The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross
Stronghurst Graphic, Jan. 17, 1924
FOUND DEAD IN HOG LOT: A gruesome tragedy occurred on the farm two miles east of Gladstone occupied by Charles E. Kemp and family. Mr. Chas. E. Watson, a nephew of Mr. Kemp went to the place about noon on Monday to get a team of horses from the barn and not finding them there went to the lot across the road from the house to see if they were there. Here he was confronted with a horrible sight. A bunch of hogs were grouped about a pump in the lot and engaged in devouring a human body which Mr. Watson at once recognized as that of his uncle. Mr. Watson quickly secured help and they soon succeeded in driving the hogs, 65 in number, from the prostrate form. The flesh had been torn from the face and hands of the unfortunate man and it was evident that he had been dead for some time.
Mr. Kemp had been working during the greater part of the forenoon with a gasoline engine used for operating the pump in the hog lot, and the supposition is that while he was so engaged, he was stricken with heart failure and either while lying in a helpless condition or after life had become extinct, he was attacked by the hogs.
Mr. Kemp was one of the well known citizens of Gladstone Township and was respected and esteemed by all who knew him. He was about 60 years of age and had been a resident of the vicinity in which he died all of his life. He is survived by his wife and the following seven children: Raymond and Richard Kemp of Burlington, Iowa; Ralph and Mark Kemp of Gladstone; and Phyllis, Max and Rex Kemp of the home. He is also survived by two sisters, Mrs. Charles Watson of Burlington, Iowa and Mrs. John Mills of Gladstone. The deceased was a member of the Gladstone M. E. Church and of the M.W.A. lodge of that place.
***OBITUARY***MRS. EMILY BEVAN: Mrs. Emily Biggs Bevan, aged 64 years, wife of James Bevan of Carman, died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Harry Hunt in Burlington, Ia. at 7:45 o'clock last Sunday evening following an illness of seven years from Bright's disease. Mrs. Bevan was a woman highly esteemed by all who knew her because of her excellent character and her readiness to lend a helping had to any who were in need.
"The deceased was born in Gaenabon, England July 20, 1864 and was educated in the parochial schools of that place. She was married to James Bevan in Glaenabon on Dec. 25, 1884 and two years later they came to this country settling in the Carman community. She was a member of the Welsh Singers of England who won the first prize in singing at the Chicago Exposition.
She is survived by her husband and two daughters: Mrs. Thomas McIntire of Halfa, Iowa and Mrs. Marry Hunt of Burlington. She is also survived by two sisters, Mrs. Martha John of Carman and Mrs. Anne Smith of England. Brief funeral services were conducted from the home at 414 Hedge Avenue with the body taken to Carman where services were held at the Carman Methodist Episcopal Church and burial in the Carman Cemetery."-Burlington paper
HE WAS HURT: Alva Hulet of the Blandinsville neighborhood is in a very serious condition as the result of an accident which happened to him several months ago. While engaged in plowing with a spirited team, he attempted to dislodge some trash from the coulter of the plow with his foot and was thrown in such a way as to twist his leg sufficiently to injure the thigh bone. The injury was not thought to be serious at first, but when it was found that his condition did not improve, an examination revealed the fact that the thigh bone had been splintered. An operation for the removal of the splinter was finally decided upon, but at the hospital to which he was taken, it was found that tuberculosis of the bone had set in and that there but a slight chance for the ravages of this insidious disease to be overcome.
***WEDDING BELLS** BUSCH-AHLERS: Miss Millie Ahlers, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Ahlers, who live 5 miles southeast of Stronghurst and Mr. Chester Busch of Burlington, Ia., son of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Busch of Athensville, Ill., were married in Galesburg, Ill. on Jan. 14th by Justice of Peace Kost using the ring ceremony. The bride was attired in a gown of navy blue Canton crepe with beaded trimmings, black stain slippers and wore a corsage bouquet of American Beauty roses.
Mrs. Busch attended school in the Cox District in Raritan Township and took one year's work in the Stronghurst High School. She afterward engaged in teaching in Fulton and Henderson Counties. She was employed as teacher for the Fitz School in Terre Haute Township this year but was obliged to cancel her contract on account of being quarantined at the Y.W.C.A. in Alton, Ill. where she was engaged in library work when an epidemic of influenza broke out in that city.
