Obituary Record

Henry Osterman
Died on 2/9/1912
Buried in Fontanelle Pioneer (Hartung) Cemetery

This long obituary is taken from the collection in the Notebook of Long Obituaries. The original newspaper article can be found in the Blair Library, Genealogy Room.

The exact death date was not given. That date was learned by consulting the online database of the Fontanelle Pioneer (Hartung) Cemetery.

Published in Blair Democrat, February 15, 1912

THE PASSING OF A PIONEER

We are this week called upon to chronicle the death of another of Washington county’s old settlers, Henry Osterman of Fontanelle township.

Henry Osterman was born in Westphalia, Germany, April 6, 1837, and came to Nebraska in 1857, with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Carl Ludwig Osterman, who took up a homestead in the southeast corner of what is now Fontanelle township and which is now owned by William, a brother of Henry. That Uncle Henry saw and underwent the trying experiences of the pioneer days with the balance of the sturdy German settlers of that neighborhood goes without saying, and that he was industrious and had accumulated much of this world’s goods is also a superfluous statement for this trait was a characteristic of the people who came from Germany to enjoy a freer life under a different form of government. Their condition in the old country was such that the hardships of pioneer life in America were a pleasure because of the thought that what they might accumulate would be their own.

On the 16th of August, 1863, Mr. Osterman was married to Miss Theresa Gambol and to this union eight children were born, seven of whom with the wife survive him. The children are: Mrs. Tillie Gannon of Washington; Will of Fonda, Iowa; Louie who resides with his mother; Mrs. Emma Elmer, who resides in Manila, P. I., and whose husband is connected with the bureau of education; Frank of Clarks; Mrs. Lizzie Hansen of Plainview; George of Colorado; and Mrs. Jessie Dohres of Omaha.

Deceased was the second oldest child of Mr. and Mrs. C. L. Osterman and is the first of the children to pass away, the parents having died a number of years ago. The oldest sister, Christena, has made her home with the youngest son, William, north of Arlington and aside from them are Chas. Osterman of Central City, and Mrs. Mary Dugan of Shawnee, Oklahoma.

During the time he was actively engaged in farming, Uncle Henry found time to study medicine and years ago was considered a very satisfactory horse doctor, and was also an auctioneer of more than the average ability and up until the time he temporarily left that vicinity several years ago, “cried” nearly all the sales over there. A number of years ago he sold all except forty acres of the old home place and reinvested the money in land near Clarks, Nebraska, which he held at the time of his death.

About six months ago Mr. Osterman was taken seriously ill with Bright’s disease and was confined to the house for several weeks; later his condition improved to such an extent that he was taken to the home of his son, Frank, near Clarks, and it was there that he passed away early last Friday morning. The remains were brought to Arlington Saturday and the funeral held Wednesday of this week from the old home place north of that village.

Mr. Osterman was a member of the Masonic lodge at Arlington and had advanced to the thirty-second degree, holding membership in the higher degrees in the lodges at Fremont. The funeral services were under Masonic auspices and interment made in the old cemetery south of Fontanelle.

During Mr. Osterman’s illness last fall, his daughter Emma, came here from the Philippines to pay her folks a visit, remaining several weeks, and she will be the only one of the children unable to attend the funeral. Mrs. Gannon arrived from Washington last Sunday in response to the telegram announcing her father’s death, and it was the uncertainty of the time she would reach Arlington that caused the holding of the remains until Wednesday.

Henry Osterman was well known to a great many of the old settlers of this part of the county, having at one time served his township as a member of the board of county supervisors. He was a good husband and father and a more liberal hearted man never lived. He was liked by all who had the honor of his acquaintance and his hearty hand shake and cordial greetings will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Printed in the Blair Democrat/Courier on 2/15/1912


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