REES, Herbert E.: 1873-1958

REES, RIGSBY, PARSONS, PENNINGTON, ROUNDS

Posted By: Volunteer: Sherri
Date: 3/21/2014 at 13:33:05

Herbert E. Rees

Herbert E. Rees, son of Richard and Carrie Rees, was born at Bonaparte, Iowa, November 15, 1873 and passed away August 8, 1958 at Memorial hospital in Keosauqua after being seriously ill just a few days.

He was educated in the public schools at Bonaparte. He graduated from the Bonaparte high school and worked in his father's carriage factory at Bonaparte for a few years. He was united in marriage to Ollis Rigsby at Bonaparte in January 1901.

In 1904, he went to Keosauqua where he had his brother-in-law, Fred Rigsby, opened a blacksmith shop, building buggies and carriages and shoeing horses. They opened the first automobile dealership in Keosauqua in 1913 and continued in this business until Herb listed in World War I in 1917. He was in France 18 months, attaining the rank of Sargeant.

At the end of World War I he became the first custodian of Lacey-Keosauqua State Park, a job that suited him exactly because it gave him a chance to be doing the kind of things he loved to be doing out of doors.

In 1928 he quit the Park and went to Chicago where he worked for Eastman Coal Co. for several years, but still kept Keosauqua his home.

After retirement from this job he built his Vagabond House and every year made a trip to California with his house on wheels. Only the last two years he went by train.

He was a member of the Masonic Lodge, Knights Templar Commandery, the Kaaba Shrine of Davenport, the American Legion, and he supported the work of the Congregational church.

He was proceded in death by his parents and his only brother, Harry. He is survived by his wife, Ollie, and two nieces, Mrs. Gayle Parsons, Keosauqua, Mrs. Dorothy Pennington, Carlsbad, Calif., and five nephews, Don, Emmet and Milford Rounds, Carlsbad, Calif., Richard, Mt. Pleasant and Edwin, Keosauqua.

Memorial funeral services were held at the Burnett-Cacott Funeral Home, Keosauqua, Monday, Aug. 11, 1958, with Rev. Robert Folkert officiating. Burial was at Bonaparte.

Source: Scrapbook of Unknown Origin, Page 131