Katherine Rank

Fort Dodge Messenger and Chronicle Fort Dodge, IA Saturday, January 24, 1931 Page 2

Mrs. Rank, Long Time Resident Here, Dies Today

Mrs. Anton Rank, a resident of Fort Dodge for sixty years, died at St. Joseph’s Mercy hospital early this morning, following a week’s illness with pneumonia. Mrs. Rank was eighty years of age.

With the exception of her daughter, Mrs. Roy Fox, who has also been a patient in the hospital with pneumonia, all her children were with her at the time of her death. Her two sons, Clarence, Dallas, Tex., and William, El Paso, were in Houston on business when word reached them of their mother’s serious condition. By taking an airplane to Omaha they were able to arrive here the day before their mother died. Mrs. Leonard Chase of this city has been in constant attendance on her mother. Though Mrs. Fox is improving, physicians deemed it inadvisable to tell her of her mother’s death, fearing the shock might cause a relapse.

Born in Ohio

Born in Minster, O., November 12, 1850, Mrs. Rank was before her marriage Miss Katherine Laufersweiler. As a young woman she came to Fort Dodge where her oldest brother, the late Conrad Laufersweiler, had preceded her and she made her home with the Laufersweilers until her marriage. Shortly after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Rank moved to 214 north Tenth street where Mrs. Rank lived until five years ago when she went to make her home with her daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Fox. Her record of having lived almost fifty years in the same house is unusual in these days of frequent changes. Mr. Rank died in 1909.

Besides her four children, Mrs. Rank is survived by two grandsons, Robert Chase, son of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Chase, of this city and William Rank, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. William Rank, of El Paso, Tex. The Misses Bertha, Edith and Elsie Laufersweiler, C. J. and William Laufersweiler and Edwin Dwyer, all of this city are nieces and nephews of Mrs. Rank. A sister, Mrs. Lizzie Kuhlman, lives in Minster, O.

A woman of sweet, retiring nature, Mrs. Rank had through her long residence here enjoyed the respect and affection of a wide circle of friends. Devoted to her home and family, her children were in turn unusually devoted to her and showered on her evidences of this. Until several weeks ago when she suffered a severe cold, her health had been unusually good, a blessing of which she was fully aware and grateful for.

The body has been taken to the Laufersweiler Undertaking parlors and friends will be welcome to call there.

Funeral Tuesday

Funeral services will be held Tuesday morning at 9 o’clock at Corpus Christi church with burial in the Corpus Christi cemetery. Mrs. William Rank and son William, of El Paso, will come for the funeral.

Transcribed by Leta Koll

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Mar 14 2019, 3:00:19 UTC