Cratsenberg, Alva A. c1852 – 1905

CRATSENBERG, BENNETT, WHITNEY

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 3/6/2019 at 17:53:18

Source: Decorah Republican May 25, 1905 P2 C4

ALVA A. CRATSENBERG.
Death Comes to Him as an Unexpected Visitor.
After an illness of short duration Alva A. Cratsenberg, oldest son of A. J. Cratsenberg of Decorah, died at the city hospital in St. Paul, last Monday morning at seven o’clock.
For some time Mr. Cratsenberg had not been in robust health, suffering from a kidney difficulty. A short time ago in alighting from a street ear he wrenched an ankle. Business compelled him to go to Duluth and there he suffered an attack of rheumatism. As soon as possible he returned to St. Paul and went to the city hospital. Mrs. Cratsenberg, who was visiting in Decorah at the time, returned home on the 13th. Word received from St. Paul indicated that her husband was improving and no serious outcome was anticipated. A sudden change for the worse occurred the latter part of last week and his father and daughter were telegraphed to come to St. Paul at once. They reached him Saturday evening. Later reports told that a complication set in and Mr. Cratsenberg’s death resulted as stated above.
The deceased was born fifty-three years ago in New York and came west with his parents to Burr Oak, in this county, in 1869. When he was twenty- one years old he engaged in the fire insurance business under Henry Paine, working in Winneshiek county. His ability soon won him a position as Mr. Paine’s assistant in the state agency for the Continental Insurance company and later promotion to the state agency for the same company in Wisconsin. There he remained but two or three years, when he went to St. Paul to become state agent of Minnesota for the German American Fire Insurance company, a position he held and honored until the day of his death.
In 1880 he was married to Miss Ida Bennett at Madison, Wis. To them a daughter was born who, with the wife, survive him. Mr. Cratsenberg is also survived by his father, two sisters, Mrs. L. B. Whitney and Miss Alina of Decorah, and one brother, Frank A. Cratsenberg, now engaged in government survey work in Garland, Wyoming. The funeral was held at the home of the deceased at 400 Laurel Avenue, St. Paul, yesterday afternoon.