served on the building committee which built the first church building here, then when the present edifice was built in 1912, he served in a similar capacity. He was a various times trustee, steward and Sunday school superintendent. He also belonged to the Masonic and Odd Fellow orders and to the Grand Army.

Mr. Veneman possessed in large measure the divine quality of friendliness. He could really share the perplexities and trials of others and be of use to those in trouble. He was notably generous of time and money.

In 1902 Mr. and Mrs. Veneman moved to Maxwell where Mrs. Veneman died on January 24, 1912. Last January Mr. Veneman went to California as has been his wont in recent years. He was about ready to return when he was stricken suddenly with heart trouble resulting from indigestion. After twenty-five hours of sickness he passed away.

J. W. Dunahoo, who accompanied Mr. Veneman to California, and who was in fact, his companion during the winter, was with him when he passed away and accompanied the body of his friend and comrade on this last journey home.

The funeral was held Tuesday afternoon, April 25th, at the Methodist church in Maxwell, Frank Bean, the pastor officiating. A great multitude of friends and neighbors, comrades of the G. A. R. and fraternal associates gathered to do honor to the departed.

Messrs. Wm. Patterson, of Rippey, and F. R. Thurber, of Des Moines, the former Mr. Veneman's bunk mate in the army, and the other also a member of his company and an especial friend, acted as escort of honor to the grave.