Iowa Old Press

Akron Register-Tribune
May 7, 1931

PIONEER AKRON WOMAN IS CALLED TO FINAL REWARD
Mrs. Mary L. Harkness Was Resident of This Vicinity Many Years

Mrs. Mary L. Harkness, one of Akron’s oldest citizens and a resident of
western Plymouth county since the early 80s, passed away at her home in this
city on Friday, May 1, 1931, of ailments incident to advanced age, having
attained the age of 89 years, 2 months and 6 days.

Mary Louisa Harkness was born February 25, 1842, in the state of Vermont.
When six years of age she moved with her parents to Rockford, Illinois. She
was united in marriage with Asa Harkness on March 1, 1857 at Cedar Falls,
Iowa. To this union was born four daughters and five sons. One daughter
passed away on March 23, 1898. They came to Plymouth county in 1884,
locating on a farm east of Akron, later moving to town, and since making a
home here. Her husband preceded her in death February 29, 1912. About
fifty-one years ago, Mrs. Harkness took fellowship with the Church of Christ
at Sutherland, Iowa, where she then resided, and was a charter member of the
Church of Christ of Akron. She was a loving and devoted wife and mother and
a helpful, sympathetic neighbor. She leaves to mourn her departure, three
daughters and five sons—Mrs. Frank Hoffman, of Akron, Ia.; Mrs. W. D.
Williams, of Bay View, Wash.; Mrs. Nellie Zevenbergen, of Sioux City, Ia.;
George Harkness and Asa Harkness, of Akron, Ia.; Ernest Harkness, of Sedro
Wooley, Wash.; Dallas Harkness, of Akron, Ia.; a step-son, Joseph Harkness,
of Wautonga, Okla.; forty-eight grandchildren, ninety-three great
grandchildren; and four great great
Grandchildren. A host of friends and neighbors will miss this Christian
mother in Israel.

Funeral services were held in the Church of Christ, Tuesday afternoon,
conducted by the pastor, O. M. Keyes. Interment was in Riverside Cemetery.

LeMars Semi-Weekly Sentinel
Friday, May 15, 1931

GOOD OLD DAYS
Pioneer Schools Had Meager Equipment in Early Iowa

Almost every city in Iowa has erected school buildings costing thousands of
dollars. Even in the rural districts there are commodious and comfortable
consolidated schools for the country children. In pioneer times, however,
the rural schools were often rough frame buildings with only the most
primitive furniture. A description of pioneer school life in Jones county,
Iowa, is given by O. J. Felton in the April issue of “The Iowa Journal of
History and Politics.”

The schoolhouse was a frame building fourteen by eighteen feet in size and
one story high. Inside were three rows of desks, the front of one desk
serving as the back of the seat in front. The seats along the side walls
were large enough for two pupils, those in the center would accommodate
four. All these desks were of white pine without paint or varnish.

In one corner of the front of the room was the teacher’s desk on a raised
platform. A large wood stove in the center of the room kept the children
warm, at least on the side nearest the stove. A blackboard made of ordinary
boards painted black completed the equipment.

The boys were usually seated along the north side, since that was the colder
in the winter. The girls occupied the seats to the south, while the little
children sat in front or in the center section with older brothers or
sisters. Dinners were carried to school in tin pails and consisted mostly
of bread and butter although some had mince pie or doughnuts or occasionally
an apple. There was no consideration of vitamins and no warm lunches.

McGuffey’s readers and spellers, Monteith’s geographies, and Ray’s
arithmetic’s were the usual books. Declamation exercises were popular and
any young person who could not recite some prose or poetry selection when
visiting a neighboring school was considered dumb. At recess and noons there
were games of all kinds.

