Cass County

William A. Becker, resident of the Plattsmouth community for more than 20 years, died at his home Wednesday afternoon, following a stroke. He had been ill for several weeks.The 83-year-old retired farmer died January 30, 1952.A native of Pekin, Ill., where he was born December 12, 1868, Mr. Becker was the son of John H. and Harriett Becker. He was married December 7, 1893, to Mary Horn at Plattsmouth. He moved to Plattsmouth in 1931 after retiring. Surviving are two sons, Earl and Floyd, both of Plattsmouth; a daughter, Mrs. Viola Speck of Plattsmouth; a sister, Mrs. Frank Cloidt of Plattsmouth; 12 grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. Funeral services will be held Saturday, February 2, at two o'clock at Sattler Funeral Home with Dr. H. G. McClusky officiating. Burial will be at Oak Hill cemetery at Plattsmouth. Visiting hours will be observed at Sattler Funeral Home Friday afternoon and evening from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9.

Heart Trouble Takes An Old Pioneer From Among Our Midst On June 16.

We are called upon this week to announce the death of one of Cass county’s old and respected pioneers, Mr. William Thomas WILSON. Mr. Wilson was born in Putman [sic] county, Indiana, January 15, 1840, and died at his farm June 16, 1916, aged 76 years, 5 months and 1 day. Mr. Wilson awoke on the morning of the 16th feeling as well as usual. He ate a good breakfast and went to the field to work as farm hands could not be secured. He came in at noon and ate a good dinner, and went back to work without a complaint. Sometime during the afternoon he was found dead in his field, where he had fallen off the cultivator while plowing corn. The exact time of his death is not known as his body was cold when found. His son, aged about 16, gave the alarm as soon as he came upon his father and realized what had taken place. Mr. Wilson was one of those kind of men in whom we saw the best that was in manhood. He was a loving husband, a kind father and an excellent neighbor, respected by all with whom he had acquaintance, and his removal from the neighborhood will be keenly missed by those who knew him best. He came to Nebraska from Indiana, in the year 1859, and was engaged in freighting from Nebraska to Colorado. Later he engaged in farming and had resided on the present place for the past thirty-five years. He was married on June 12, 1889, to Miss May WOOD of Lorton, Neb., and to this union were born two sons, one dying in infancy. He is survived by his wife and one son, Paul. He is also survived by two sisters, Mrs. W.H. BANNING, of near here, and Mrs. Richard SLOAN, living elsewhere, and two brothers, James, of Union, and Robert, living in the northern part of the state. The funeral services were held at the Wyoming church last Sunday at 2:30 p.m., by Rev. W.A. TAYLOR of Union, and the interment was made in the cemetery nearby. The friends and relatives of the deceased have the sympathy of all in their sad hour of bereavement.

A message was received here last evening announcing the death at the hospital in York, Neb., of Mrs. Harry WINDSOR, formerly Miss Star EVERETT of this city, which occurred there yesterday. Mrs. Windsor, since her marriage, had made her home at Waco, Neb., and for some time had been in poor health, culminating in an operation for gall stones at the York hospital. The condition of Mrs. Windsor was such as to make her recovery doubtful, and she was unable to withstand the shock of the operation. She leaves a husband and one little child, 3 years old, to mourn her death. While here Mrs. Windsor made her home with her sister, Mrs. LYLE, and family, while Mr. Lyle was hired as cashier at the Burlington station, and Mrs. Windsor was for a time employed as one of the operators in the telephone office. The friends of the family will regret greatly to learn of the death of this estimable lady, and extend to the bereaved family their deepest sympathy in their hour of grief.

This morning at 2:30 o’clock, Mildred, the little five year old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.R. RUMMERFIELD passed away at the home in the south part of the city after an illness of a short time from whooping cough. The little one has been suffering from diphtheria for the past three weeks and had no more recovered from this malady than she was taken down with whooping cough and in her weakened condition was unable to withstand the second illness and gradually grew worse until death came to still her sufferings. The family has been quarantined for some time as all of the nine children are suffering from the whooping cough but Mildred was the only one of the family who had been afflicted with diphtheria. The funeral services were held this afternoon at 2:30 from the home and owing to the fact that the family were in quarantine was private with only the members of the household being present. The interment was held in the Oak Hill cemetery.

In testimony of the excellent character, and the many good qualities of the late James Allison Walker, late of Murray, hundreds of his friends gathered at his late home to say their last quota of honor to his memory. From most of the eastern portion of the county were friends to testify by their presence, their respect for this worthy citizen. Weeping Water, Nehawka, Union and Plattsmouth citizens were gathered to honor this man. The Masonic order of which he was a member, having been a working Mason for many years, had charge of the ceremonies. The house and yard even of the beautiful home, where he has lived so long were not adequate to hold the throng. After the ceremonies at the house, with automobiles the concourse, repaired to the Horning cemetery, where the mortal remains were laid away by the Masons according to their ritual. The obituary of J.A. Walker will appear in a later issue of this paper.

