After a short illness, John Dürk died in his home in south Defiance last Saturday at about 12:30 in the afternoon. On the prior Monday evening he suffered a seizure, which then passed; as a result he took off from work until Friday morning. On that morning he reported for work as usual at the repair shop of the United States Express company but had another seizure about 9:30 and was taken unconscious by ambulance to his home. From then on until Saturday morning about 9:30 he was almost constantly in seizures until peace came through exhaustion, and about 12:30 he passed over quietly in his sleep, without recovering consciousness for even a moment.
John Dürk was born on 14 December 1851 in Gerolsheim by Frankenthal in Rhenish-Bavaria as the eldest son of [the there-residing couple] Martin and Susanna Dürk and received good schooling in his youth. In November of the year 1867 he immigrated to this country and settled first in Sheldon N. Y. by his uncle Peter Schlosser. Two years later he settled in Defiance and here he remained, with the exception of a few years that he spent in Decatur Indiana, until his death. While with his uncle Peter Schlosser he learned the trade of wainwright [wagon-builder] and this honest trade he had to abandon on account of this treacherous brain-fever which medical arts were unable to remedy.
In the year 1872 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, John Dürk married Miss Sophia Müller from Mark Township, who survives him with the following six children: Wilhelm A. Dürk in Garrett, Indiana; Edwin A. Dürk, here; John A. Dürk in Paulding; Miss Hattie Dürk, here; Mrs. Natalie Fischer in south Chicago; Walther Dürk, here. All of the children were present when their father's death-hour struck. One child is already dead. Other survivors are the aged parents, two brothers Christoph and Wilhelm living here, as well as a brother Jakob and sister Mrs. Barbara Hermann in Gerolsheim.
The burial took place Tuesday afternoon at Riverside cemetery, after funeral services led by Pastor F. A. Kiess at one o'clock in the home and at 1:30 in St. John's Lutheran Church. Splendid floral arrangements decorated the coffin, and there were many [mourners] who followed [the coffin] to the grave site, as John Dürk was widely known and beloved in all circles. The pallbearers were Misters John Palm, Logan Barr, Louis Schlegel, Friedrich Kimpel, Heinrich Oestreicher and Jakob Schneider. We heartily wish the departed [returning home] friend eternal rest.
Other obituaries
J. C. Romaine
Tuesday evening, after a lengthy illness, the war veteran J. C. Romaine, 57 years of age, died in his home in Washington Township. The burial will take place on Friday morning at 10 o'clock from the Olive Branch Church in Delaware Township.
[?d. 9 Aug 1904]
Arthur J. Grossmann
Arthur J. [John] Grossmann, 13 month old son of Mr. & Mrs. Christ. Grossmann [Barbara Wolfrum] in Highland Township, died Monday morning. Burial took place Wednesday morning from St. Stephanns Lutheran Church on the south Ridge under the direction of the Pastor H. A. Bentrup from Holgate.
[b. 11 Jun 1903, Highland TWP, Defiance; d. 8 Aug 1904, Ayersville, Defiance Co.]
In her home on Brunersburg Street in Noble Township, on Monday evening shortly after 11 o'clock, Lydia Margarethe Antener, wife of Mr. Fritz Antener and a born Sigg, died after a short illness caused by internal injury. She was born on 30 September 1864 in Dorflingen in Switzerland and came to this country at age 15, where she first lived in Wauseon, Ohio. A few years later she came to Defiance and here married, on 4 July 1894, the widower Fritz Antener. She gave him one son and one daughter, who survive along with the widower and five stepchildren. Besides these the separted leaves behind two brothers and three sisters in her old home in Switzerland. The burial is this (Thursday) afternoon, under the direction of Pastor F. G. Lahr in Riverside cemetery and the funeral services will take place at 1:30 in the home and at 2 o'clock in the St. John's Reformed Church. sincere sympathy is extended by all friends of the family Antener in their bereavement.
Miss Anna Yetter
Monday Evening, after a long illness, in her home in Highland Township, Anna Yetter, unmarried, 36 years old, died. Surviving the departed are two brothers and a sister, who lived with her in the same house; their parents preceded her into Eternity. The burial will take place Thursday morning here in Riverside cemetery, after a representative of the Dowie Church of Chicago holds a funeral in the departed's house.
[?daughter of Fred & Mary Yetter of Highland Twp, Defiance]