Henry N. Donhowe (1872-1925)

DONHOWE, TOLLEFSON, HENDERSON, JOHNSON

Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 5/3/2024 at 20:56:52

From the Roland Record, Roland, Story County, Iowa, April 9, 1925.

H. N. DONHOWE CALLED BY DEATH

WAS PROMINENT IN POLITICAL AND BUSINESS AFFAIRS OF STORY COUNTY

The funeral of Henry N. Donhowe of Story City, auctioneer, banker and former member of the Iowa assembly, whose death occurred last Friday, was held from St. Petri church at Story City on Tuesday afternoon, it being estimated that approximately 1500 people were present to pay their respects to the deceased. A number of ministers from out of town were present at the funeral services, several of them giving talks, besides the regular pastor, Rev. J. N. Anderson, among them being Rev. G. Smedal of Minneapolis, former pastor of Bergen church at this place.

The deceased was born in Story County in the year 1872 and was 53 years old at the time of his death. On September 1, 1896 he was married to Miss Tillie Tollefson of St. Ansgar, to which union were born three children, Arthur, Jeanette, now Mrs. Lester Henderson, and Erling. Besides his wife and children, he also leaves one sister, Mrs. Johnson of Jewell, and four brothers, Olavus of Kansas, John of Eagle Grove, and Nels and Peter Donhowe of Story City. He is also survived by his aged father, Ole O. Donhowe of Story City.

At the time of his death, Mr. Donhowe was president of three banks, the Story City National at Story City, the Randall Savings bank at Randall, and the First Liberty Savings bank at Eagle Grove. In addition he was also an active farm sale auctioneer, being associated with C. O. Highland of this place in the firm of Donhowe & Highland. He represented Story County in the Iowa legislature during three sessions, the 39th, 40th and one extra session of the general assembly.

Mr. Donhowe was well known throughout the county and state, and had a large number of personal friends at this place also. He was taken ill with pneumonia two weeks before his death, and, although everything possible was done to check t he disease, he passed away on Friday last week about 7:30 inn the morning. The news of his death came as a shock to this community, although the end was not unexpected, and his going will be a loss, not only to his own town, but to the neighboring communities and the county as a whole.