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TWO KILLED AUTO SMASH

Dudley Scott, Popular Theatre Owner in LeMars, Suffers Skull Fracture

WOMAN ALSO VICTIM

Mrs. Harold Rothschild, of St. Paul, Dies in Wreck

Dudley C. Scott, owner of the Royal and Elite theatres in this city, and popular citizen of LeMars, and Mrs. Harold Rothschild, of St.. Paul, wife of a former LeMars youth, were killed in an automobile accident Wednesday night. Press dispatches from Primghar give the following account of the tragedy:

Fatal injuries were suffered Wednesday afternoon by two persons, and three other persons were hurt when two automobiles collided on highway No. 21 four miles south of here.

The dead are Mrs. H. L. Rothschild, about 30 years old, of St. Paul; Dudley Scott, 33 years old, LeMars.

Mrs. Rothschild succumbed soon after the collision occurred, while Scott died late Wednesday night as the result of a skull fracture.

Climax to Fishing Trip.

The St. Paul woman, Scott and his wife were returning to the Scott home at LeMars following a fishing trip to Minnesota. Scott was driving when the machine collided with a car driven by R. M. Hinman, president of the First National bank at Primghar. Scott was unconscious when taken from the wreckage and remained in a coma until death occurred. His wife suffered slight bruises.

The banker suffered a fractured collar bone. W. H. Schee, who was riding with Hinman, was bruised.

Hinman told authorities, who investigated the accident, that he was trying to pass a car driven by C. F. Brown, Des Moines, when the collision occurred.

Headed Amusement Firm

Scott had resided in LeMars six years, moving from Beatrice, Neb. He was head of the LeMars Amusement company which operates two theatres and a miniature golf course in LeMars.

Scott also was president of the National Machine company, manufacturers of talking picture machines. He took an active part in the invention of the machine a few years ago.

Surviving Mr. Scott are his widow, two daughters, and his mother. One of the children recently suffered a fractured leg and was recovering at the Scott home in LeMars at the time her father suffered the injury which caused his death. Scott’s mother was in LeMars with the children while their parents were away.

Body Brought Here

E. A. Dalton and Dr. W. W. Larson, of this city, went to Primghar on receipt of the news of the accident to render assistance. Mrs. Scott was sufficiently recovered to be brought to her home in this city. She is suffering from cuts and bruises and nervous shock but her condition is not regarded as dangerous.

Mrs. Harold Rothschild, the other victim of the tragedy, is a daughter-in-law of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Rothschild, of this city. She was a daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Dewey, of Moville, and the body was taken to that place accompanied by the young husband who was notified of the accident and Mr. and Mrs. Rothschild, of this city.

Mr. and Mrs. Al Kurtz, of Lincoln, Neb., brother-in-law and sister of the dead man, and Harrison Scott, of Beatrice, Nebr., a brother are here. His father-in-law, Dr. Gafford, of Wymore, Neb., was expected to arrive last night when funeral arrangements will be made.

LeMars Semi-Weekly Sentinel
May 19, 1931

FRIENDS OFFER FINAL TRIBUTE

Body of Popular Theater Owner Is Conveyed to Boyhood Home

SERVED DURING THE WAR

D. C. Scott Was Energetic Young Business Man

Brief funeral services for Dudley C. Scott were held at the family home, 21 Sixth Street NE., Saturday morning, May 16, with Rev. F. E. Burgess, of the First Methodist Episcopal church, in charge. After this service the body was taken to his boyhood home in Beatrice, Neb., where burial was made Saturday afternoon after services in the Episcopal church in which he was baptized, confirmed and married. Among the LeMars friends who attended the funeral at Beatrice were: Mr. and Mrs. H. R. Harley, Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Coad, Mr. and Mrs. John Hart, Mr. and Mrs. Francis Nemmers, Mr. and Mrs. L. E. Osborne and son, Mr. and Mrs. Will Schaefer, Mr. and Mrs. George Kluckhohn, Mr. and Mrs.. Al Mauer, E. A. Dalton, Clark Bolser, and Robert St. Clair.

The Pallbearers at the services in LeMars were R. B. Dalton, H. R. Harley, W. A. Coad, Wm. Schaefer, C. M. Bolser, George Kluckhohn, L. E. Osborne, John Hart and Dr. A. M. Mauer.

