LeMars Globe-Post
Thursday, December 3, 1931

John Determan Dies Suddenly
Gangrene of Bowels Refuses To Yield To Surgical Treatment

Struble Special: John Determan, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Determan, was born
Feb. 1, 1908, near LeMars and passed away at the Sacred Heart Hospital in
LeMars Saturday, Nov. 28, 1931. He was taken seriously sick Thursday morning
and immediately taken to the hospital where an operation was performed for
obstruction of the bowels. This developed into gangrene and on Saturday at
3:30 o’clock he passed away.

The past three years he has been employed at the home of his brother-in-law
near Remsen. He leaves to mourn his loss, his parents, two brothers, Wm. and
Albert; seven sisters, Elizabeth, Clara, Tillie, Josephine, Helen and Marie
and Mrs. Arthur Pick of Remsen.

John was an industrious boy and well liked by all who knew him.

Funeral services were held on Tuesday morning at 9:30 o’clock. Father
Gretsman conducting the services and interment made in the Struble cemetery.
Pallbearers were Roman Lavelle, Frank Ruhland, John Gysbertson, Nic Kamp,
Leo Rodenbuhr, and Harold Weise.
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Aaron Miller of Ackley, Iowa, arrived Saturday evening to spend a week with
friends in and around LeMars. During his visit Aaron is staying with Donald
Mueller. Aaron, who is now employed as a portable lead bull operator was
graduated last June from Western Union college.
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Guests in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Victor Weber on Thanksgiving included
Mrs. Ed Kellen, of Iona, Minn., Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Lewis and son, Leo, of
Emmetsburg, Mr. and Mrs. Beryl Young and daughters, of Sheldon, and Mr. and
Mrs. John Wilhelmi, of Remsen.

PIONEER IS FOUND DEAD IN HER BED
Miss Elizabeth Potter Had Suffered with Heart Trouble For Years

Miss Elizabeth Potter, a pioneer resident of this city, was found dead in
her bed this morning by her brother, Walter Potter. Miss Potter lived at 530
Second Avenue SE, and at the time of her death was 60 years of age. Dr. J.
L. Reeves was called and stated that she had been dead for six hours, giving
heart trouble as the cause.

At this writing no funeral arrangements have been made. The body is at
Beely’s funeral parlors.

Miss Potter lived on a farm north of the city for several years and made her
home in LeMars for many years, being one of the early pioneers here and well
known in this vicinity.

She leaves to mourn her loss, four brothers and two sisters, who are:
Walter, Daniel, Roy and Frank Potter; Mrs. Grace Beattie, Los Angeles,
Calif., and Mrs. Skinner, San Francisco.

A complete obituary will appear in the next issue.

GRANT: (By Special Correspondent)

A large number of folks gathered at the Fred Brunken home Sunday evening to
help Luverne Brunken celebrate her birthday.

Sunday evening visitors at the H. D. Heeren home were Albert Weber and son,
Gert, of LeMars, Mrs. A. B. Doering and son Herbert and daughter Rose, Rev.
J. D. Meyer and daughters, Mr. and Mrs. Herman Renken and daughters Anna and
son Heinz.

PLYMOUTH CENTER: (By Special Correspondent)

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Kehrberg of Merrill were Thanksgiving dinner guests in
the Geo. Kehrberg home.

Mr. and Mrs. Clem Singer visited in the Jack Merritt home last Thursday
evening.

Mr. and Mrs. Jack Merritt visited in the John Shearon home in LeMars Monday
evening.

Mr. and Mrs. Clem Singer were Thanksgiving guests in the John Tucker home in
LeMars.

Mr. and Mrs. Nick Singer and sons, Archie and Marvin, were Thanksgiving
dinner guests in the Archie Tucker home near LeMars.

Mr. and Mrs. Harold Betsworth entertained a few friends Wednesday evening.
500 was the diversion of the evening and a delicious luncheon was served at
the close.

LeMars Semi-Weekly Sentinel
December 4, 1931

HEART ATTACK PROVES FATAL
Miss Elizabeth Potter Is Found Dead In Bed Thursday Morning
LONG RESIDENT HERE
Retired To Rest in Apparent Good Health

Miss Elizabeth Potter, aged 61, a resident of Plymouth County since
girlhood, living at 530 Second Ave. SE, died very suddenly during the night
of Wednesday or early Thursday morning. She was found dead in bed about 10
o’clock Thursday morning. Her death is ascribed to heart trouble. Miss
Potter had suffered from heart attacks frequently in late years.

