#1-Printed in the July 31, 1941 Pilot-Tribune, Blair, Nebraska

‘NICK’ THONE IS DEAD AT AGE 84

RETIRED BLAIR BUSINESSMAN WAS BORN IN THIS COUNTY IN 1857

H.N. “Nick” Thone, 84, retired Blair hardware merchant and lifetime resident of Washington county, died Sunday at Blair hospital after an illness of only a few days. Born on a farm north of the present site of Blair, he was 12 years old before the townsite of Blair was laid out.

Never seriously ill in his life until last week, Mr. Thone had been an almost daily visitor to the downtown section until stricken in his final illness.

Funeral services were held at the Campbell mortuary Tuesday at 2:30 p.m., the Rev. R.W. Hastings of the Congregational church officiating, and burial followed in Herman cemetery.

Henry Nicholas Thone, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lewis P. Thone, immigrants from Sweden, was born July 21, 1857, a year after his parent had settled on a homestead on York creek. He grew to manhood there and attended Nebraska university when it was located at Fontanelle.

In Business in 1893

Until 1893 Mr. Thone farmed in Grant township, and that year he came to Blair, purchasing the Isaac Tebury hardware store, and shortly thereafter entering partnership with L.A. Farnberg. Their partnership was dissolved with Mr. Thone sold his interests and retired.

Mr. Thone and Lena Horn were married November 22, 1905, and for years resided at 65 west Grant street. Mrs. Thone died January 15, 1937.

There are no immediate survivors. Two brothers, Edward Julius Thone and Joseph Oscar Thone, and one sister, Mrs. Frank Vizina, preceded him in death.

During his life, Mr. Thone was a prominent member of the Knights of Pythias lodge as long as the organization was active locally. He also was a former member of the Modern Woodmen of America, and until his death maintained membership in the I.O.O.F. lodge.

#2-31 July, 1941 - The Enterprise

H. N. Thone, Former Businessman, Is Dead-Territorial Pioneer of 1857-Born and Reared In This County

H. N. Thone, 84 years of age, passed away last Sunday at the Blair Hospital where he had been a patient for a week. “Nick” as we all knew him, was 84 years of age on the Monday previous to his death and in all those years had been robust and vigorous not knowing what sickness meant.

The son of Lewis P. and Sara Thone, H. N. Thone was born on a Washington County farm on July 21, 1857. The parents came to this United States from Sweden, living in Wisconsin for a time and settling here in 1856. Their farm was located in what was then a part of Grant Township, later to become a portion of the present Cuming City Township. Other members of the Thone family, all of whom are now deceased, were two brothers, Edward Julius who passed away in the early 1880’s and Joseph Oscar who died about seven years ago, and a sister, Mrs. Frank Vizina, who passed away in 1889. All were well-known residents of this county.

“Nick”, as he was known to many friends, endured his full share of hardships and trials which mark the pioneer period in the history of Nebraska. Until 1893 he was a farmer in Grant Township, experiencing seasons of drought and years when grasshoppers laid waste all growing crops, but courage and self-reliance and his never failing good humor carried him through the distress entailed in pioneer farming.

In the year of 1893, he purchased the Isaac Tebury hardware in Blair and for thirty-two years was in partnership with Louis Farnberg. In 1925 he sold his share of the Thone Farnberg Hardware to L. A. and William Farnberg. Since then he has been retired from active business, but continued to take interest in the affairs of the community.

Mr. Thone was prominent in the Knights of Pythias Lodge during the entire time that Blair maintained an active branch, a period of more than fifty years. He was also a member of the I.O.O.F., having belonged to that fraternal organization around thirty years. For a time he held membership in the Modern Woodman.

On November 22, 1905, Mr. Thone was united in marriage to Lena Horn, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. F. Horn, and a native of this county. They had no children and Mrs. Thone passed away on January 15, 1937.

Too much cannot be said of the fine American spirit of cooperation and loyalty typified by Mr. Thone. In his passing the county loses its oldest territorial pioneer and a citizen of whom nothing but terms of praise can be used. Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. from the Campbell Mortuary with Rev. R. W. Hastings officiating and interment was made in the Herman Cemetery.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~

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