Charles Mather 1850-1917

MATHER, KNUDSON, SIMONDS

Posted By: Sharon Elijah (email)
Date: 12/10/2018 at 09:06:28

1 November 1917 - West Branch Times

The community is mourning the loss of one of its most useful, well known and respected citizens in the death of Charles E. Mather, which occurred at his home on Oct. 29th, following a two weeks struggle with pneumonia. His loss will be deeply felt as one who was ever ready to offer time and energy to a public cause, his words of encouragement and words of counsel will be missed by all. We would extend sympathy to the bereaved wife and the sons, all of whom are present at this time, excepting Ralph J., of Helena Mont. Arrangements are being made for burial to take place Thursday in the Springdale cemetery.

8 November 1917 - West Branch Times

The funeral of Chas. E. Mather occurred at the Friends church, Springdale, Thursday, Nov. 1. A brief prayer by Rev. Rees at the house among relatives and friends preceded the church service. Rev. Laura Townsend of West Branch, Rev. E. L. Gregory of Arnolds Park, Rev. Molo Rees and Lars Hanson of Springdale, all of whom were personally acquainted with the deceased, spoke briefly. Rev. Chalice of the M.E. church assisted in the service. I. J. Hamiel of Tipton spoke as a representative of the Cedar County Bar Association, and other members of the bar acted as pallbearers. Interment took place at the Springdale cemetery.

18 November 1917 - West Branch Times

Chas. E. Mather was born at Salem, Ohio, Dec. 8, 1850. He was the youngest in a family of thirteen children.

When only six months old he made the trip overland from Ohio to Iowa with his parents and five brothers and five sisters. They reached the place, since known as the Mather homestead, one and one-half miles east of Springdale, June 26, 1851.

On Feb. 13, 1883, he married Mary Knudson of Yorkville, Ill. The house in Springdale in which they began housekeeping has been their home ever since.

In November, 1876, he and his brother William established a partnership, known as Mather Bros., and for twenty years they conducted a general merchandise business in Springdale. The partnership did not terminate with the disposal of the general merchandise business, but has been maintained ever since for the handling of their real estate and other business activities.

At the age of forty-six he became very much interested in the study of law and entered the law school of the University of Iowa, from which he graduated two years later and for the last nineteen years of his life he was actively engaged in the legal profession.

In September of this year, he spent two weeks in Saskatchewan attending to his wheat farm and, while there, contracted a cold, from which he never fully recovered. On October 15th he was taken with pneumonia and death came on the afternoon of October 29th, 1917.

He is survived by his wife and five sons and two grandchildren. These include: Edward K., wife and two children of Mitchell, S. Dak., Ralph Jesse and wife of Butte, Mont., C. GLenn and wife of Chicago, Ill., William J. of Chicago, Ill., and Kenneth Arza of Springdale, Ia. He is also survived by one sister, Anna M. Simonds of West Branch, and three brothers, William of Tipton, Samuel of Springdale and Daniel of Indianapolis, Ind. All were present excepting Ralph and his wife and Glenn's wife, who were prevented from coming on account of illness.

The life of Chas. E. Mather was closely linked with every good movement in the community, and he was always active in educational, political, commercial and religious affairs.

He was a birthright member of the Society of Friends. After his marriage, he, together with his wife, became a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and, in recent years, both have aided substantially in the work of the Springdale Friends church.

His work along educational lines was a conspicious feature of his life. When a young man he taught school at Union Valley, Iowa, Bellevue, Iowa, Minneapolis, Minn., and in the present Springdale school. He was instrumental in making this school one of the first in the state of Iowa, from which graduates could enter colleges and the State University without taking entrance examinations. For a number of years he was an energetic member of the local school board and he maintained a great interest in school work until his death.

Through his efforts his five sons have been given a complete college education, all having graduated from colleges or universities, excepting the youngest, who was called home to help care for his father in his last illness.

In political and civil affairs, few men have contributed so much as he, and yet he never sought public office, but preferred to work as a private citizen. He possessed a wonderfully clear conception of the close relation and dependence of government and business upon sound christian principles and live consistently with his convictions so that in every walk of life those who knew him will benefit by his example.

As a concellor and as a loving father, his family will never cease to remember the great sacrifices he made for them. Their loss is incalculable, but they have reason to feel comforted in the fact that such a beautiful life is rewarded by the Almighty One in everlasting Peace.