She made her home with her brother, Walter Potter, for many years.

Mr. Potter arose as usual and attended to the fire and started preparing
breakfast. Perturbed at the non appearance of his sister long after the
usual breakfast hour, he proceeded to her room where he obtained no response
to calls or knocks on the door. Entering the room he was shocked to find his
sister still and cold in death. Physicians pronounced death was due to heart
disease.
CAME HERE IN EIGHTIES
Miss Elizabeth Potter was born in Forreston, Ill., and when a girl came to
LeMars with her parents in 1882. They settled on a farm near Struble where
they lived many years.

Miss Potter had made her home in LeMars since 1903.

She is survived by her brothers who are W. S. Potter, of this city, C. L.
Potter, Abilene, Kansas, D. W. Potter, St. Joseph, Michigan, E. F. Potter,
of Mitchell, S. D., and two sisters, Mrs. Grace Beattie, of Los Angeles,
Calif., and Mrs. J. M. Skinner, of Berkeley, Calif.

Funeral arrangements had not been completed last evening pending word from
relatives.

The sudden death of Miss Potter comes as a great shock to her brother and a
large circle of friends and acquaintances who held her in highest esteem.

LeMars Globe-Post
December 7, 1931

SENEY: (By Special Correspondent)

Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Hughes of Haxtun, Colo., and Miss Cora Hughes, of LeMars,
were Thanksgiving day guests in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Becker.

Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Bergman motored to Sioux Falls on Wednesday to get their
daughter, Clara, who attends Morningside college. They drove on to Whiting
to take dinner with son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Munson, returning
home Friday. Mrs. Jessie Kennedy accompanied them to Sioux City to spend the
day Thanksgiving with her daughter and sister, Misses Erlyne and Lucile
March. Mrs. Kennedy returned home Sunday.

Miss Edith Roirden of Sioux City spent Sunday with her mother and sister.

Charles Kunath was a Sioux City caller Tuesday.

A baby girl was born to Mr. and Mrs. Ole Olson, Dec. 1.

Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Moore entertained the following dinner guests
Thanksgiving: Miss Margaret Moore of Glenwood and Monty Hansen of Honey
Creek, Ia., Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Southwick and daughter, Violet.

George Bergman, who teaches at Swan, Iowa, spent the Thanksgiving week end
at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Bergman.

George Hughes returned to his home at Haxtun, Colo., his sister, Miss Cora
Hughes accompanied him home as Mrs. Hughes is caring for her parents, Mr.
and Mrs. Arthur Reeves.

Allen Dollie and Myrtle Hinde were guests Thanksgiving day at Mr. and Mrs.
Ira Eldridge’s home at Rock Valley. They were supper guests the same evening
in the home of Mrs. Cora Baldwin in LeMars.

The Ladies Aid Society gave a dinner in the hall on Wednesday. After dinner
was served they held their meeting. A nice sum was netted for their
treasury.

Mr. and Mrs. Albert Penning entertained the following guests on Thanksgiving
day: Mr. and Mrs. I. L. Demaray and daughters Lorraine and Ruth of
Mitchell, S.D., Mrs. E. L. Mulnix, of Plankington, S.D., Mr. and Mrs. W. A.
Penning and daughter, Rose and son Wayne, John Reeves and Mrs. E. Penning,
Mr. and Mrs. F. B. Rees and son, Marshall, Miss Dorothy Kaiser, Mr. and Mrs.
Ray Hinde and daughter, Betty Lou, and Mr. and Mrs. E. M. Kennedy.

Mrs. Pauline Detloff of LeMars spent Thanksgiving day in the home of her
son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Hennrich.

E. F. Anstine entertained corn shellers on Friday.

Miss Margaret Moore returned to Glenwood, Iowa, after spending the
Thanksgiving week end in the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Moore.

Mr. and Mrs. I. L. Demaray and family and Mrs. E. L. Mulnix returned home on
Sunday after visiting with relatives.

Mr. and Mrs. Irving McArthur of Sioux City, Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Buss, Mr.
and Mrs. Roy McArthur and daughter Ruth and son Raymond were dinner guests
Thanksgiving day at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Alex McArthur.

Mr. and Mrs. Will Earlick of Sioux City spent Thanksgiving day at the home
of Mr. and Mrs. F. A. Becker.

School notes from Elgin No. 1: The pupils who received perfect papers in
spelling for the month of November were Earl Brittian and Ellis Lancaster.
Those who were neither absent nor tardy: Wayne Lancaster, Donald Lancaster,
Blanche Hawkins, Stanley Utech.

