Joseph Albin 1835-1924

ALBIN, GRUWELL, HOOVER

Posted By: Sharon Elijah (email)
Date: 6/25/2018 at 12:30:56

3 July 1924 - West Branch Times

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Last Thursday evening, after several weeks of failing health, Joseph Albin quietly slipped away on his last long journey to a far country.

Recently we published the essays of several high school pupils, among them a most interesting story of an old settler written by Dorothy Hemingway and giving the intimate history of her great uncle, Joseph Albin's pioneering in Iowa. He came here before West Branch existed as a town, was one of the first stage drivers in the state, and his life has been woven in community history, always, and it is a splendid thing that the record of his eventful life can thus be preserved.

To us who have always known him, his familiar daily appearance in town is greatly missed. Either on horseback or in his buggy, when at all able, he came daily to town. For decades he bought and sold livestock and he retained his interest in the stock markets and in current community events to the last.

What finer memory can a man leave than "Joe" Albin's. To come as a child to a new land, to grow up with the country and suffer its hardships and share its joys, to build a home, establish a family and identify himself with all that is best and most progressive in his community and at the age of nearly 89, passed quietly on to that other country from whence no traveler returns.

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Joseph Albin, son of George and Sarah Albin, was born at Lafayette, Indiana, November 10, 1835. He passed away at his home near West Branch at eventide June 26, 1924, aged 88 years, 7 months and 16 days.

He came to Iowa with his parents when a little boy he settled in Cedar county, afterwards living in Davenport and Iowa City, until the beginning of the Civil War, when, with his parents, he came to the homestead in Johnson county.

On December 16, 1863, he was united in marriage with Emily E. Gruwell and settled on the homestead adjoining that of his father. To this union were born four children, Lewis, Ann, Frank and Fred R, all of whom have their homes on the old homestead. There are nine grand children and two great grand children, one sister, Mrs. Ellen Hoover, and three brothers, George M of Guide Rock, Nebraska F A and S E Albin of Pasadena, California, who mourn his demise, Mrs. Albin having preceded her husband in death on July 12, 1907.

Mr. Albin was always a very active man, interested in business activities civic affairs, and most of all the home life. He was always to be found in his home at evening time, and was never happier than when his grandchildren dropped in to talk over their affairs with him. His counsel was always wise and just, and the memory of the clean upright life that he has lived will be held as a wonderful heritage to those who survive him.

The funeral services, attended by a host of neighbors and friends were conducted by Rev. W. C. Perdew at the home at three o'clock on Saturday afternoon, June 28. Six grandsons acted as pall bearers. The remains were interred in the West Branch cemetery.