Death again visited this community this morning and removed from the family circle Samuel WARSTAT, who had for a great many ears been a resident of this city. Mr. Warstat had been a sufferer from heart trouble for some time, gradually growing weaker until death came to his relief at 8:30 this morning. Mr. Warstat was born may 25, 1861, at Kirklaukenweid, province of East Prussia, where he spent his boyhood and youth and served three years in the Second Grenedier regiment, No. 3, at Gumbinnen, Prussia. He was married in the old country to Miss Augusta MATSCHULLET at Siesgern, Prussia, and for a number of years the family resided in that locality, until 1891, when the family came to America and located at Plattsmouth, where they have continued to make their home. To Mr. and Mrs. Warstat eight children were born, four of whom died, and four are left to mourn the death of the father, Henry WARSTAT, Mrs. Otto PITZ, Emma WARSTAT and Ida WARSTAT, all residing in this city with the exception of Henry, who is living in Salt Lake City, Utah, and the children will bear with the wife and mother the grief and sorrow that the passing of this good man has occasioned. The funeral services have not been definitely settled, awaiting the arrival of the absent son.

This morning after an illness covering the past three weeks, Mrs. N.K. PEOPLES passed away at her home in this city, and her passing brings to the sorrowing husband and little children a sense of deep grief in the loss of their loved one. Mrs. Peoples has not been in the best of health for the past several years and had been gradually failing, but it was not until the last three weeks that her condition became critical, and as the days wore on it was evident that she was soon to be taken from the family circle, but during the long period of suffering she bore with fortitude the pain and sickness, hoping that she might live for those whom she loved so dearly and be spared to care for the little ones. Mrs. Peoples during the time she had, made her home in this city , made many friends by her splendid traits of character and her life had been devoted to the family circle and the close friends whom she held so dear. To mourn her death there remains the husband and three small children, Anna, Norris and Ruth. One brother, J.R. RUMMERFIELD, of this city, is left to share the grief at her death. The body will be taken to Watson, Mo., Friday morning, where it will be laid to rest in the cemetery near the old home where the departed had spent so many happy years. In their hour of grief and sorrow, the family will receive the deepest sympathy of the many friends in the loss that has rendered the home disconsolate.

The funeral of Mrs. N.K. PEOPLES was held yesterday afternoon from the late home where she had been called from just a few brief days ago, and the many friends in the community joined in paying their last tribute of love and respect to the memory of this estimable lady. The body was taken this morning on No. 4 to Pacific Junction, and from there over the Burlington to Watson, Mo., where the interment was made this afternoon. At the home the services were in charge of Rev. T.A. TRUSCOTT, pastor of the Methodist church, with which the departed lady had long been a most faithful and devout member, and the pastor in his remarks brought to the family as sense of resignation in the loss that had been visited upon them. During the services a number of the old familiar hymns were given by a quartet composed of Mrs. Mae MORGAN, Miss Leona BRADY, Jesse PERRY, and Don C. YORK, while Mr. York gave a solo, “He Leadeth Me,” as the minister read the beautiful burial service. The floral remembrances were beautiful and expressed the feelings of regret that the death of this lady has occasioned. Rev. Truscott accompanied the family and the body to Watson for the services there. Ella Adeline RUMMERFIELD was born in Sonora, Atchison county, Missouri, April 28, 1873. She died in Plattsmouth, Neb., November 29, 1916 at the age of 43 years, 7 months and 1 day. She united with the Methodist Episcopal church when she was but 15 years of age and remained a sincere and devoted Christian during her life. She was united in marriage to N.K. PEOPLES at Watson, Mo., on August 10, 1892. To this happy union were born four sons and four daughters. Five of the children God has called home to be with Him. There remain to mourn the loss of the mother but three, Anna Adeline, Norris King, and Ruth Elizabeth. These with the father will surely greatly miss the mother that was always good, and so patient. As mourners, there are but two other near relatives besides the husband and children, they are a brother and a sister of the deceased. The brother is Joseph R. Rummerfield of this city. The sister is Mrs. M.A. HAVENS, who lived in Seneca, Kan. After Mrs. People’s took to her bed, one day she called her husband and told him she thought she was going to die. She said she was not afraid to die but dreaded the ordeal. She made all the necessary arrangements for her own funeral, even directing her husband as to how the children should be dressed. She said she would like to have been spared to raise the children, but she committed them to the care of God and her husband. She advised her husband that he could only raise the children properly by trusting in God. She regretted much that her failing health prevented her from attending church and helping as she would like to do and used to do. Her sweet voice had often been used at funerals to soften the blow to the bereaved and point them to God for comfort.