Dudley C. Scott, who was a widely known and popular young business man, of LeMars, died in a hospital in Primghar following an auto accident Wednesday evening when his car collided with one driven by R. M. Hinman, a Primghar banker, on the paving three or four miles south of Primghar. The accident occurred about 5 o’clock that evening when Mr. and Mrs.. Scott and Mrs. Harold Rothschild were returning home from a fishing trip in northern Minnesota. Mrs. Rothschild was killed instantly and Mr. Scott died before 10 o’clock that evening. Mrs. Scott was severely cut an bruised and has since been confined to her home.

Dudley Charles Scott, son of Walter W. and Mabel H. Scott, was born at Beatrice, Neb., July 7, 1898. He grew to young manhood in the home community, graduating from the Beatrice high school and later attending the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, where he was a member of the Phi Kappa Pei fraternity.

At the outbreak of the late war he left school and enlisted in the navy, being stationed at Newport, Rhode Island. After leaving the service at the close of the war, he transferred to the organized reserve force of the army, holding a lieutenant commission and had about completed his work for a promotion.

On September 20, 1923, he was married to Grace Gafford, of Wymore, Neb. To this union were born two children, Janet and Marilyn.

About six years ago he came to LeMars and entered into the business and social life, winning the respect and good will of all the community. He was a member of the LeMars Commercial Club, LeMars Rotary Club, Wasmer Post of the American Legion and other social and recreational organizations, also to the Sioux City Chapter of the Sons of American Revolution. In all of these untiring efforts and the skill given to any task assigned to him again won the admiration of his associates.

As a young man he joined the Protestant Episcopal church at Beatrice and remained a faithful member of the same.

There remains to mourn his untimely loss the wife, two children, the mother, Mrs. W. W. Scott of Beatrice, two brothers, Ralph C. of Los Angeles, Harrison F. of Beatrice, a sister, Mrs. Albert H. Kurtz, of Lincoln, Neb., together with other relatives and a host of friends.

LeMars Semi-Weekly Sentinel
May 29, 1931

MEMORIAL DAY PROGRAM
SATURDAY, MAY 30, 1931

ORDER OF PARADE
Jacob G. Koenig, Marshal of the Day
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Colors
Co., K., 133d Infantry, I. N. G.
Mayor, Speaker and Post Commander
Mower Post, G. A. R.
Spanish-American War Veterans
Amerian Legion Drum and Bugle Corps
Wasmer Post, American Legion
Woman’s Relief Corps
Woman’s Auxiliary, Louis E. Brick Camp
Woman’s Auxiliary Amerian Legion
LeMars Fire Department
City Officials
Western Union College Band
Student Body Western Union College
Boy Scouts of America
Girl Scouts of America 
Citizens in Autos

The column will form at the corner of Central Avenue and First Street North and will move at 9 o’clock south to Plymouth Street and east on Plymouth to St. Joseph’s cemetery.

PROGRAM AT ST. JOSEPH’S CEMETERY

Song by School Children
Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, Louis Zimmer
Song by School Children
Logan’s Order, Arthur Claeys
Decoration of Veteran’s Graves
Taps
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PROGRAM AT CITY CEMETERY

John C. Ruble, Commander Mower Post, No. 91, G. A. R., Presiding
Prayer, Rev. A. Z. McGogney
Music by Band
Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, Mabel Brodie
Logan’s Order, June Kern
G. A. R. Ritual by Commander John C. Ruble
Decoration Service for Unknown Dead, W. R. C., Spanish-American and American Legion Auxiliaries
Address by Rev. E. N. Tompkins, of Sioux City, Iowa
Decoration of Graves During Address
Salute, Firing Squad from Co. K.
Benediction by Rev. J. J. Vollmar
Taps
Star Spangled Banner
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LIST OF MEMBERS, MOWER POST, G. A. R.
CHARTER MEMBERS, AUGUST 1882

MEMBERS ENROLLED SINCE AUGUST, 1882