My Swan Song . . .

ELERICK, STEWART

Posted By: Volunteer: Sherri
Date: 12/10/2023 at 09:04:42

VB Reg
1988 AU 18

My Swan Song . . .

To the Editor:

Off and on during the past years the County Register has printed different articles of mine on many subjects. This will be the last one, and will be published after my death.

The Elericks were a pioneer family of Van Buren County. My great grandfather, grandfather and some of their family are buried in the White Cemetery that is off Highway 16 towards Douds. My parents are buried in Purdom. My mother was a Stewart and her parents are buried in Miller Chapel and the Stewarts were early pioneers of the county. After my death the only Elericks in the county will be in the different cemeteries. There were five boys and all served in the armed forces of their country, two in World War I and three in World War II. The only sister served as a nurse at the Naval Air Base at Ottumwa during World War II and was in the nursing profession in the Ottumwa area for 40 plus years.

When this is printed it will have been known that I left my body to the University of Iowa Medical School. During my life I never did anything really bad, but on the other hand I could of probably did more good things. When I was in the Veterans Hospital in 1965 they discovered I had a rheumatic heart from a bout with rheumatic fever when I was a senior in high school in spring 1923. One of the heart specialists had any number of medical students from the University examine my heart, I decided that if I deeded my body to the school, it would do some good for medical research. As for funeral services and flowers, if any one wanted to see me I hope it was while I could look back, and like my dad requested; no flowers unless I could see and smell them.

Down through the years one or the other of the Elericks at one time or other have given the people of the town good topics of conversation. After this piece is published and the talk quiets down some other family must furnish the topics of conversation.

Fred William Elerick

Source: "Scrapbook 1986 - 1988", Pg. 461,
Keosauqua Public Library, Keosauqua, Van Buren Co., IA