Iowa Old Press

LeMars Sentinel
March 18, 1924

G. H. RAGSDALE CONDUCTED THE SENTINEL NEWSPAPER IN THE PIONEER DAYS

G. H. Ragsdale, who purchased the Sentinel newspaper from its founder, J. C.
Buchanan, in the eighties, died last Thursday. Mr. Ragsdale came here from
Chariton, Iowa, and was later joined by E. D. Chassell, of Osage, and the
Sentinel was conducted under the firm name of Ragsdale & Chassell for several
years. The DesMoines Register says:

"George H. Ragsdale, 80 years old, died early yesterday afternoon at the
home of his daughter, at Evanston, Ill. Death came as a result of a stroke
of paralysis, which he suffered recently. Private funeral services were
held Saturday afternoon at 2 o'clock from Dunn's funeral home.

Mrs. Ragsdale served in the army during the Civil War, being severely
wounded. He received an appointment to West Point later, but did not
complete the course. He moved to Chariton, where he purchased a paper,
later going to LeMars where he published a newspaper. He led the fight for
prohibition in that district against great odds.

Mr. Ragsdale was for several years state printer, later establishing the
Iowa Lithographing company, of DesMoines, serving as president of the
company for many years."

RECEIVES ARMY COMMISSION

R. A. Gaynor, Former LeMars Boy, Is Member of Reserve Corps

Sioux City Tribune: Ralph Albion Gaynor, 2727 Jones street, president of
the Gaynor-Bagstad company, 306 Pierce street, has been commissioned a
lieutenant colonel in the sanitary corps of the United States army,
according to word reaching Sioux City from the war department late Thursday
afternoon.

Mr. Gaynor is serving his second term of the American Surgical Trade
association. It was through this office the came in contact with war
department officials which resulted in the department requesting him to
apply for the reserve corps commission, he said.

Gaynor explained he has been working with the war department in secret work
with the idea of insuring suitable sources of surgical supplies in case of
another war. His commission is that of lieutenant colonel in the sanitary
division of the Officer's Reserve Corps.

MRS. FRANKLIN DIES
Lived at Seney For Several Years at One Time

Mrs. Henry Groetkin, of Elgin township, was called to St. Paul, Minn.,
Thursday by the illness of her mother, Mrs. Susan Franklin. Mrs. Franklin
died Friday, following a brief illness. She was about 62 years of age. Mrs.
Franklin lived at Seney for a period of time a few years ago, when her son,
John Franklin, was station agent at that place. She leaves two sons, James
and William Franklin.

The funeral services were held yesterday at Shakopee, Minn.

LeMars Sentinel
Friday, March 21, 1924

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Ludwig, residing near Oyens, mourn the loss of their
little eight months old son, Elmer, who succumbed to a complication of
diseases, Tuesday, March 18.  He was the youngest in a family of eight,
and four sisters and three brothers miss the sunbeam of the household.

The funeral was held yesterday morning at St. Catherine's church in
Oyens.
***
Mrs. Henry Hodapp, of Oyens, was a week end visitor in LeMars.

PIONEER WOMAN DIES SUDDENLY
Mrs. A. K. Kehrberg Was Resident of Stanton Township Since Girlhood

Mrs. Mathilda Kehrberg, of Stanton township, died suddenly at her home
Wednesday night at the age of nearly 69 years, from heart failure.  Her
death came as a great shock to her children as she has been in apparent
good health up to the day of her death.

Mathilda Klampe was born in Germany, March 28, 1855, and when a child of
five years, came with relatives to this country.  She lived in Minnesota
for some years before coming to Plymouth county.

In 1878 she was united in marriage with Albert K. Kehrberg, who was
homesteader in Stanton township.  Mr. Kehrberg died June 10, 1922.

Mrs. Kehrberg leaves to mourn her death, four sons, Albert, Elmer, Ben,
and Walter and two daughters, Lilly and Amanda Kehrberg.  Her eldest
son, Edward, preceded her in death, and one child died in infancy.

Mrs. Kehrberg was a devoted wife and mother, and a homemaker for her
children, whose care was her chief thought.  She was highly esteemed in
the community where she spent nearly fifty years of her long and useful
life. 

The funeral services will be held Sunday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock at
the family home in Stanton township.

ARE QUIETLY MARRIED
Elmer Featherston and Laura Dempster Wed Yesterday

     A quiet wedding took place yesterday afternoon at 3 o'clock, at the
Dempster home, 221 Second Avenue SE., when Miss Laura Dempster, of this
city, and Elmer Featherston, of Kingsley, were united in
marriage.  The ceremony was witnessed by a few relatives and was
performed by Rev. J. W. Davis, pastor of the Hildreth Memorial church.
     The attendants were Mr. and Mrs. Charles Tucker.  The bride was
attired in a pretty traveling suit of reindeer tan color, with
accessories to match.  A three course dinner was served following the
ceremony and the young couple left on the evening train on a trip to
Omaha and  other points.  They will be at home to their friends on a
farm fifteen miles southeast of LeMars, after April 15.
     The bride and bridegroom were born and grew up in this vicinity.
The groom is a son of Mr. and Mrs. John Featherston, of this city, and
the bride is a daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. John Dempster.  They
are both popular in a large circle of friends.
     The bride has been engaged in stenographic work for the government
on the Indian reservation at Sisseton, S. D., for several years, and
spent the last year in California.
     Mr. Featherston is a registered pharmacist and worked for some time
in the Deuel & Thompson store until last year, when he engaged in
farming.  He served with credit in France during the World war.