Max Kolb (1821-1901)

KOLB, HEINER, POHLE

Posted By: Gail and Dennis Bell
Date: 6/11/2005 at 22:38:49

THE MAXWELL TRIBUNE, Maxwell, Iowa, Thursday, March 14, 1901, page 3, column 4. "OBITUARY. - The obituary appended is that of the father of Mrs. Heiner. It will be remembered that an obituary of her mother appeared in these columns only about two months ago. The sympathy of the entire community is extended to the bereaved family. Born on the 25th of October, 1821 at Aesan Hartzoberant Mangen Koenegreich, Wurtemburg, Germany, and died at his home in Bloomington, Wisconsin, February 24, 1901, aged seventy-nine years, four months and three days. He came to America in 1854 and stayed in Milwaukee a short time, from thence he came to Mineral Point, where he worked at his trade for about a year, then quitting Mineral Point he went to Prairie du Chien, where he again resumed work at his chosen trade, being that of a blacksmith. In Prairie du Chien he formed a partnership with Fred Unger, a wagon maker, and for many years conducted a successful business in that city. The firm of Unger & Kolb was well and favorably known to many of the early settlers of Crawford and Grant counties. They turned out some of the finest wagons that came into that region. In 1871 he came to Bloomington where he conducted a successful business at his favorite vocation. Failing health and advancing years caused him to retire from business in 1883, since which time he has been looking after the accumulation of years of hard work and self denial, nor died he want to quit until tired nature compelled him to lay down the hammer for - "Week in, week out, from mourn till night You could hear his bellows blow; You could hear him swing his heavy sledge With measured beat and slow." Mr. Kolb was a modest unassuming man of sterling qualities. He disdained a dishonest act and dispised** a trickster. He was an honest man of strict integrity. December 5, 1857, in Prairie du Chien he met and married Miss Marie M. Starr**, Four children were born of this union, one of which died in infancy, three surviving - Mrs. Henry Heiner, Maxwell, Iowa; Frank Kolb, Patch Grove and Mrs. H. _. Pohle of Bloomington. Mr. Kolb was a well trained soldier, having served four years in the German army, in a cavalry regiment, and as a reward of merit, when his time was up, the military authorities of that country let him have his saber to take home with him. In his life he was an industrious hard working man who thought there was no excellence without great labor and he had no time for a loafer or laziness. In his religion he was liberal and accorded to each and every one the right to worship God according to the dictates of his conscience. He was born and raised a Catholic, but did not live up to the requirements of that faith. In his politics he was a democrat, but never meddled with the management of that great party and he was at all times an honest man, free from guile. As a neighbor, he was kind and accomodating** and with good neighbors was just and generous, and thus has passed away a good citizen, a kind and indulgent father whose constant care was the welfare of his children. His wife had died two months previous to his death. At the time of the death of his wife, he told the writer hereof that he did not think he would stay long behind her, with whom he had made life's journey, through good report or evil report, through sunshine and shadow, through grief or sorrow. He was an Odd Fellow of long standing, and a member of Bloomington lodge of that honorable Order, under whose auspices he was laid away in the cemetery, in the village by the side of her who a few short weeks previous had laid down the burdens of this life and went to sleep that restful sleep that knows no waking. - Bloomington (Wis.) Record."