DEATH OF AN ECCENTRIC-Abraham W. Buell died 1911

BUELL, POWELLSON, UNTERKIRCHER, LATHROP

Posted By: CHERYL MOONEN (email)
Date: 5/23/2018 at 21:34:42

Evening Nonpareil, Tuesday, Feb 07, 1911, Council Bluffs, IA, Page: 3

DEATH OF AN ECCENTRIC

Special to the Nonpareil

MT. PLEASANT, Ia. – Feb. 7.-At what is known as the Buell home in the north part of the town, occurred the death of Abraham W. Buell. One of Mt. Pleasant oldest residents, a man well-known personally to scores of people, and also because of his rather eccentric life.

Mr. Buell’s death was very sudden he had been up and around the house as usual and about 4 o’clock complained of feeling ill. He laid down upon a bed, and in fifteen minutes, before it was realized he was ill, he had passed away. A physician was called, but life was extinct when he arrived. Heart trouble is supposed to be the cause of death.

Mr. Buell lived at what is known here as the Buell home, a large dwelling which is maintained as a lodging and boarding place for needy old people, although many have not been there recently. Mr. Buell came here from Ohio about ten years ago, and was about 82 years of age. His wife had been dead for many years, and he is survived by the following children: Mrs. Julia A. Powellson, of this city, Webster Buell of Brazil, Iowa, and Freeman Buell of Colorado.

Several years ago Mr. Buell had made for himself a special metal casket, absolutely impervious to water and air very heavy and having over the top very heavy plate glass. The casket, which is of peculiar design and unusual in many ways, was kept in one of the local undertaking rooms for a while, but is now in the undertaking parlors of Unterkircher Bros., of Burlington.

Mr. Buell had already built on a large vacant lot in the north part of town, the place where all the circuses here usually pitch their tents, a large monument containing a vault for himself. It, too, has been built for some time, and has been visited by hundreds of people who have read with curiosity and interest the rather unusual inscription made by himself, and heard the story of a rather eccentric life. Mr. Buell is said to have left quite an estate. One of the matrons in the Buell home was Mrs. Mary Lathrop of Burlington.