Iowa
Old Press
Postville Herald
Postville, Allamakee co. Iowa
August 4, 1927
County Seat Items - Gleaned from the Waukon Newspapers
-Emmet Mahony of French Creek township has twelve acres of winter
wheat in shock which it is estimated will thresh thirty-five
bushels to the acre of No. 1 wheat. - Waukon Journal
-Mrs. William Rasmussen, wife of Rev. Rasmussen, pastor of St.
John's Lutheran church, passed into the Great Beyond early
Tuesday morning at the age of 64 years, following a lengthy
period of ill health. - Waukon Democrat
-Lawrence Welsh of route two marketed two mammoth hogs with the
Equity association here last Saturday, that made even the scales
bob up and take notice, says the Waukon Democrat. The weight of the two was 1370 lbs.
-John O. Hungstad who died Saturday at 5:30 after only one day's
illness from peritonitis, was born Dec. 26, 1857, in Taylor
township, this county, says the Waukon Democrat. A good neighbor and an estimable man, his death is
deplored by the entire community.
-J.S. Ryan of this city was eighty years old Tuesday, says the Waukon
Republican & Standard, and in honor
of the event his children and grandchildren to the number of
about thirty-five gathered at his home in south Waukon and
surprised him and enjoyed a six o'clock supper with him. David
Dickson also celebrated his 80th birthday Tuesday.
-Waukon had some Indian visitors one day this week who live near
Lansing, where their Winnbago ancestors kept open house and lived
like brown bloods once upon a time. Now they weave baskets and
ride in automobiles, says the Waukon Democrat. One car contained the elderly Tom Crowe and his
squaw mate, and a bright grandson, Henry Holt by name.
-A.P. Bock, grandson Howard Hanson, Burt Hendrick and son Paul
went down to the club cottage on the island opposite Waukon
Junction Tuesday noon of last week and returned Wednesday night,
says the Waukon Journal. Of
course two high class disciples of Ike Walton like Andy and Burt
wouldn't descent to such low grade of sport as sunfishing, but
they wanted to give the kids a chance to catch some.
-Just to prove that all corn is not tardy in its growth this
year, C.A. Johnson brought to the Democrat office today a sample of the corn he is raising on
an eight acre field in a valley northeast of town, says the Waukon
Democrat. The stalk measures more than 6
1/2 feet to the tips of the leaves, and although the stalk is
lighter in structure than is usually the case for corn so tall,
it has made a creditable growth for this season of the year.
-James Taylor arrived home Monday from a winter's absence in the
south, the Waukon Democrat
relates. It will be remembered that every effort was made to
locate him by radio and other means to acquaint him of his
brother Phillip's death several weeks ago, but he was enroute
home at the time in a leisurely way and did not learn of the sad
event until reaching Chicago, where acquaintances from here were
met. He hastened home at once.
-Two similar accidents occurred last week in this vicinity,
relates the Waukon Journal.
Tuesday Hubert Cooper, 11 years old, fell through a hay chute
about thirty feet in the James Carlson farm, east of Rossville,
sustaining a concussion of the brain. Thursday, a young man,
Ralph Stock, fell through a chute in the barn of Arthur Grotegut,
west of town, falling about the same distance. He was also
brought to the hospital where his injuries, bruises and
contusions, were dressed and was able to return home at once.
-Representative J.H. Hager received from State Game Warden Albert
on Thursday a number of cans of small rainbow trout, and with the
assistance of county Clerk Wm. shafer they were placed in nearby
streams, says the Waukon Journal. Some were put in the head water reaches of the
North fork in Ludlow township and the remainder in the stream
leading down from Pinney's springs in Jefferson township.
-Mary Ellen Sheridan, four year old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A.E.
Sheridan, had a narrow escape from serious injury while riding
with her father in his auto Monday evening, says the Waukon
Democrat. As the car turned north from
Main street at the former Earle block, the front door of the car
came open and the little one tumbled headlong to the paving, but
miraculously did not sustain any serious injury. Another car
following avoided striking the child because it was traveling at
a slow rate of speed and was well under control.
[transcribed by S.F., March 2015]
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Postville Herald
Postville, Allamakee co. Iowa
Thursday, August 11, 1927
Wilkes Williams Passes Saturday; Victim of Assault
by W.C. McNeil
Died at his home in Grand Meadow township, August 6, 1927, Wilkes
Williams, aged sixty-four years and six months. He was born in
Grand Meadow township, February 3, 1864, and was the son of Judge
Elias H. Williams and Hannah Larrabee Williams. At the age of
eleven years he had the misfortune to lose his right arm by the
accidental discharge of a gun.
His father, a college bred man, took Wilkes into close
association wherever his business might call him and tutored him
in the sciences and languages. Later his education was given over
to Prof. Hossfeldt, a German scholar, who later entered the
consular service under an appointment from President McKinley.
