KORNS, Jacob (1817-1911)

KORNS

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes
Date: 11/4/2016 at 08:41:19

The Times-Republican
Marshalltown, Iowa

DIES AT THE AGE OF 94 YEARS
----------------------------------------------
Jacob Korns, Pioneer Settler of
Tama County, Dies

From the Times-Republican

Death came Friday night to one of the early settlers of Tama county, Jacob Korns, age 94, for seven years past a resident of this city, but for forty-seven years preceding of Highland township, Tama county.

Until very recently Mr. Korns, accompanied by his wife and step-daughter, Mrs. John Van Buskirk, of Elgin, Ill., had been on a visit to Mr. Korns' old home at Wellersburg, Somerset county, Pennsylvania where he had visited many relatives, including two nieces and nephews, both in Pennsylvania and Maryland. Shortly after his return home Mr. Korns was stricken with pneumonia, and an abscess, that developed on the lungs caused his death at 11:55 Friday night.

BORN ON WASHINTONS BIRTH-
DAY.

Just eighty-five years after the first president of the United States saw the light of day Jacob Korns was born in Somerset county, Penn., Feb. 22, 1817. He lived in his native state during the years of his young manhood, and was married Jan. 17, 1842, to Elizabeth Beisecker. The couple came west in 1857, and settled in Highland township, Tama county, on a farm four miles east of Gilman, and six miles south of Montour. The family came west by railroad, but Mr. Korns sent his livestock overland as far as Carnforth in Poweshiek county, which was as far as the public road was then broken. The first twenty acres of the virgin prairie that comprises the 320-acre Korns place, were broken by the sturdy pioneer farmer the first year he was on the place.

HELPED OTHERS TO START

Like many another pioneer Mr. Korns extended the hospitality of his home to other newcomers, and was instrumental in bringing to the new country many friends and acquaintances "back east." The late D.W. Norris, of Grinnell, was one of the early settlers of that section of Tama county whom Mr. Korns helped in establishing a home in the new country. Mr. Norris made his home with Mr. Korns while the Norris home was being built, and Mr. Korns helped Mr. Norris put up the house, as he did several other of the earlier Tama settlers.

Mrs. Korns, who had borne to her husband six children, died Nov. 25, 1887, and on July 31, 1888, Mr. Korns took as his wife Mrs. Mary H. Goldsmith, of Chicago, the wedding taking place in Chicago. This wife survives Mr. Korns as does also one of Mr. Korns' children by his first wife, Mrs. T.A. Mooers, who lives on the old Korns homestead.

Short funeral services will be held at the home at 8:30 o'clock Monday morning, Rev. James Rayburn officiating. The body will leave for Gilman at 9:30 and from there it will be taken to the home of the daughter, Mrs. T.A. Mooers northest of Gilman, where the services will be held at 1 o'clock in the afternoon, Burial will be in the cemetery near there, beside the bodies of the first Mrs. Korns and her five children.

Mr. Van Buskirk arrived from Elgin this morning to attend the funeral, Mrs. Van Buskirk having been here for a few days.
----------------------------------

The funeral was largely attended, those present from a distance being Mr. and Mrs. Van Buskirk of Elgin, Ill.; Mrs. Bradley, of Chicago; Mr. and Mrs. Weatherbee, Mrs. Carpenter, Mrs. Burke, E.J. Korns of Marshalltown; Joseph K. Lepley, of Carnforth; Mrs. L. Wheelan, Mr. and Mrs. E.J. Hadley, of Grinnell; Mrs. C. Ratcliffe, of New Sharon; Mrs. Angle Patterson and son Glen, Frank and Dennis Ensminger, of Gilman.

The Millard quartette sang during the services. The remains were borne to their last resting place by John Buchanan, Alvin Gill, P.F. Long, Charles Sexton, J.D. Campbell and Murray Moffet, interment being in the Highland cemetery, by the side of the body of the first wife of the deceased and those of two daughters.