Levi Dale DICKINSON

DICKINSON, BLAKE, GIBSON, KOOBS, BRENNAN, NELSON, SCHIEFEN, WHITNEY, FOGELMAN

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 9/8/2013 at 00:52:49

April 14, 1866 ---- June 27, 1948

Funeral services for Levi Dale Dickinson, 82, a resident of Hawarden 44 years were held at 10 o'clock this morning at the Methodist Church. Rev. Milton Schaper, the pastor and Rev. Robert Chapler of Sergeant Bluff were in charge. The body was taken to Eagle Grove by A Earl Ross for interment. Rev Chapler accompanied members of the family and was in charge of the graveside services. In the closing hours of June 27, Mr. Dickinson died at the Community hospital here, after an illness of five weeks. Mr. Dickinson came to Hawarden on January 16, 1904.

Levi Dale Dickinson was born at Foston, Lincolnshire, England April 14, 1866. As a young man in England, he had been an employed with the Great Northern Railway for approximately eight years. He came to the United States on February 28, 1890, arriving at the home of Robert Gibson, a lifelong friend of his father who lived on a farm near Gilmore City, Iowa. He assisted Mr. Gibson on the farm for approximately two years. But his first love was the railroad and on December 12, 1891, he started his railroad career in this country with the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad as a machinist's helper at Eagle Grove, Iowa. He remained with the same railroad, employed in various capacities up to superintendent of the railroad shops at Hawarden where he was retired from active service on April 8, 1937, after 46 years of service.

After his retirement from the railroad he made a long-awaited visit to his homeland. Accompanied by his son, George, he left Montreal, Canada, on May 6, 1938, visited his family in England, and arrived back in the United States on July 1.

On Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 1896, Mr. Dickinson married Elizabeth Mary Blake at her parental farm home four miles south of Chelsea, Iowa. They moved at once to Eagle Grove, Iowa. There four of their seven children were born, George Lewis, Cleora Mary, Dale, who died at the age of 11 weeks, and Levi Alexander.

The family moved to Hawarden January 16, 1904, upon Mr. Dickinson's transfer as superintendent of the railroad shops here and three children, Ruth Elizabeth, Hazel, Iris and Bertice Miriam were born in Hawarden.

Mr. Dickinson was preceded in death by his wife who died at Oakdale Sanatorium April 15, 1921, and by an infant son Dale who died at Eagle Grove. Survivors include his six children, George L. Dickinson of Aurora, Ill., Mrs. Cleora Koobs of Providence, R.I., Levi Dickinson Jr., of Atlanta Ga., Mrs. Ruth Brennan of Sioux City, Mrs. Hazel Nelson of Los Angeles, Calif., and Mrs. Bertice Schiefen of Port Orchard, Wash.; three grandchildren, Richard A Whitney Jr., of Milwaukee, Wis., Miss Georgia Dickinson of Douglasville, Ga., and Miss Miriam Fogelman of Port Orchard, Wash.; two great grandchildren, Richard A. Whitney III and Mary Margaret Whitney of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Hawarden Independent - Hawarden, Iowa
July 1, 1948