The depot here was closed on Thursday.

Our school opened again Monday after a week’s vacation. Miss Jennie Levens,
the grammar room teacher, is able to resume her work and Miss Cleo Collman
is still acting as substitute in the primary room. Miss Emeline Plumer is
back in town and will take up her work next week.

Mr. and Mrs. L. Green and children are spending a week’s vacation with the
former’s mother, Mrs. Harry Brittian, at Spencer.

GIVES VIVID PICTURE OF CHARACTER

The following vivid characterization of Fred Tomlinson, whose ashes were
recently buried in LeMars, was written by R. M. Latham, veteran LeMars
newspaper man:

Fred M. Tomlinson in his lifetime, was among many who have helped to place
the name of LeMars on the map in various ways.

His was a meteoric career, interesting in its naiveté during a brief time in
which he basked in the popularity of the fickle public and gained reputation
in many states of the union.

Fred was a son of Mr. and Mrs. Eri Tomlinson, early settlers in eastern
Iowa, who came to Plymouth county in the seventies and located on a farm
four miles east of LeMars in Marion township.

N. B. Bryant, of happy memory, later bought his farm which has changed hands
since.

Brought up in a family possessed of strong Calvinistic, puritanical notions,
Fred felt the urge for wider things.

The elder Tomlinson was a good cattle man and a trader of sorts. He used his
opportunities to good advantage to himself in the rush of settlers to this
part of the state in the early eighties when English, Germans, and
Scandinavians rushed to LeMars, U.S.A., the only town known to many
emigrants, with the possible exception of two cities, New York, where
landing was made, and Dubuque, where wayfarers stopped to assuage their
thirst before taking the long trail across the state to the golden spot in
the northwest corner.

The Tomlinsons found easy pickings among the newcomers, some of whom were
honest, although others came with the intent of plucking the native.

Fred Tomlinson splurged around as a cattle buyer, backed by money from the
old man, dealt for awhile in weedy race horses. Tired of the simple life on
the dear old farm, he came to the swiftly growing town of LeMars and engaged
in the mercantile business on a large scale for a few years, conducting a
store with a brother-in-law, which comprised dry goods, clothing and
groceries.

It was while a merchant of renown, Fred conducted a fancy stock farm on the
bottom lands east of where the Whitewae is now located.

From a gawky youth with an attitude of knowing it all, Fred possessed of a
good heart and well intentioned, became a mixer in his blatant and rough
way. Born with a superabundance of egotism and gall, he nevertheless had
many remarkable traits of character and under the name of “Dead Shot”
Tomlinson, gained notoriety in many states.
STARTED ON ROAD
Often “half shot” and once seriously wounded in Texas in an altercation with
a cowboy, Tomlinson did not gain his sobriquet from his marksmanship. His
fame arose from his humbler beginnings. In the Tomlinson family for many
generations two home made remedies, one for internal and the other for
external use, had served themselves and hardy neighbors for medicinal
purposes.

With an urge to make money, after several unsuccessful ventures, and a flair
for advertising, Fred Tomlinson evolved the idea of capitalizing the
advantages of the home made panaceas.

He started the production on a large scale of Tomlinson’s “Dead Shot” and
Tomlinson’s Quick Relief Oil. While a local chemist engaged in the
compounding and packing of the infallible nostrums and the printing presses
turned our reams of circulars, pamphlets and wrappers, Tomlinson himself
sallied out to the crossroads, the hamlets and the towns to cry the wonder
of his all curing remedies.

With black clerical hat and Prince Albert flowing coat and a wisp of
distinguishing marks of his outward apparel, he mounted soap boxes at street
corners and delivered panegyrics on the value of the products he offered to
sell.

Being successful in his first efforts, he branched out and gathered around
him a troupe of entertainers and gave performances before the sale, touring
the country.

At one time he returned to his early home in LeMars in a chariot drawn by
four fine black horses, gaily caparisoned and bedecked. He was accompanied
by a minstrel troupe of colored members. At other times, while on his tours,
he engaged a number of vaudeville artists.

Riot of color, blatant music, and wealth of florid language, marked his
progress through the land in the hey day of his success. Tomlinson in
cowboy regalia, with guns in his belt, ten gallon hat, was the flourishing
master of ceremonies.

Tomlinson, in common with many great and small, could not stand prosperity.
He loved wine, women and song, and yearned for the bright lights where for a
time he cut a swath.

The lean years followed and in later days he hit the rocks and the panhandle
trail where a drink, a meal, or a cheery word brightened the dragging hours.