By inheritance Wilkes was possessed of the student mind, by
cultivation and environment life to him found recreation and its
maximum of pleasure in the old library of his father. With
fluency and the proper accent he spoke three or four languages -
English, German and Norwegian. His memory was an encyclopedia of
the past and a storehouse of the present. In his passing the
community has lost a distinguished scholar and its kindliest
personality.
Just why in that old pioneer home in the shadows of the evening
the assassin should strike down this man whose life brought
harmony into the community and love and respenct to all who knew
him, has not been answered. Somebody did this cruel thing and
society must either bear the odium or find the perpetrator of the
fiendish deed. Fate sealed the lips and palsied the hand that
sought to disclose the identity of the assassins; and for days
semi-conscious lived over and over the tragedy that has left
those that loved him in horror and helplessness.
The funeral was held from the home on Monday afternoon conducted
by Rev. R.F. Galloway of this city. Interment was made in the
family plot in Postville cemetery.
[transcribers note: It would be 19 years before the murderer of
Wilkes Williams would be found. In November 1946, the Clayton
county grand jury indicted Henry C. Miller for first-degree
murder in connection with Williams’s death. Miller was at
the time serving a life term imprisonment in the state
penitentiary at Fort Madison for the killing of Christian
Ruckdaschel, who was killed Mar. 9, 1940. It was the similarity
of the two murders that led the state agent to believe that
Miller was also the slayer of Williams. Christ Ruckdaschel was
the gg-grandfather of the transcriber]
Death Claims Aged Lady
Mrs. Wilhelmina Heins, a resident of the Luana locality, passed
away last Sunday at the home of her son Louis, northwest of
Postville, where she had been visiting for about two weeks past.
She was aged 91 years, ten months and eight days. The funeral was
held on Wednesday afternoon from St. Paul's Lutheran church in
this city, Rev. E.T. Finck officiating. Interment in the Eno
cemetery.
--
Work will be commenced soon at razing the Lansing and Thompson
Corners Evangelical churches and excavating for the basement of a
new Evangelical church at Lansing, plans for the construction of
which have just been announced, the Waukon Democrat relates. The
new edifice, 40X54, will be almost twice the size of the present
structure, which has been in use for 60 years. The decision to
commence construction is largely the reslt of work by the new
pastor, Rev. L.T. Olson, assisted by the deacons and leaders of
the congregation. The cost of the construction will be $6,000.
Material from the old churches will be utilized in building the
new edifice. The new church will be finished on the exterior with
pebble dash.
Mrs. John Goeke, living near Rossville, met with a most painful
accident Tuesday of last week, relates the Waukon Journal.
She was opening a box of concentrated lye when a small portion of
the contents flew into one of her eyes. After enduring the pain
as long as possible she came to the Waukon Hospital Wednesday
afternoon where everything possible was done for her.
The death of Chas. Rumph, one of the few Civil war veterans of
this vicinity and a pioneer resident of this county, occurred
Tuesday morning at his home east of Waukon at the advanced age of
nearly 91 years, says the Waukon Democrat.
News comes to us from a paper at Kalispell, Mont., of the death
of Egbert A. Shew, due to an auto accident two weeks ago. He was
a half brother of Mrs. Emory Pratt of this city, and was born
here in Waukon, June 28, 1876, says the Democrat. His
parents were Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Shew, who at one time were the
stewards of the county farm. His auto was struck by a train on
the Great Northern road at Kalispell. Mr. Shew was prominent in
the lumber business in Minnesota and Montana and in British
Columbia, Canada. His burial took place at Kalispell under
Masonic auspices. He was a member of the Shrine of Minneapolis
and also of the Elks order.
Miss Mabel Sherman, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Herman Sherman, and
Earl W. Stock, only son of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Stock, were united
in marriage Wednesday, August 3rd, at the Zion Reformed parsonage
by Rev. Elliker. - Waukon Democrat
Local Happenings
-A dandy baby boy was born last Saturday to Mr. and Mrs. Louis
Miller on the Geo. Schultz farm.
-Mr. and Mrs. Henry Althaus can attend the county fairs in style,
having just purchased a Nash sedan.
-There is nothing too good for Mr. and Mrs. Albert Zieman and
hence they are driving a new Nash sedan.
-A deal was made last week whereby Alvin Meyer will become owner
of the Fred J. Martens farm March 1st next.
-David Jemison of Fort Dodge, an old time resident of this
locality, is here on a visit in the home of his daughter, Mrs.
Paul Sonnkalb.
-The Fred Groth home in this city is quarantined for scarlet
fever, their baby hving the disease in a mild form. No other
cases have been reported.
-Dr. and Mrs. C.W. Wilder and three sons arrived in Postville by
auto Monday from Lewiston, Mont., on a visit to Mrs. Wilder's
mother, Mrs. F.N. Beedy.
This week another farm changed ownership when S.C. Baily sold to
John A. Schroeder his 228 acre farm in Grand Meadow township.
Part of this farm was bought from the U.S. government and has
never been transferred except by will and has been in the
possession of two generations of Baily's for seventy-three years.
[transcribed by S.F., March 2012]