Iowa Old Press

LeMars Semi-Weekly Sentinel
September 1, 1933

DEATH CLAIMS MRS. HUSTED
EARLY RESIDENT OF PLYMOUTH COUNTY, DIES FROM INFIRMITIES OF AGE

Death claimed Mrs. Henry Husted, a pioneer of Plymouth County, at her home,
101 Fourth Avenue NW, Wednesday morning, August 30, at the age of 83 years.
Death was caused by the infirmities of age and a general breakdown of her
constitution.

Mrs. Husted was a native of England. Her maiden name was Isabel Smith,
daughter of Thomas and Anne Smith, and she was born at Hetton, Durham
county, March 1, 1850. At an early age, she came to America with relatives,
who settled at Colchester, Illinois, and later lived at Clinton, Iowa,
coming to northwest Iowa subsequently.

She was united in marriage with Henry Husted at Sioux Falls in 1893. They
made their home on a farm near Seney for many years, coming to LeMars about
twenty-five years ago where they established a comfortable home. Mr. Husted
died June 3, 1932.

Mrs. Husted is survived by a brother, R. S. Smith, of Garretson, S.D.; two
nephews, T. W. Smith, of Garretson, S.D., and W. G. Smith, of Sioux Falls,
S.D.; and a niece, Mrs. J. H. Robbins, who has been living with her of late
in LeMars.

Mrs. Husted was a member of the First Methodist church. She enjoyed a large
acquaintance and was esteemed by all who knew her.

The funeral will be held Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. from the Beely
Mortuary Chapel and services at 3:30 in the Methodist church at Seney and
interment will be made in the Seney cemetery, Rev. F. E. Burgess, of the
First Methodist church of LeMars will conduct the final rites.

LeMars Globe-Post
September 7, 1933

FATHER OF NINE KILLED BY TRUCK
Kermit Counter Killed South of Merrill on Highway

Walking home from Leeds early yesterday morning, after the old car in which
he was accustomed to go to work at Leeds had stalled, Kermit Counter, 35,
the father of nine children, was hit and instantly killed by a truck a mile
and a half of Merrill, which was his home.

Counter’s body was discovered in the weeds along the road by a trucker about
7 o’clock this morning, who notified the Merrill police. Dr. F. G. Vernon
was immediately called, but the man was dead when found. Death was caused by
a fractured skull and a broken neck.

Merrill authorities notified coroner S.V. Luken and Sheriff R. E. Rippey.
The body was removed to LeMars. Coroner Luken examined the body and on the
right should found a place, which was evidently the point of impact in the
accident. From the height of the bruise, it was deduced that Counter had
been hit by the body of a truck traveling north at a high rate of speed, and
the driver evidently had not even paused to learn the fate of his victim.

Coroner Luken indicated that criminal charges will be placed against the
driver of the killer truck if he can be apprehended. A check of trucks
cleared out of the stock yards at Sioux City is now being made in the hope
that in this way a clue may be found.

If the truck can be found on which the structure of the front end of the box
fits the bruise made by the impact on Counter’s shoulder, the identification
would be as conclusive as fingerprints, it was said.

The Counter family originally came to Merrill from Mitchell, S.D., and is in
destitute circumstances, living in an old Standard Oil warehouse. Last
winter, when offered aid by the county, however, Counter said he would make
out somehow with his junking business. The family came to Merrill from
Mitchell, S. D.

County Coroner S. H. Luke and Sheriff R. E. Rippey were conducting an
investigation in Merrill this morning. No arrrests have been made as yet.

YOUNGSTER FRACTURES ARM
Little Donald Bowers, 6 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Russell Bowers, was
playing Monday evening. He had the misfortune to break the bones in his
right arm just above the wrist. The accident happened about six o’clock. He
was taken to the LeMars Clinic, where doctors set the fracture.

Monday was Donald’s first day in the first grade at Central school, so the
accident comes at a particularly inopportune time.

SEPT. SESSION HELD MONDAY
City Fathers Hold Their Regular Monthly Meeting

The LeMars City Council met in regular session Tuesday evening in the city
hall. Mayor Henry Grimjes presided and all of the aldermen were present.
Routine monthly business occupied Tuesday night’s session.

The minutes of the August meeting were read and approved as read. The report
of the city treasurer and the city clerk was accepted and approved by the
council.

A petition of Mrs. George Arnold Smith was read to the councilmen and it was
voted to recommend to the county board of supervisors that they suspend the
tax of Mrs. Smith on lots 6 and 7, block 22, in the city of LeMars for one
half the year of 1932.

The bond of Dr. M. J. Joynt, park commissioner, was presented to the council
and approved.

Jacob G. Koenig appeared before the meeting for the Klise estate, asking for
a remission of paving taxes. The matter was taken under advisement by the
council. After the regular monthly bills were allowed, the meeting
adjourned.

The Hinton Progress, Sept. 7, 1933

KILLED BY TRUCK
Kermit Counter of Merrill was killed Wednesday when struck by a truck near
Merrill. His body was found along the highway Wednesday by a motorist who
notified county authorities. The deceased lived in Hinton for several
months, leaving here several months ago.

ENDS LIFE WITH KEROSENE FIRE

According to a report to the Sioux City newspapers from LeMars, George
Schultz, 45, eight miles south of LeMars, ended his life late Monday as a
human torch. The charred body was found by relatives in a cornfield.

It was apparent Mr. Schultz poured kerosene on his clothing and then ignited
them, according to the coroner. He said no inquest would be held.

Mr. Schultz left his farm home early Monday and when he failed to return
home members of the family searched for him and made the gruesome discovery.
Members of the family said the victim had been despondent because of ill
health.

Surviving are the widow and five children.

