Iowa
Old Press
Postville Review
Postville, Allamakee co. Iowa
September 25, 1916
Local Notes
E.T. Courson of Long Beach, Cal., has been mingling with
Postville relatives and friends the past week while back in Iowa
on a business trip. He has the same number of wives and children
he always had, but owing to the European war they are not
traveling with him this season.
Art Gass received a brand new imported dog this week which we had
all figured out as a cross between Dan Patch and a canary bird,
because it can run like thunder in the day time and is a great
singer at night. Art, however, allows its a full blood grey hound
with a pedigree as long as the dog.
Miss Florence Miller arrived in Postville Saturday from San
Francisco for a brief visit to her mother, Mrs. F.L. Rathbun.
Florence leaves early in September for Rockford, Ill., to assume
her duties as instructor and secretary in Rockford College, which
is another evidence that Postvile young people make good and are
in demand.
M. Keller of Sioux Falls, S.D., has been here the past week
visiting at the home of his sister, Mrs. F. Hangartner, and
renewing old acquaintances. Mr. Keller was a Postville resident
some thirty years ago, and he notices with pleasure the progress
the old town has made.
Mrs. Geo. Huser and little daughter Janan concluded their visit
here to their husband and father Monday, and left for their home
in Davenport, stopping over at Springville enroute to visit
relatives.
Mrs. Susan Ketchum of Boise, Idaho, and Mrs. J.M. Shaw, also of
that state, reached Postville Monday for a visit at the home of
Attorney and Mrs. F.S. Burling.
Notice of Dissolution - Notice is hereby given that the
co-partnership heretofore existing between Dan McNeil Jr. and
John P. McNeil, under the firm name of McNeil Bros., doing an
auto and garage business in Postville, Iowa, has been dissolved
by mutual consent. All parties owing them on book account will
please call [illegible words] at the garage.
Notes from around Iowa
-John W. Ives of Charles City died from the heat.
-John Taylor, near Guernsey, is dead from sunstroke.
-R.C. Morse was appointed postmaster at Belmond.
-Frank McDivitt, Milwaukee fireman, was injured at Coon Rapids.
-Michael Smith, aged 46, of Exira, died from the sting of a
bumble bee.
-Clevins Kendall, aged 60, of Iowa City, was killed in an auto
accident near Algona.
-Mrs. Arnold Anderson, of Spencer was injured in an auto accident
near Algona.
-Mrs. Ward Moore, near Nevada, was seriously injured when a
gasoline iron exploded.
-Gardner Graves, aged 43, of Harlan, is dead from a fall from a
scaffold.
-E.A. Buckwalter of Riverside, age 66, was killed when his team
ran away.
An Enjoyable Reuion - Happy Gathering of the
Henderson-Kerr-Durno Clan - Staged on Historic Henderson Prairie
Farm
(Communicated)
Early in the year Miss Josephine Durno, Mrs. Nettie Marston and
C.M. Kerr conceived the idea of a family reunion, it being the
sixty-fifth anniversary of the settlement of Henderson Prairie by
these families. They notified their relatives to keep this in
mind for their summer outings. Late in July invitations were sent
out which resulted in a goodly gathering of the clan on August
sixteenth at Dale Delight, the beautiful country home of C.M.
Kerr. It was a fitting place to hold this reunion as it was the
old homestead of Thomas and Barbara Henderson.
Eighty-three were in attendance. A bounteous dinner was served at
tables on the lawn, a pleasing feature of the decorations being
the initials H.D. & K. in floral design.
In his delightfully informal way Mr. Kerr welcomed his relatives
not only to Henderson Prairie as it is today, but to a host of
tender memories. He kept his listeners between laughter and tears
as he displayed relics of the pioneer homes, or recounted
incidents pathetic ass well as humouous. Among these relics were
grandfather's Family Register, an ox yoke, cow bell, and the
cradle in which the first baby of the prairie was rocked.
A program of readings, music and folk-dances not only entertained
all, but showed the diversity of talent possessed by those
present.
Several readings were given by Maud Ramsey in her inimitable way.