The groom was raised on a farm near Athensville and followed the pursuits of a farmer. For the past few months he has been employed in the Showers furniture factory at Burlington where his brother resides. The marriage is the culmination of a romance which began in 1918 when the bride was teaching in Madison County, Ill. The happy couple will make their home in Burlington where Mr. Busch has a furnished home awaiting his bride.
THEY DONATED: Mrs. G. W. Worley has received a letter from the management of the Christian Home Orphanage at Council Bluffs, Ia., stating that the institution desired to acknowledge with gratitude the receipt of a donation of $15 on behalf of the W.C.T.U. and the P.M.H. club of Stronghurst.
LOCAL AND AREA NEWS: Alton Vaughn is reported to have gone to Great Lakes, Ill, and joined the Navy. Frederick Fitz of the Decorra neighborhood has been employed as a teacher of science in the Cambridge, Ill. high school. The Willing Workers of the Stronghurst U. P. Church have arranged to hold their annual apron and food sale on Feb. 14th. Mrs. Mary Miller, her daughter Mrs. Geo. Dixson and Miss Mattie Tate of Korea were weekend guests at the S. W. Carothers home in Dallas City. Dr. J. F. Highfield is in Chicago attending the clinic of the Chicago Dental Society. Allie Bruce and Arthur McIntyre have leased the NuVon Hotel and are endeavoring to render service which will make that well known hostelry a popular institution with the transient public. Mrs. C. F. Heisler and Mrs. T. A. Richey entertained a company of ladies at a luncheon in honor of their mother, Mrs. Edgar Rankin, who is expecting soon to leave for her new home in California.
Arch Britt, a former merchant of Raritan and more recently a rural mail carrier out of LaHarpe, died last Friday evening at the home of his brother, Clifford Britt at the Antlers Hotel in Monmouth where he had made his home for the past year. The deceased was a son of the late Horace Britt, a well known farmer of the Old Bedford neighborhood. Dallas City is considerably stirred up over the mysterious disappearance of Frank Ferguson, a well known citizen of that burg. He left Dallas City for Burlington on the morning of Dec. 27th and has never returned. He is known to have gone from Burlington to Quincy, Ill. by way of Montrose, Iowa on the afternoon of Dec. 27th and to have told a friend at Quincy that he was bound for Kansas City. Nothing has been heard from him since that time. His relatives and friends are considerably worried over his strange action. George Kemp, Jr. has moved from Decorra to Keosauqua, Iowa where he has rented a farm. Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Wheeling are the parents of a son born Jan. 3rd at their home. The young man will be known as Ivin. The large plate glass front window of Dr. H. L. Marshall's office was shattered by a stone from a snow ball thrown by one school boy or another during the noon recess hour. Mrs. John Brown, a well known resident of Monmouth, Ill., passed away at her home last Sunday evening after a two days illness. Mrs. Brown was formerly Miss Alice Pendarvis of Media Township, Henderson County, being the daughter of the late W.G. and Sarah Pendarvis. Although John Baker has vacated his business site, he will continue to repair shoes and harness at his home on Nichols Street. About 60 friends and neighbors of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Charter were entertained in their hospitable home near Olena one evening last week. The gathering was in the nature of a surprise on Mr. Charter who after the first shock, composed himself and entered heartily into the spirit of the occasion. The evening was pleasantly spent with music and dancing. Cecil Billups and Harry Gilliland while assisting in putting up ice at Lake Fort one day last week had the unpleasant experience of falling into the water which was about four or five feet deep at that point. (During the winter, ice was harvested to cool food in the ice boxes in town. Blanch Galbraith remembered Charley Fort hauling ice in the early days of the town. Refrigerators were things of the future.) Mr. and Mrs. Dale Stine are at home in their new quarter in Chariton, Iowa. They had the good luck of securing a fine, up-to-date house; the owner and family were leaving to spend the winter in Florida leaving the Stines in charge at nominal rent with everything furnished.
The village of Kirkwood has received the honor of having its name bestowed upon a new variety of apple discovered and preserved by H. L. Everett of that place. Prof. Holsinger of the pomology department of the Iowa State College found the apple to be a distinct variety from any known at present and he and Jonah Smith christened it the "Kirkwood" at the Farm Products Show in Burlington where it was exhibited and attracted much attention on account of its beauty. (Do any still exist?)
