REGUR, Joe N.: Died 1969

REGUR, HUFFTY, DISBROW, HERVEY

Posted By: Volunteer: Sherri
Date: 11/16/2017 at 07:42:28

FORMER KEOSAUQUA BARBER DIES

One of Keosauqua's senior businessmen died Monday morning, Dec. 15 in Van Buren County Memorial Hospital.

Joe N. Regur, 87, started barbering in Keosauqua at the turn of the century and owned his own shop there until he sold it in 1951 to Vern Robinson.

He continued working for Robinson, in recent years only on Saturdays. His health forced him to retire completely about two years ago.

No barber's license was required in Iowa until 1928, so Mr. Regur worked as apprentice with Solon Wilson in his shop under the present Van Buren Telephone Co. during the winter of 1900-1901.

He spent the first six months working for no salary at all, persuading his friends and relatives to stop in to let him cut their hair for practice.

Later he received 60 percent of the 25-cent haircuts and 10-cent shaves he gave.

He went into business for himself in 1902 on a borrowed $10 bill which he used as the down payment on the fixtures in Bill Strickling's barber shop located where the dental office of Dr. C.R. Perkins stands today.

Mr. Regur was perhaps the only barber around who could claim cutting hair for a six-generation span of his own family. Starting with his grandfather, Leonard Regur, he cut hair also for Leonard's son William, William's son Jim, Jim's son Hollis, Hollis' son Billie and Billie's son Rickie.

The son of Joe G. and Agnes Stewart Regur, he was born Sept. 5, 1882 at Delavan, Ill. He died at 1:20 a.m. Monday, Dec. 15 at Van Buren County Memorial Hospital where he had been since Dec. 11.

On March 6, 1904 he married Mary Disbrow, who died Dec. 10, 1939. On July 14, 1942 at Memphis, Mo. he married Bernice Hervey of Mt. Sterling.

He is survived by is second wife; three sons, Don of Sarasota, Fla., Dan of Milwaukee, Wis. and Gene of Gulfport, Ill.; five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

The body was taken to Catcott Funeral Home where funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Tuesday with Rev. Millard Marshall officiating. Burial was in Purdom cemetery.

**Handwritten: 1969 DE 18 R-R

Source: Van Buren Co. Genealogical Society Obituary Book J, Page 88, Keosauqua Public Library, Keosauqua, IA