Lansing "Lan" Fikes

"Lan" Fikes, 85, Dies at Murphy Hospital Sunday

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Popular and Pioneer Citizen Succumbs to Pneumonia and Old Age Complications After Short Illness.

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Lived here 62 Years

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     Red Oak and Montgomery county lost another highly respected pioneer citizen in the death of Lansing ("Lan") Fikes, 85, who passed away in the Murphy Memorial hospital on Sunday, March 6, at 12:13 p.m. following a four day illness of pneumonia and old-age complications.

     Funeral services were held on Tuesday afternoon at 2 o'clock at his home, 200 West Reed st., with Rev. Orval Walker, Pastor of the Christian church, assisted by Rev. Ira Carney of Audubon. Serving are pallbearers were Wm. Kramer, of Murray, Ia., and Henry Wookey, Herman Heur, Wm Roberts, Harry Petty, Joe Robson, Walter Rockwell and Paul Wheeler of Red Oak. Burial was in Evergreen cemetery. Music was furnished by Mrs. Wm. Miller and Mrs. Orville Walker with Mrs. Dale Petty, organist.  In Charge of the flowers were Mrs. Stella Ward, Mrs. Jennie Maloit, Mrs. Edith Heikes and Mrs. Will Longstreet.

    Lansing Fikes was born in LeRay, Jefferson county, N.Y., March 15 1852, and had he lived none more days would have reached his 86th birthday. He was a son of John A. and Charity Fikes. He grew to manhood and was married at Theresa, N. Y., Aug. 11, 1872, to Mary Jenkins.  In September, 1875, Mr. and Mrs. Fikes came to Montgomery County, Iowa and located on a farm west of Red Oak, where they lived for a number of years, and where Mrs. Fikes died in 1877. Mr. Fikes went to California in 1892 and remained there for four years, returning in 1896 and building a home in Red Oak, at 200 W. Reed st., where he had resided until his death. In 1880, on Feb. 11, he was married a second time to Alda Jeffers, in Villisca,, she dying in 1934. Since the death of his wife Mr. Fikes had had as his housekeeper his niece, Mrs. Carrie Fikes, of Evans Mills, N. Y., until his death.

    After leaving the farm Mr. Fikes was for many years associated with his brother, James Fikes, in the building contracting business and many of the houses and other buildings in this community were built by them.  Upon the death of his brother ten or twelve years ago, Mr. Fikes retired from the contracting business.

    Mr. Fikes was a man highly esteemed in the city   and community as one of unusual business attainments and integrity.  He was a member of the city council for a number of years and one of the first a  appointees of the zoning board of the city.  He was a man who was active in all affairs of civic advancement, liberal and enterprising, and had acquired considerable wealth in and during his lifetime.

   He is survived by his niece here, Mrs. Carrie Fikes, nieces and nephews at Fremont, Neb., and other relatives in the east.

The Sun, Red Oak, Iowa, 11 March 1938