BIGGSVILLE BRIEFS: John Vaughn moved his family to Raritan. Gordon Johnson left for his home at Cameron after being ill with what was thought to be appendicitis. Mrs. Carrie Wiegand has been carrying the mail on Route 1 in the place of Ed Wiegand who is sick. Mr. and Mrs. Alvh McNaught of Williamsfield are the parents of a baby girl. Mrs. McNaught was formerly Miss Vern Douglass. Grandma Douglass left to care for the new arrival. Claude Renwick, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Alph Renwick, and Miss Lois McMillan, oldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Chas. McMillan were married last Tuesday evening at the M.E. parsonage in Monmouth. Mr. and Mrs. Cline have purchased the property vacated by John Vaughn and are now at home to their friends. Chas. Graham and Frank Hinds have been working on the home of H.V.Jamison in Burlington. Mr. and Mrs. Wm, Campbell left for California where they will spend the rest of the winter. Mrs. Lyons fell at her home. Lela and Lois Kilgore, daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Kilgore, have been confined to their home with the mumps. The recently organized Civic Choral Union met for its initial rehearsal at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Dixon with some 16 present. Miss Emma Folmer was chosen director. Mrs. Lorimer received a telegram from Rev. Lorimer who is with Miss Lucille at the Mayo Brothers. They will operate on her for goiter which has been troubling her for some time.
***OBITUARY***CHARLES LOUIS REIFSCHNEIDER: Mr. Reifschneider, son of George and Wilhemina Reifschneider, was born in New York City on Nov.22, 1851 and died Jan. 6, 1924 at the age of 72 years. He came with his parents to Chicago and when but a child; his early life was spent there. When he was a young man, he came to Gladstone where he worked at stone cutting in the Walbum quarry which was then at the height of its business. Later he was married to Miss Sadie Marsden who passed away several years later. Three children were born to this union: Minnie May of Chicago, Gearheart of Richmond, Calif. and Clara who died in infancy. On Sept. 19, 1893 he married Carrie Shultz who survives him. Besides the son and daughter, he leaves two sisters: Mrs. Gearheart Soeffker and Mrs. Martin Becker of Chicago.. Since his second marriage he has made Biggsville his home. He was an expert mechanic in wood work as well as stone and in his business ways which were many, he will be greatly missed. The funeral was held at the U. P. Church with interment in the local cemetery.
MEDIA MEANDERINGS: Gram Pogue is quite sick with mumps. Joe Campbell has gone to Steubenville, Ohio to take a position as foreman of a steel riveting gang. Mr. and Mrs. Dan Leinbach and family who have been living at Ulysses, Nebr. the past two years, are back again and unloaded their car from the tracks. They moved to one of the Voorhees farms near Raritan. Mr. and Mrs. Goldsmith of Chicago were called here by the death of her brother, Mr. A. E. McCartney.
***OBITUARY***ALBERT E. McCARTNEY: Mr. McCartney, son of David and Rachel Moore McCartney, was born in Henderson County, Ill., March 20, 1858. On the farm where he was born, he spent practically all his life except fourteen years spent in Iowa. While there he was united in marriage to Cynthia Armstrong on Jan. 5, 1888 and to them was born one son, Donald. Mr. McCartney was raised in the old school Presbyterian faith and clung to that teaching and faith. He leaves besides his wife and son, two brothers and one sister, on granddaughter and a host of friends. The funeral service was held at the M. E. Church at Smithshire and burial took place at Kirkwood.
BIGGSVILLE BRIEFS: Gordon Johnson of Farmington, who has been attending high school here, was operated on recently at the Graham Hospital at Canton for appendicitis. At the stockholders meeting of the First National Bank to elect directors for the coming year, the present board was re-elected. Added to the staff of vice-presidents were Fred Gibson of Kirkwood and J. C. Brook of Stronghurst. R. M. Hutchison is the other vice-president and J. M. McIntosh the president. The Country Club met at the home of Mrs. Will Gibb south of town. Owing to bad roads and weather, a small crowd was present. The program on history of Illinois was handled by Miss Ruby Graham. Mrs. Guy Sanderson was voted in as a new member. Rev. Litchfield as been engaged to teach at the high school to fill the vacancy made by the recent illness of Miss Lucile Lorimer. Later, the school board secured Miss Childs of Monmouth to finish out this position. Mr. and Mrs. Earl Trumbell are the proud parents of a fine baby boy born at the Burlington Hospital.
