Obituary Record

John H (J.H.) Hungate
Died on 6/21/1912

Hungate John H “J.H.” 1912 6/21/1912

Note: name from Forest Lawn burial records

Obituary printed in the Wednesday, June 26, 1912 Pilot, Blair, Nebraska

J.H. Hungate, whose illness was noted in these columns last week, died at the Blair Hospital last Friday and the funeral was held at the I.O.O.F. hall Sunday afternoon. He was sick but a very short time with pneumonia, growing steadily worse until the end became inevitable. Mr. Hungate was born in Chicago, Ill., Oct. 4th, 1843 and was therefore in his 70th year. He enlisted in Co. D. of the 11th Mo. Infantry and served to the end of the Civil War. Shortly after the war closed he came to this county and on Nov. 15th, 1870, was married to Miss Vesta D. Cook, of Harrison County, Ia., who was then teaching school in this county. Eight children were born to them, of whom Charles, Anna and Peter are now dead. The living are Mrs. Bessie Cowdry and Mrs. Vesta White, of Omaha, Mrs. Bertha Forscutt, of Salt Lake City, Blanche Ashbaugh, of St. Louis and Richard C. Hungate of the state of Washington. His wife died in Omaha in 1904 and Mr. Hungate came back to Blair after spending about twenty years in Omaha. He has been in the live stock business here for the past six years. Mr. Hungate was the first mayor of Blair, was county treasurer from ’76 to ’81, built the Hungate block, now known as the Gutschow building, also the National Bank Building. He organized the Washington County Bank, which afterwards became the Blair State and still later the Blair National Bank. He will long be remembered as one of the real founders of Blair.

2nd obituary printed in the Thursday, June 12, 1912 Blair Democrat

J.H. Hungate Dies

J.H. Hungate, who for the past several years has been buying hogs in Blair, died of pneumonia at the local hospital last Friday morning, after having been sick only a few days. The funeral services were held at the Odd Fellows’ hall Sunday afternoon and the remains shipped to Florence and laid to rest in the cemetery near that place.

Mr. Hungate was born in Clay County, Ill., October 4, 1843, and when the call was made by President Lincoln for volunteers, enlisted in Co D. 11th Mo. Volunteers, coming to Washington County in 1866. In 1870 he was married to Miss Vesta D. Cook, of Harrison County, Iowa, who taught school in this county. Eight children were born to this union: Charles, Anna and Peter, who preceded in death, and Mrs. Bessie Cowdry of Omaha, Mrs. Bertha Forscult of Salt Lake City, Mrs. Vesta White of Omaha, Mrs. Blanch Ashbaugh of St. Louis, and Richard Hungate of Washington State. Mrs. Hungate died in 1904.

In 1884, Mr. Hungate went to Colorado where he remained one year and then came back to Omaha where he continued to reside until about six years ago when he came to Blair and engaged in the livestock business which he continued until his death.

In the fall of 1872, when Blair was organized as a city Mr. Hungate was elected its first mayor, and several years later built the three story brick now known as the Gutschow building. He also organized the Washington County Bank (Now the Blair National Bank) and was county treasurer two terms.

Being an early settler, Mr. Hungate was well known to many of our older residents and many stories are told of his free-heartedness and acts of charity. He seldom refused to give where he thought it was needed, and many, many times he loaned money to the people of this county without even asking a note or interest. He was generous to a fault, and while some took advantage of him he claimed to have found most of his friends honest and suffered little loss at their hands.

In the passing of Mr. Hungate the community suffers a real loss and his memory will be cherished for years to come by those who knew him best.

~~~Obituaries courtesy of Washington County Genealogical Association; newspaper clippings on file at the Blair Public Library, Blair, Nebraska ~~~

Find A Grave Memorial# 67955477

Printed in the Blair Pilot on 6/26/1912


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