J. E. Marks, 80, Succumbs

Former Blair Merchant Is Dead; Once Was A Peddler In County

J. E. (Joe) Marks, 80, a former well-known Blair merchant, died Friday evening at his home, 6129 Florence Blvd., Omaha, after being ill with heart trouble.

Mr. Marks retired when he left the Blair business scene in 1934, but in the ensuring 10 years, the colorful onetime peddler was not forgotten in Blair. Stories about him, his sense of humor and his practical jokes have long survived his presence in Blair.

The funeral for Mr. Marks was held Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Jewish Funeral Home in Omaha, with interment following in Pleasant Hill Cemetery.

Surviving Mr. Marks are his wife, Sarah; four sons, David of Detroit, Harry of Omaha, Joseph M. (Babe) Marks of North Ridge, Calif., once a Blair merchant, and Ephriam L. Marks of Omaha, a lawyer and former commander of the Omaha American Legion post. There are six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Had Store 12 Years.

From 1922 to 1934 Mr. Marks operated a store in Blair which featured dry goods and clothing. It was located at the site of the present Carroll Thornburgh Store.

But actually it was 40 years that Mr. Marks spent on the local scene, for he was a farm-to-farm peddler for many years prior to opening his store. He became in those years a close friend of hundreds of the old-time families of Washington County. His coming was eagerly awaited, and he customarily spent the night at the farm home he was visiting when night fell.

A Real “Character”

In Blair, which has always been noted for its “characters” Joe Marks might be known affectionately as a character among characters.

A shrewd trader and businessman, he was respected and beloved throughout the county for both his honestly and his unfailing good cheer.

He had only two failings – his love for practical jokes and for pinochle. He was alleged to have meant the difference between profit and loss operations for at least two Blair card parlors during the hard times of the early 30’s.

Started with ‘Nig’

Mr. Marks started his merchandising career in 1893 when he bought a stock of dry goods and other items at auction in Omaha. Next he purchased a retired fire horse, “Nig”, then made the first of many trips to follow through Washington and Burt Counties.

“Nig” was a special favorite with the youngsters, for the sounding of a gong or a bell by the boys would invariably bring the old horse right out of the barn, looking for the hose cart.

Mr. Marks commented once that in those days that he was the best customer the Scheffler Harness Shop ever had as almost every week he’d have to see Gus Scheffler and buy a new halter and neck-rope after somebody sounded a gong in Nig’s presence.

Once, he recalled, old Nig dashed right out through the side of a flimsy barn when somebody rang a bell for him.

Many Reminiscences

At the time he retired from business in Blair, Mr. Marks was interviewed by The Pilot-Tribune and had many reminiscences of his life as an early-day peddler throughout farmlands of this area.

Since it was such a long way to Omaha, Mr. Marks said he established supply “depots” in the county, at the E. C. Lippincott and Herman Mehrens farm north of Blair and at the Chris Wachter place near Herman.

“I would drive old Nig up to the supply house”, he recalled, “then I’d load up, and we’d be off for our route over the county. Nig was the best known horse in the county.

“And eat—why, you can believe it or not, but that horse used to eat a bale of hay and a barrel of oats every day! Tsk, what a horse, what an appetite”!

Operating a horse-drawn store through the countryside 80 years ago wasn’t always an easy task, he recalled. He remembered one time when he sat up all night burning corn in the stove fire to keep warm in the zero weather at the Elza King farm east of Tekamah. As a consolation, he further recalled that corn was worth only six cents a bushel at the time.

He remembered attending a Chautauqua show in Blair where the mention of nine automobiles being parked outside brought the comment from a Blairite that “Automobiles are really getting numerous nowadays”. But, he added, in those days everyone, upon hearing the approach of an auto, would still run outdoors to witness the spectacle.

Looking back over his days as a peddler, Mr. Marks recalled hundreds of friends among the early families of both Washington and Burt Counties including in Washington County the Blacos, Cooks, Aikens, Rosenbaums, Lippincotts, Carters, Jensens, McDonalds, Mahers, Oherts, Lorenzins, Sam Stewarts, B. P. Millers, Sutherlands, Allens, Swrks, McCanns, Jahnels, Barrys and Mehrens; also, in Burt County, the Lattas, Lydicks, Metzlers, Reymans, Reinerts, Hopewells and Crutsingers.