Iowa
Old Press
The Fayette County Union
West Union, Fayette Co., Iowa
November 15, 1923
Page 1
TWO ELGIN LADIES ARE CALLED TO REWARD
Mrs. John D. Shaffer passed away Monday morning about nine
o'clock after an illness of over a year. She was the wife of Hon.
J.D. Shaffer and was sixty four years of age. She was the mother
of seven children, Mrs. Harry Gilson, Jack Shaffer, and Israel F.
Shaffer, all of Elgin; Mrs. Odell of Milwaukee; Mrs. Guy
Whitford, of Limo Springs; Mrs. John Bowers, of Los Angeles and
Ray Shaffer, of Volga City, all of whom survive. Mrs. Shaffer was
a sister of Mrs. Amy Layton, of this city. Funeral services were
held yesterday afternoon at the Methodist church and interment
made in the Elgin cemetery.
Mrs. C.L. Frieburghaus passed Monday Morning at a hospital in St.
Paul. She was the widow of a former Elgin merchant and was sixty
one years of age. Six daughters and one son survive: Mesdames
Carl Hackman, Will Krueger, Fred Mueleuthale and Miss Freda, all
of Elgin: Mrs. Max Lehman, of Stillwater, Minn.; Mrs. Gus
Hackman,of Clermont, and Julius Frieburghaus of Huron, So. Dak.
The funeral services are being held this afternoon at Elgin and
burial will be made in the Elgin cemetery beside the body of her
husband, who passed away three years ago.
HELD A HUSKING BEE FOR ED NEUMAN
Ed Neuman had his band injured lately so badly that he
was unable to get his corn husked. His popularity in the
neighborhood was demonstrated when twenty-nine men with thirteen
teams came and husked thirty-nine loads of corn for him. Ten
women came along and prepared the big feast at the noon hour.
The champion (?) husker was Will Mishler who husked two and a
half times around the field to Frank Glascock's once.
WORK ON THE COURTHOUSE GOING NICELY
The fourth floor of the court house was poured Tuesday
and with five car loads of Bedford stone on hand work will be
rushed now to get the building enclosed before cold weather sets
in. The pillars are up and it will not be long before the roof
will be put on and the remaining height of the wall laid.
THEY ARE COMING FROM EVERYWHERE
Quite a number have driven up to West Union the past
week to see the progress made on the new court house. Work on the
top story is going along fast and it is expected the roof will be
complicated this fall so that inside work can be done during the
winter. -- Maynard News
OLD FAYETTE COUNTY RESIDENT PASSES
Alexander Clyde, a resident of near Waucoma from 1850
until 1908, passed away at his home in Phillipsburg, Mo. Nov. 1,
aged eighty-five years. Mr. Clyde was born in Ayrshire, Scotland.
January 20, 1838. He lived while in Fayette county on a farm
between Waucoma and Ft. Atkinson. His remains were brought to
Waucoma for interment, services being held Tuesday of last week.
UNION TWP. ELECTS OFFICERS FOR 1924
The annual meeting of the Union township Farm Bureau was
held Monday evening at H.M. Stafford's office and resulted in the
old officers being re-elected to their respective positions as
follows: Olaf Haug, president; Ollie Palmer, vice president and
Wm. R. Halstead secretary. Owing to the rainy weather only a
small number were present but the work of the old officers was so
satisfactory we are sure the outcome of the election would have
been the same.
FAYETTE COUNTY BUTTER WINS AGAIN
A.H. Bentz of Maynard won first place in the fresh
butter class at the national creamery butter makers contest held
at Milwaukee last week. Otto F. Weger of Strawberry Point, was
first in the cold storage butter competition. Fred Harms of
Oelwein was a prize winner in the butter judging contest.
COUNTY HOME INMATE COMMITS SUICIDE - Wandered
from Home and Is Found in Creek in Frog Hollow.
Mrs. Amelia Nygard, an inmate of the County Home, wandered away
from the institution last Friday and her body was found in a
creek in Frog Hollow vicinity Monday afternoon.