LeMars Sentinel, September 8, 1933

TORCH SUICIDE IN CORNFIELD
George Schultz Takes Own Live Monday Forenoon

George Schultz, 45, long a Stanton township farmer, committed suicide Monday
morning [Sept. 4, 1933] some time by going out into a corn field, saturating
his clothing with gasoline, and setting himself afire.

Members of the family, becoming anxious because of his unexplained absence
from home, looked for him and found his charred body in a corn field. He had
been dead for several hours when discovered.

Mr. Schultz's strange "torch suicide" was caused, it was believed by
sickness and mental depression. He was physically handicapped, and had made
threats of suicide to members of the family and to neighbors.

The body was removed to Luken's funeral home at LeMars.

George Schultz was the son of Gottfried Schultz, a native of Alsace
Lorraine, and Louise Koenig Schultz. He was born in Stanton township,
Plymouth County, July 3, 1888. At the time of his death he was 45 years, 2
months, and 1 day old.

On September 17, 1913, he was married to Bessie Robbins. To this union six
children were born. One son died in infancy. Three sons and two daughters,
Lester, LeRoy, James, Goldie and Juanita, survive their father's untimely
death.

Besides his bereaved wife and children, Mr. Schultz is also survived by five
brothers, Chris, Charles, Fred, William and Henry, all of Merrill, and two
sisters, Mrs. Otto Werner of Watsonville, Calif., and Mrs. Paul Gaumritz, of
Merrill.

Funeral services were held at the home where Mr. Schultz has lived for the
past 20 years at 2 p.m. Wednesday. Services were held in the Stanton
township Evangelical church at 2:30 with the Rev. Kaupp, the pastor, in
charge. Burial was in the Stanton Evangelical cemetery under the direction
of Luken's.

The pallbearers were William Fischer, Albert Fischer, Lloyd Dobbert, Carl
Lippke, Walter Wetrosky and Ben Brandstetter.

Le Mars Semi-Weekly Sentinel, September 12, 1933

LAST RITES FOR EARLY RESIDENT MAURICE MALONEY WAS MEMBER OF WELL KNOWN
FAMILY OF PRESTON TOWNSHIP

Last rites were held Monday morning for Maurice Maloney, early settler of
Plymouth county, at St. James church in this city. Rev. L. J. Cooper
officiating.

Maurice Maloney was about 75 years of age and was born in Ohio. The Maloney
family came to Plymouth county in the seventies and farmed in Preston
township and became wealthy by judicious expenditure and successful farming
operations. The family, consisting of two sisters and three brothers, came
to Le Mars in 1920 and purchased fine homes. Mr. Maloney was the only
surviving member of the older generation. For the past year he had been at
St. Bernard's hospital in Council Bluffs for treatment where he passed away
Friday night.

Surviving relatives are a nephew, Dan Maloney, of this city, a niece, Mrs.
Anne Fitzgerald, of Council Bluffs, and two nephews, Patrick and James
Kelly, living in California.

The pall bearers were John Cooper, Frank Hentges, Maurice Redmond, John
McGrory, Pat Marron, John Lubben.

LeMars Sentinel
September 22, 1933

DEATH TAKES MRS. STRUBLE
PIONEER WOMAN WAS INTIMATELY ASSOCIATED WITH LIFE AND PROGRESS OF LE MARS

Mrs. Elizabeth K. Struble, one of the pioneer residents of LeMars, died at
her home, 134 First Avenue SE, Tuesday evening, following a prolonged
illness due to infirmities of age. Her passing marks the severance of ties
between the older and younger generation. Mrs. Struble in her younger days
did much to mould the coming youth and set a pattern commendable for others
to follow, being one of the early teachers in the LeMars public schools. Her
influence in rough and ready days of early settlement when the village of
LeMars was in its infancy, has left an impression which is retained in the
memories of many, who under her kindly guidance started forth to seek
fortune in life’s way. Intimately associated with the life of LeMars from
girlhood. Mrs. Struble was always friendly, sympathetic and neighborly. She
was active in community, church and social circles until ill health
intervened. For many years she was a member of the Presbyterian Church. She
was a charter member of the Friday Club.

Mrs. Struble had been an invalid for nearly ten years but her condition was
not regarded serious until last February, when she began to fail rapidly.

Mrs. Struble was born September 24, 1854, at Galena, Ill., the second child
in a family of eleven children born to Mr. and Mrs. Christian Koehler.
Elizabeth Koehler was educated in the Galena schools and in 1876 she came
with her parents, brothers and sisters to LeMars where Mr. Koehler continued
the wagon making and blacksmithing business, his lifelong occupation.

For years Mrs. Struble has made her home in the old Koehler residence, one
of the pioneer homes in LeMars. In 1878, Mrs. Struble became the first
teacher of German in the LeMars public schools. She was married in 1880 to
James Hamil Struble, a pioneer lawyer in LeMars, and has maintained
residence in LeMars since that time.

Three daughters, Miss Margaret Struble, of LeMars, Mrs. David W. Stewart, of
Sioux City, and Mrs. Geo. N. Oberne, of Chicago, two grandchildren, George
N. Oberne, of Chicago, and Robert Bruce Stewart, of Sioux City, are left to
mourn the loss of a tender, devoted, and inspiring mother and grandmother.
Mrs. Struble also leaves two brothers, R. J. Koehler, of LeMars, Benjamin M.
Koehler, of Hawarden, and a sister, Mrs. Roy Dimmick, of Portland, Oregon.

LAST RITES HELD THURSDAY
The funeral was held Thursday afternoon from the residence, Rev. F. E.
Burgess conducting the services, and interment was made in the family
burying ground in the LeMars cemetery. Life time neighbors and friends were
pallbearers: W. H. Boyd, C. E. Clarke, Will Koenig, F. A. Post, J. G.
Smaltz, and G. L. Wernli.