John William "Will" Emery (1872-1901)

EMERY, ROBINSON, VENEMAN, WHITFORD

Posted By: Gail and Dennis Bell
Date: 5/30/2005 at 21:18:02

THE MAXWELL TRIBUNE, Maxwell, Iowa, Thursday, November 7, 1901, page 1, column 3. "Tragic Death of J. W. Emery. This neighborhood was shocked last Friday morning to learn that "Will" Emery as he was familiarly known in this neighborhood, had been instantly killed in a railroad wreck near Oelwein. Mr. Emery having been reared at Cory Grove and having spent a considerable portion of his life in this vicinity was well and favorable known and the sad news cast a gloom of sorrow over his many friends. He was a brother of Mrs. C. A. Robinson, living northwest of town, and a nephew of Hon. J. W. Veneman, living northeast of town. Mr. and Mrs. Emery have live the past five years on the old homestead near Colo, but had decided to try their fortune in the great northwest, having purchased a large stock ranch in North Dakota. Mr. Emery has been actively engaged in the stock business for a number of years and at the time of his death was shipping several car loads of cattle from Kansas City to his ranch in North Dakota. With him on this trip was his uncle, J. B. Veneman, of Des Moines, formerly of this place, who was also injured in the wreck and taken to a hospital at Oelwein.** Their household goods had been shipped to North Dakota and it was expected that Mrs. Emery should join her husband at St. Paul and from there go with him to their new home. While waiting for word to start for St. Paul, the sad message came announcing his death. OBITUARY. John William Emery born in Elkhart township, Polk county, Iowa, April 10, 1872, died near Oelwine**, Iowa, October 30, 1901, aged twenty-nine years, six months and twenty days. He grew to manhood in this part of the state and by reason of his uprightness of character gathered around him many loyal and enduring friends. Nearly all his life was spent in Story, and Polk counties, the greater part of which was on the farm, the exception being a few years in Des Moines with his mother who resided at Lake Park. When twelve years of age he sustained the great loss of his life, his father, who was a prominent physician, having like him met a tragic death, being killed in a run away in 1884. In the fall of 1895 he was united in marriage to Miss Mattie Whitford, and the next spring moved onto the farm near Colo which was their home until the time of his demise. Those of his family left to mourn the loss are his wife, his mother, now living in Nevada, and his only sister, Mrs. C. A. Robinson, living near Maxwell. Mr. Emery was a faithful member of the Odd Fellows and Modern Woodman lodges of Colo. The remains arrived at Colo Friday morning at ten o'clock; short services were held in the Me. E. church, conducted by Rev. Caldwell and then the body take to Cory Grove cemetery and laid to rest beside his father. A brief service was held at Cory Grove chapel, conducted by Rev. I. M. T. Cory, a life long friend of the family, after which interment took place in the cemetery near by, the ceremony at the grave being according to the Odd Fellow Ritual and conducted by the members of his lodge, assisted by brethren from State Center and Maxwell. His bereaved wife, mother and sister have the heartfelt sympathy of a multitude of friends in this their hour of sorrow. **Editorial note - both spellings of the name are found in the original newspaper article.

THE MAXWELL TRIBUNE, Maxwell, Iowa, Thursday, November 7, 1901, page 10, column 5. "ADDITIONAL LOCAL. - W. J. Noe, ex-editor of the Marshall county Independent, spent several hours in Maxwell, Saturday, and visited at this office. He was laid over with a sick horse, which he had driven from State Center to Cory Grove, to attend the burial of his friend, J. W. Emery."