She had to respond repeatedly to encores.
Some folk dances were artictically presented in special costume
by Marjorie Henderson; especially pleasing were the sword,
Spanish and Scotch dances.
Paul Marston gave a humourous impersonation.
James Henderson recited a Scotch selection with which his father
used to regale family gatherings in the olden days. He also
traced the history of the family from the fifteenth century to
the present time. He recounted the advice of Grandfather
Henderson to his boys as they departed to the Civil War and paid
a tribute to each, and to the only surviving widow, Mrs. D.B.
Henderson, who made a special effort to be present.
The program was interspersed with music, which included piano and
violin numbers, vocal solos and choruses by the younger people.
Messages and photographs from those who could not be present were
received and enjoyed by the family.
Those present from Postville were [note: the first line of names
has a fold in the paper and is not readable] John Durno, Miss
Josephine Durno, Miss Blanche Durno, Mr. and Mrs. W.E. Durno, Mr.
and Mrs. E.P. Durno, Mr. and Mrs. F.W. Tuller, Mr. and Mrs. Bert
Marston, Florence, Karl, Paul and Barbara Marston, Mr. and Mrs.
C.M. Kerr, Kate, George, Kenneth, Helen and Malcolm Kerr.
Those present from out of town were: Mrs. D.B. Henderson, Miss
Belle Henderson, Mrs. Angie Peaslee, Miss Geraldine Peaslee,
Dubuque, Iowa; Mr. and Mrs. J.A. Henderson, Miss Mae Henderson,
Mr. and Mrs. William Shardlow, Cherokee, Iowa; Mrs. Robert
McIntosh, Fred, Robert and Mary Helen McIntosh, Lake Linden,
Michigan; Mrs. Ida Thomas, Juan and Harold Thomas, Charles City,
Iowa; Mrs. Ella Baumgardner, Karl C. Baumgardner, Sioux Falls,
S.D.; T.G. Henderson, Sioux City, Iowa; Mr. and Mrs. T.J.
Henderson, Mrs. Vera Carpenter, William, Catherine and James
Henderson, Riceville, IOwa; Mr. and Mrs. Frank Henderson, Earl
and Marjorie Henderson, Mrs. Ethel Kirk, Mrs. Helen Ketcham and
son Robert, South St. Paul, Minn.; Mr. and Mrs. Charles Ramsey
and son Robert, Racine, Wis.; Loren and Pauline Johnson, lime
Springs, Iowa; Mr. and Mrs. Mort Henderson, Helen and Ernest
Henderson, Mr. and Mrs. Dave Henderson, Marion Henderson,
Waterloo, Iowa; Mrs. Anna Knee, Lucile and Gwyneth Knee,
Independence, Iowa; Mr. and Mrs. Joel Dodge, Mabel, Wallace and
Dorothy Dodge, Mr. and Mrs. Jay Parson, Newton, Iowa; Miss Agnes
McLean, Boise, Idaho; Mrs. Minnie Montgomery, Miss Anna Ryeburn,
Alexandria, S.D.
Guests of the family were: Mr. and Mrs. Mark Platt, Chicago,
Ill.; John P. Gillen, Sioux City, Iowa; John Moir, Miss Margaret
Mitchell, Postville.
The second day the hospitable home of Mr. Kerr was thrown open to
the old settlers, the friends of "auld lang syne."
A similar program of songs, folk dances and readings was given by
the family as on the previous day, with the addition of
selections from friends present.
Impromptu speeches were given by W.S. Webster, who shared with
John Durno the honor of being the oldest continuous settler of
Postville.
Hall Roberts spoke of the early church privileges and the earnest
christian workers of ye olden times.
Mrs. Wm. Larrabee, Sr. gave an apt incident of horseback riding
of the early days.
Hugh Shepherd spoke of what attracted people of Scotland to the
prairies of the west.
Fred Williams gave a graphic description of travel by stage coach
in the sixties.
A few words by John Gillen and a reading by G.W. Harris filled
out a program long to be remembered by the families and old
settlers present.
[transcribed by S.F., October 2017]