Mrs. Nygard, formerly from near Clermont, was about forty-four
years of age. She has been a patient at the county home for a
number of years. She often wandered away and had been found two
or three days later. Friday night she was numbered among the
missing but no alarm was felt. Monday afternoon, while out
hunting Art Earle and Philip Craft, two young men of this city,
came upon her body. Earle, while walking along, noticed something
white on the bank of the creek, and closer inspection found it to
be the woman's apron. Looking down into the creek he saw the body
of the woman, lying face downward, her outer apparel removed but
her underclothing on. They reported their find to Sheriff Wright
who got in touch with C.J. Wells at the county farm where her
body was taken and prepared for burial. The coroners jury
impaneled Tuesday by acting coroner. Harvey Smith returned a
verdict of suicide.
Mr. Wells reports that Mrs. Nygard was a model patient at the
county home, but in her condition her pet theory was that of
running away. Mrs. Nygard has many friends near her old home who
sympathize with this left to mourn her passing.
LOCAL BOY IS MARRIED IN ST. PAUL
Miss Helen McAndrews, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. M.J.
McAndrews, of this city was married in St. Paul to Mr.H.B.
Schwestka, of West Union, on October 31st. Mrs. Schwestka has
been living in St. Paul some time past and has had a position as
stenographer with the Local Loan Company. She is a highly
esteemed young woman and has many friends here and all join with
us in extending congratulations and best wishes. They will make
their home in St. Paul. -- Decorah Public Opinion.
ISAAC JOHNSON COMPLETES HIS 47TH YEAR
As a testimonial in his honor over one hundred people of
Dover township gathered at the home of Isaac Johnson Sunday for
an all day celebration. The reason for all this was the fact that
Mr. Johnson had completed forty-seven years of service as an
instructor in the Norwegian Lutheran parochial school at
Eldorado. Following a feast and social time, Mr. Johnson was
presented with a purse of silver, the gift of his friends. Rev.
Mr. Kvamme who presented the purse made a nice speech.
OELWEIN MAN DEAD THE WOMAN INJURED - Shooting
Occured at Strawberry Point Sunday Eve About Six O'clock.
O.B. Eales, 35 years of age, proprietor of the Saratoga barber
shop at Oelwein, committed suicide at Strawberry Point Sunday
evening about six o'clock, after he had shot and injured Mrs.
B.B. Braycon, of that city.
It seems that Eales, who was married, was deeply infatuated with
the Braycon woman, who was also married. They had been together
quite a good deal and only lately had been in an auto mishap near
Oelwein. Eales drove to Strawberry Point Sunday evening and went
to the restaurant conducted by Mrs. Brayeon and her husband, and
so the report goes, asked her a question to which she replied
"no." Eales pulled out a gun and shot her, the bullet
striking her in the temple and she fell. He then turned the gun
on himself and fired two bullets into his head, just back of the
eyes, dying almost instantly.
Eales was the husband of Miss Craig, of Maynard, but they were
living apart. The deceased had been married before and leaves a
daughter in Illinois. His parents live in Hannibal, Missouri, and
he had written them last week what to do with his body —
showing that his deed was a sort of per-arranged affair. He was a
world war veteran and a member of the Legion and the I.O.O.F.
Mrs. Braycon was not seriously injured. Thus endeth another
triangle love affair.
FARMERS LOSE TWO VALUABLE BARNS
While shredding at the Phillip Lauer farm; three miles
northwest of this city, Thursday afternoon, fire in some way
started around the shredder and was blown into the barn, starting
a fire that consumed Mr. Lauer's hay, straw, corn stalks, with
the exception of five acres. The machinery and harness were
gotten out of the basement before the fire reached it. The
separator house was burned also. The chemical wagon of the local
fire department was sent out to assist in checking the fire. Mr.
Lauer received a check for $2,319 from the Eldorado Mutual, but
this will not cover his loss. Will Domke lost a good sized barn
Monday evening by fire. Miss Domke, his sister, discovered a
small blaze in the barn and after failing to put it out ran to
the neighbors for help.
By the time help arrived the fire had gained too much headway to
be put out. The hay crop was burned, but the small grain and
other articles were gotten out.
BABY CLINIC EXAMINES THIRTY AT CLERMONT
Thirty babies were examined last Wednesday at the baby
clinic held at Clermont, held under auspices of the Red Cross.
Twenty-seven of the babies were from Clermont, two from Postville
and one from Elgin. The doctors and nurses, present were the same
that held the, clinic, at West Union. Twenty-six mothers were
given instructions in maternal care. Seven of the children
examined were found normal in every way.
[transcribed by C.D., January 2017]