***OBITUARY***ALONZO WOODARD: Mr. Woodard died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Will Fagan in Galesburg. He was an old soldier and his home had been mostly in and about Biggsville before going to Galesburg this last year. Funeral services were held at the M.E.Church with interment in the local cemetery.
MEDIA MEANDERINGS: A good crowd turned out for the P.T.A. Meeting. Pupils of the grade school delighted the audience with a program. Geer Mathers and Emery Eberheardt are putting a basement under the C. R. Pendarvis residence. Mrs. Bernard White entertained the Queen Esther Society of the M.E.Church at her home. New desks which were purchased by Prof. Murtland the students of the Commercial Department of the high school with the proceeds of the play given by them in December have been installed in the Commercial room. John Hickman of Media and Miss Era Littrell of Kirkwood were united in marriage Saturday at the M.E. parsonage in Smithshire. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Hickman of Media and is an industrious and thrifty young farmer. The bride is a stranger in this community. They will reside on a farm near town.
LOCAL AND AREA NEWS: The Board of Supervisors of Henderson County has awarded the contract for the printing of the board's proceedings for the current year to the Graphic. (Noted in an article was the passing Nicolai Lenine(spelled as appeared) who is listed as a great man of history for his ability to unite men in a great cause-revolution in Russia.) Mr. Sam Leinbach has not been well the past week and is confined to his bed. Clyde Walker is employed in Chicago. Mrs. B. R. Higgason of Knoxville is recovering from a three weeks siege of pneumonia and recently was able to sit up in bed. Mr. Gillie Voorhees and Miss Olie Mesecher came over from Raritan to have some dental work done and were accompanied by Mrs. Burg Voorhees who spent the day with her friend, Mrs. Addie Cortelyou. Grove Foote and wife and Mr. and Mrs. Earl Foote who have living on the Pogue farm near Colchester, Ill. are moving to the John Pogue farm west of Media. Mr. and Mrs. Clark who were living on the latter farm will move the Colchester farm. Ralph Reynolds, who has been engaged at carpenter work for the Prairie Oil and Pipe Line Co. at Dahinda, Ill. has been transferred to Griffith, Ind. where he and his wife will make their future home. R. B. Chase who has been employed by the C.B.& Q. Railroad in Burlington for the past 20 years as operator has been transferred to Galesburg. (The name, R. B. Chase, was inscribed on the wall by Miranda Foote in the old Foote home while being held captive by her family in the midst of scandal. However, there were two Robert Chases-father and son. So which is meant only those now dead know. The home is now owned by the Fort family.) Miss Adams entertained her high school Sophomore Latin class. The class has been named the Ciceroneans and will hold regular meetings at the homes of its members. Friends will welcome the good news that the aged lady, Mrs. P. C. Bainter, is making satisfactory recovery from her fall.
The village of Alpha in Henry County has just completed the erection of a new high school building at the cost of $50,000. The structure is two story brick one which is completely modern in every detail. In addition to the assembly and class rooms it contains a well equipped domestic science department and a 42 by 72 ft. gymnasium. Mrs. Edgar Rankin and daughter, Lucile, took their departure for the new home at Palms, Calif. They will stop at Yuma, Arizona, where they will visit with Walter Rankin and family. Will Wright has been confined to his home by a severe illness. Wesley Barnett, who recently retired from farming in this locality, is now in the employ of the Barton Motor Co. in Burlington. Mr. and Mrs. Harry Painter of this place are the proud parents of a young son born on Thursday morning.
ATTEND I.A.A. ANNUAL MEETING: Nearly 1,000 Illinois farmers attended the ninth annual meeting of the Illinois agricultural Association at Galesburg. Of this 177 were voting delegates representing 92 counties farm bureaus. C. W. Cooper and C. C. Painter presented Henderson County as voting delegates. Others attending were G. E. Chandler, L. E. Hall, J. U. Vaughn, S. W. Graham, C. B. Stewart, C. E. Duke, W. A. Stevenson, Fred Dannenburg, Joe Ross, Andrew Stevenson, Chester Brooks, Earl Duke, B. C. Duke, A. R. Brooks and C. E. Peasley.