Simon Oppenheimer

THE CHARITON HERALD-PATRIOT Chariton, Iowa Thursday, January 16, 1930

DEATH SUMMONS S. OPPENHEIMER

Death has claimed one of our foremost citizens. On Thursday Simon Oppenheimer was at his mercantile establishment as usual but complained of not feeling well, but merely referred to the fact as a passing incident with no thought of its serious nature, believing that the uncomfortable feeling would soon pass away. But this was not to be the case.

He went home and after somewhat of an uncomfortable night he passed peacefully away just as the night was surrendering into day. He was found upon his couch, and life was extinct, yet he could not possibly have been dead but a very short time, and the blow came as a thunder bolt out of a clear sky to his family.

Mr. Oppenheimer had always been an early riser, and was usually the first up on the west side of town, not as a business necessity, but as a long accustomed habit, and always greeted those within the environs of his establishment in his cheerful manner. His absence will now seem strange.

Simon Oppenheimer was born at Steinbach, Germany, on December 20, 1852. When he was but a lad his parents died and he was left to the guardianship of the older brothers and sisters and came to America when he was but thirteen years of age. He remained with a brother at Cincinnati, Ohio for several years, where he was given good training in the mercantile business.

Later, he came to Iowa, where his brothers were engaged in business. He had a brother-in-law and sister at Albia, and for a time resided there, and where he was married to Miss Freda Simon on August 25th, 1883. The young couple located at Red Oak, remaining there for a year, coming to Chariton in the spring of 1884, where he established the clothing business which he conducted ever since, of later years in company with his son, Jerome, who, with his wife survive him.

Mr. Oppenheimer held strong loyalty to all obligations in his life, his home, people and his adopted country. He and Mrs. Oppenheimer visited his native Germany a decade or more since, and remained for a time at the place of his birth.

There, he had left a sister, much older in years than himself, and she and her aged husband were not in affluent circumstances, owing to the depressions which had swept over the country. He purchased them a home and productive acreage on the eve of his homeward trip and bade them farewell, never again to see them, but with the pleasant realization that their old age would have the comforts due them.

The funeral was held from the home on Sunday afternoon, Jan. 12, 1930, at 2:30. In the absence of the Rabbi, Rev. Dr. Claude F. Sayre, rector of St. Andrews Episcopal church led in the prayer and delivered the funeral discourse and paid a just and splendid tribute to the memory of the departed, invoking heaven's consolation.

The service was at the home, after which the remains were laid away in the cemetery south of the city, and the living returned to their homes and occupations to hold in memory one to whom they had bade farewell. The floral tributes were numerous and many friends paid their silent respect by their presence.

The Masonic Order, with Dr. M. L. Spencer presiding, of which Mr. Oppenheimer had been a long time member, had charge of the burial ceremonies, a custom in the original days of the order not observed, but inaugurated when the following members here were active in 1886 and the last of these was Mr. Oppenheimer: M. A. Hatcher, C. W. Christian, A. M. Rosenberg, W. M. Harvey, N. F. Snyder, B. F. Bates, J. A. Bentley, Daniel Eikenberry, N. White, J. E. Stanton, Simon Oppenheimer, W. B. F. Lusk, S. S. King, William Hunter, L. L. Arnold, Charles Schultz, Jacob Yengel, I. E. Norris and G. G. Fancher.

Note - Of Mr. Oppenheimer's family there were three sets of brothers and sisters. They are now all gone except one sister in Albia, Mrs. Bertha Loeb, and another sister in Germany, Mrs. Bobetta Bermann, of Konken. A brother, a few years since died at Webster City. Eli Oppenheimer, of this city, is a nephew. Simon and Eli had married sisters.

His wife, Mrs. Freda Oppenheimer, and son, Jerome, survive and upon them falls the greater burden of loss. He also had one little granddaughter, Jerry, daughter of Mrs. and Mrs. Jerome Oppenheimer.

From http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=49778706

See also http://lucascountyan.blogspot.com/2014/03/building-detective-oppenh...