John Saar Sr.

SAAR, SOPHNHEIMER, SPOHNHEIMER, ROBERTS, STONEBRAKER, SMITH, SWANK, BENNETT, DELANEY, CASADY

Posted By: Connie Street (email)
Date: 10/29/2005 at 00:25:25

OBITUARY OF JNO. SAAR, SR.

John Saar, Sr. was born on a farm near the village of Ellerstadt, Bavaria, Oct. 15, 1835, being at the time of his death 78 years, 6 mo. and 5 da. of age.

When he was about the age of twelve years his father and family embarked at Manheim on the Rhine, for United State of America, going by the way of Amsterdam and Havre, France. After being on the ocean for sixty-three days they landed at New Orleans about July 1, of the year of 1847.

From there they came up the Mississippi river to Keokuk, they entered some land in Lee County near Charleston, Iowa. It was here that his father died in 1863. His mother died at his home in Cantril in 1883 being at her death 84 years of age.

On Jan. 29, 1861, Jno. Saar was marrid [sic] to Anna Marie Sophnheimer [sic] daughter of Henry and Marguerite Spohnheimer who had come to this country when Marie was only four years old. There were bora [sic] to John and Marie Saar eight children -Martin, Mary, John, Rosa, Anna, Lizzie, Emma, Katie. Lizzie and Anna died in infancy.

In the year 1868 they moved to Van Buren county and settled on a farm near Niles, just east of Cantril it is now, and here they made their home until 1891 when they moved into Cantril, where they lived ever since. The children are living in or near Cantril except Martin and Rosa. Martin lives at Henderson, Iowa, and Mrs. Rosa Roberts lives at West Plaines, Mo. The children are all married. Martin married Lola Stonebraker, Mary married Harve Smith, and after his death was married to Lee Swank, John married Estella Bennett, Rosa married Frank Roberts, Emma married W.H. DeLaney, Katie married George Casady. There are in all twenty-five grand children and three great grand children.

His children were all at his bedside and ministered to him during his last illness. He was reared in the Evangelical church faith in Germany.

After coming to Cantril he and his wife took membership in the Methodist Episcopal church. He was prompt, punctual and faithful in the performance of every duty pertaining to the church work. He was not only a moral and honorable man, but a sincere and devoted christian at all times and all places - was public spirited and progressive. He was an enthusiastic advocate of our public school system and worked for its improvement and advancement. He was a man of convictions and stood by them without being disagreeable or offensive. He was philanthropic. Like the good Samaritan he never passed by the suffering and needy without extending a helping hand. Not just an industrious but a hard and incessant working man. A pioineer who assisted in making Iowa one of the great commonweaths of the nation.

His health began to fail about two years ago, but he kept up and attended to business until the last few months. He died knowing that he had reared a family who are all good citizens, the greatest honor that can befall any man. He passed away at his home on South Street, April 20th, 1914, at 6 p.m. The funeral was conducted from the Methodist Church in Cantril on Thursday, APril 23, 1914, at one o'clock p.m.

Rev. Lloyd Tennant of Ft. Madison, a former pastor, preached the sermon from Job 5-26, as the text. The music was in charge of W.S. Jack with a choir of selected voices, Miss Marguerite Hilles at the piano. Interment was held in Maple Grove Cemetery. "Uncle John" as we all came to know him in Cantril, will be greatly missed in the church and Sunday school. For the past eight years he has taught the same class in S.S. and was never absent unless sick or out of the city. A number of old men friends of the deceased accompanied by their pastor of Milton came in a body to the church. Rev. Haskins the pastor of Milton assisted in the service.

The pallbearers were all grandsons of the deceased.

(On file at the Donnellson Public Library. Newspaper unknown.)