George Leonard WELLEMEYER

WELLEMEYER, FIEGENBAUM, SAGE, TOWN, ADDICKS

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 7/20/2010 at 18:14:35

13 April 1932
Klemme Times - Klemme, Iowa

George Leonard Wellemeyer was born 8 October 1865 on a farm near Wapello, Iowa. He was the seventh of a family of nine children, six sons and three daughters born to his parents, Henry F. Wellemeyer and his wife Catherine (nee) Fiegenbaum. Mr. Wellemeyer received the instruction of his childhood years in the common schools of Wapello, and later attended a few terms in the Academy at Garner, which at that time was managed by Professors Worden and Polock. For two years he attended Western College at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. George Wellemeyer taught school in Hancock County for several years. It happened that he was the first teacher to serve the Will Stille District two miles west of Klemme. His life work, however, was that of a printer. He moved often, and several times tried other work but always came back to the print shop which was the work he liked best. He worked on the Garner Democrat for many years. He owned at one time a paper and print shop at Cope, Colorado. He started the Iowa Valley Press at Belmond. He was at one time editor of the Klemme Times and for a few years owned and operated the Britt Tribune and for a number of years was at Harris, Iowa. He carried mail and owned and operated the Harris Herald which later he consolidated with the Ocheydan Press. After moving to Ocheydan, he and his son, Leonard, operated this paper for several years. Mr. Wellemeyer was Mayor of Ocheydan for two terms. It was here that he affiliated himself with Silver Cord Lodge 525 A.F. & A.M. At the time of his demise he was operating a movie theater at Afton, Iowa. The departed was married in the year 1899 to Aurilla Sage of Garner, Iowa. From this union came three sons, Leonard, Lyle and Mahion. His wife preceded him in death in the year 1903. In the year 1910 the departed again married; this time to Mrs. Emma Town of Spirit Lake, Iowa. To them one son, Roland, was born. In his younger days, the work of the print shop being quite confining, Mr. Wellemeyer found recreation in hunting and fishing and in playing baseball. The departed was an optimist, generous to a fault with those he loved, and a friend to every man.

One of his favorite poems was:

Let me live in a house by the side of the road, where the race of men go by.

Some are good and some are bad -- wise -- foolish. So am I.

Then why should I sit on the scorners bench or hurl the cynics bomb

Let me live in a house by the side of the road and be a friend to man.

Mr. Wellemeyer was always in good health until about a year ago when he noticed some irregularity of the heart, which did not seem to get much better or much worse. Suddenly he felt an unusual pain in the region of his heart. A doctor was called but he died within the hour. This was early Friday morning the 8th of April. He had reached the age of 66 years, 5 months and 29 days. He leaves of his immediate family his wife, Mrs. Emma Wellemeyer of Afton, Iowa; four sons: Roland of Afton; Leonard of Pipestone, Minnesota; Lyle and Mahlon of Baltimore, Maryland; five grandchildren and one brother Charles L. Wellemeyer of Wichita, Kansas and one sister Mrs. Mary Addicks of Warrenton, Missouri.

Funeral services were conducted by Rev. Whyte in Klemme at the home of Arthur Wellemeyer, a nephew of the deceased. The Masons were in charge of the services at the Garner Cemetery.

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Garner Leader - Iowa

The body of George L. Wellemeyer was brought to Garner for burial Sunday, 10 April, and placed in the family lot in Evergreen Cemetery. Mr. Wellemeyer passed from this earth at his home at Afton, Iowa early Friday morning, 8 April, the result of a heart attack. Mr. Wellemeyer was operating a movie theater at Afton at the time of his death. George Wellemeyer will be remembered by a large number of Leader and Signal readers. For many years he was a resident of Garner and Hancock County. In early life he learned the printing business and followed that profession for 40 years at least. He managed or owned papers in Garner, Britt, Goodell, Klemme, Crystal Lake, and we believe, Corwith. During those years, he naturally gained a wide acquaintance throughout the county. He was born on a farm near Wapello, Iowa 8 October 1865. When but a child, he came to this county with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. H. F. Wellemeyer. The original Wellemeyer estate is what is now the home of Mr. and Mrs. C. U. Smith, in southwest Garner. Here George resided when a growing boy. When the Northern Iowa Normal College was a flourishing institution under the management of the Rev. Samuel I. Lindsay and Professors Pollock and Worden, George was a student there. He taught in the rural schools of our county for several terms. In the year 1899 he was married to Aurilla Sage of Garner. To this union three sons were born: Leonard, Lyle and Mahlon. The mother of these boys died many years ago. Mr. Wellemeyer married again, this time to Mrs. Emma Town, of Spirit Lake. To this union one son, Roland, was born. He operated a newspaper at Spirit Lake for years and then moved to Harris, Iowa. Later he consolidated his Harris publication with the Ocheydan Press and he and his son, Leonard, operated the Press for many years. He served the town of Ocheydan as mayor for two terms, and while a resident of that town, and while a resident of that town he became affiliated with the Masonic Fraternity, and that body was in charge of the burial, which took place in Garner Sunday afternoon, 10 April. The Rev. David J. Lewis, pastor of the local United Presbyterian Church, read the Masonic burial ritual at the grave. Previous to bringing the body to Garner, a funeral service was held at the home of his nephew, Arthur Wellemeyer, at Klemme. There were nine children in the family of Mr. and Mrs. H. F. Wellemeyer. Three daughters and six sons. Of this number two are still living: Mrs. Mary Addicks of Warrenton, Missouri and Charles Wellemeyer of Wichita, Kansas. His wife and four sons survive: Mrs. Wellemeyer and Roland of Afton, Iowa; Leonard of Pipestone, Minnesota; Lyle and Mahlon of Baltimore, Maryland. Deceased had been in good health until about one year ago, when heart disease developed.