George HOLLAND

HOLLAND

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 2/10/2024 at 13:06:48

January 1860 ---- November 24, 1913

Geo. Holland, who died in Eagle Grove on Monday, Nov 24th in his room over Cotton's restaurant on Fifth street, was given a Christian burial in Rosehill cemetery. Rev. Pierce of the Congregational church conducting services in the parlors of the undertaker. Mr. Holland was employed here by the paving crew and was sick several days and was under the care of Dr. O'Toole, under the direction of Supervisor Spangler. No relatives could be located to claim the remains. The authorities at Iowa City University offered $15 for the body, but that seemed somewhat inhuman and he was given burial as mentioned above.

Eagle Grove Times Gazette -- Eagle Grove, Iowa
December 4, 1913

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Lone Death
George Holland died in his room over the Cotton store on Fifth street Monday night. He had been ailing for about a week, being troubled with a serious rupture. He had no one with him that night and in the morning was found dead in his bed. He was fifty-two years of age. He came here from Chicago and was working with the paving men. He had no relatives and Mr. Spangler is attending to the body, unless somebody claims it, it will be bought by the medical college of the State University and shipped to Iowa City. The State pays $50 for unclaimed bodies and is glad to get them at that figure.

Eagle Grove Eagle --- Eagle Grove, Iowa
November 27, 1913

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After the death of George Holland which was noted in last week's EAGLE, Supervisor Spangler turned the body over to Kubitschek Bros. undertakers. The deceased had told Dr. O'Toole and Mr. Spangler that he had no relatives or friends. He had been married, had had two children both now dead and he was divorced from his wife. Upon his person was found the address of a person in Chicago. In determining what disposition to make of the body Mr. Spangler telegraphed this person in Chicago asking if anyone there desired the body and received a reply that no one there wished it. Mr. Spangler then telegraphed the secretary of the state board of health, as to the disposition of the body after consulting physicians here, and he referred him to the dean of the state medical school at Iowa City who informed him unclaimed bodies could be sent to the medical school for anatomical instruction and that it would pay $15.00 for the preparing the body here for its transportation to Iowa City. It seemed to Mr. Spangler that this was a perfectly clear case of justifying the sending of this body
where it could be used in the legitimate cause of science and the service of human life. It must be conceded Mr. Spangler was wholly right in this conclusion. There could not possibly be a less questionable case for such a purpose. Human bodies are an absolute necessity at all medical schools. They have to be secured in some way. This seemed to be a clearly legitimate opportunity to supply a body for that cause without violence to any sentiment of humanity, or any of the proprieties of civilized society. But objections were made here to such disposition of the body, and demands made for its burial here that Mr. Spangler did not care to combat, however ill founded and the interment was made in Rose Hill cemetery. Rev. Mr. Pierce conducted a short service at the undertaking rooms. It might be added that alcoholism was a large factor in the man's death. In view of all the facts in this case it certainly appears that Mr. Spangler was wholly within law, reason, and the cause of human service, in his proposed disposition of this body, and that those instrumental in preventing it were acting under misapprehension of the conditions, or a mistaken notion of the proprieties in the case.

Eagle Grove Eagle --- Eagle Grove, Iowa
December 4, 1913