Mrs. Anna RICHTER of near Murray, who underwent a Caesarean operation at the St. Joseph hospital in Omaha Tuesday night, passed away last evening at eleven o’clock, after a brave fight for life to care for the three little sons who were born to her and for whom she had laid down her life. The serious condition of Mrs. Richter on reaching the hospital early Wednesday morning after being brought by an auto from her home at Murray made the operation necessary at once, as she was suffering from convulsions. This is the first time in the history of Omaha surgery, where such an operation was performed that triplets were born. The children are reported as doing as well as could be expected under the circumstances. Mrs. Richter had no time to be prepared for the operation on reaching the hospital, but cheerfully submitted to the ordeal insisting that she was ready and willing to withstand it. Dr. C.C. ALLISON and Dr. A.L. DERMMODY performed the operation. Mrs. Richter was twenty-three years of age and was married at Carrolton, Mo., to Herman Richter two years ago, and they have made their home on the farm west of Murray a greater part of the time since their marriage. Her husband and mother, Mrs. Emma WALKER were by her bedside at the time she passed away.

Sunday, April 16, at his home in Lincoln, occurred the death of James Root, for many years a resident of Cass county and a member of the Root family, one of the pioneer families of the state. For a great many years Mr. Root resided at Murray, where he was engaged in the lumber and hardware business, and was very strongly identified with the life of the community and was a gentleman who made many friends by his pleasant manner of dealing with his fellow men, and his death will be greatly regretted by his old friends in this county as well as in Lincoln. Nine years ago he went to Lincoln from Murray and established his home there and had resided since at 2010 Vine street. Mr. Root was married in 186[?] to Miss Harriett Dickinson at Waco, Michigan, who, with two daughters, Mrs. G.W. WOOD of Lincoln and Mrs. W.H. MC DANIEL of Nebraska City, and one son, C.F. ROOT, of Lincoln, are left to mourn the loss of this good man. Mr. Root, on going to Lincoln, united with the East Lincoln Christian church, and was a deacon and trustee of this church at the time of his death.

Miss Jessie Fern IRVIN passed away at the home of her mother, Mrs. Laura IRVIN, Sunday afternoon, April the 16, after a severe attack of pneumonia. Jessie Fern Irvin was born January 29, 1909, and was aged seven years, two months and eighteen days and died April 16. The funeral service was held at the Lewiston church Monday afternoon and was conducted by the Rev. W.A. TAYLOR of Union. Left to mourn the loss of the bright little baby are the mother, Mrs. Laura Irvin, and four sisters, Mrs. Guy MURRAY, Misses Bertha, Verna, and Hazel IRVIN. The father, John Irvin, passed away three years ago. The heartfelt sympathy of the community is extended to the grief-stricken family.

Another of the pioneer residents of Cass County and one of its best beloved citizens passed from the ranks of the living on Wednesday, January 17th, when C.F. LAU passed away at his home in Murdock after an illness covering some duration. Mr. Lau had attained the ripe old age of eighty-four years, three months and two days at the time he was called from his earthly activities. There are few men in the county who possessed the confidence and esteem of his associates as did Mr. Lau during his long residence in Cass county and very few whose death was more sincerely mourned throughout the community than was that of this sturdy pioneer. The funeral services were held on Saturday from the Lutheran church at Murdock where Mr. Lau had been such a faithful attendant for many years. C.F. LAU was born September 22, 1832, in [looks like] Cokin, Germany, and on June 2, 1857 came to America, settling first in Illinois and later in Wisconsin. In the year 1873, he removed to Nebraska and has made his home here since that time engaging in farming on the fine land of Cass county and rearing his family in this community. Mr. Lau was united in marriage to Miss Maria HEINKE in Wisconsin in the fall of 1857. The wife preceeded him in death on November 28, 1901. To this union there were born fourteen children, two of whom have passed away and twelve left to mourn the loss of the kind and loving father and are, Charles, William, Emil, Louis, Ferdinand, Fred, Sarah, Alice, Maria, Augusta, Anna and Martha. Forty-eight grandchildren and twenty-four great grandchildren are also left to mourn his death. Mr. Lau also leaves two sisters surviving him. One of whom resides in Germany and the other in Washington. He was all his life a member of the Lutheran church and one of the founders of the congregation at Murdock and the oldest member of the church, serving during the years past as elder and treasurer of the church.