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Obituaries
Florida, Martin ------whose funeral took place
this afternoon, was a man of wide experience and great
travels.
Born in Canada, March
10, 1840, he had crowded many experiences into his
sixty-nine years of life, much of which was spent in the
far west and at a time when civilization in that section
had not reached the standard it claims today. Mining,
railroad construction and prospecting in Colorado and
Utah were done by him, followed by teaching in an
Industrial school for Indiana at Grand .Junction, Colo.,
and after serving as a policeman in Salt Lake City for
some time he served about fifteen years as United States
marshal in the same part of the country. Later, Mr.
Florida served in the capacities of justice of the
peace, police judge and sheriff, respectively, at Grand
Junction, Colo.
Arrested Chief Mormon.
During the Mountain Meadow massacre, in which,
the Mormons of Utah figured more or less prominently.
Martin Florida was serving as United States marshal and
had been pretty busily engaged in putting to rout the
three-card-monte men and other gamblers and mischief
makers whose traffic brought much mischief among the
camps of the railroads then in course of construction.
Marshal Florida was the officer who arrested the famous
Brigham Young following the massacre. He left Colorado
in the late eighties or early nineties and connected
himself with the American and Cuban Insurgents, who at
that time were planning against Spain's dominion over
the Cubans.
Captured by Spanish.
While on a filibustering expedition in Cuba, the
vessel on which Florida shipped and on which were the
arms, munitions or various kinds and supplies for the
revolutionists that his associates and himself were
bringing to the island, were seized by the Spanish, who
getting familiar with signals under which the
filibusters sailed, caused the capture of the vessel.
Mr. Florida
was injured in the capture of the vessel and was later
released by the Spaniards, after which he returned to
New York city.
Visits Venezuela.
From New York he went to South America, where in
the Bermudez states in Venezuela, he was Interested in a
colonization scheme and through the assistance of the
United States legation at Caracas was enabled to meet
the then acting president, as well as several of the
government officials of the South American republic. He
remained in Venezuela until 1901, when, returning to the
states, he was met by Mrs. C. M. Johnston, his daughter,
at the Panhandle exposition in Buffalo, N. Y. He then
allied himself with a New York company and served in the
capacity of mining expert and superintendent throughout
the British northwest, until, at the solicitation of his
daughter Mrs. Johnston, he gave up the work and came to
Ottumwa about three years ago. Since then he
divided his time between Ottumwa and the hospital at
Fort Leavenworth until his death Sunday morning at the
hospital in Ottumwa.
The funeral service was conducted from the home
of his daughter, Mrs. C. M. Johnston,
123 West Park avenue, this afternoon at 2 o'clock,
conducted by Rev. Gray of the Church of Christ,
interment was in Ottumwa cemetery. Ottumwa Courier April 15,
1909
Thomson, Samantha -----Eldon-Samantha A. Wise was
born in Galla county. Ohio, in 1847 and came with her
parents to Centerville, la., when a small child. She was
married to John Paul Thompson in 1875 and was converted
in the same year, uniting with the Methodist
church. She was a loving wife and faithful friend and her
influence on the lives of others was all for good. Those
who knew her were the better for the knowing.
She died Monday. April 19. She leaves to mourn
their loss besides her husband, three brothers. Perry
Wise of Kansas City, Henry Wise of Lincoln, Neb., Mack
Wise of Dakota and one sister Mrs. S. C. Crow of
Eldon. Her
faith in God was perfect and taught her "When thou lies
down, thou shalt not be afraid yet, thou shall lie down
and thy sleep shall be sweet. Prov.
3-24.
The funeral service was held from the house
Thursday afternoon April 22 in charge of Rev. C. E.
Coogshull.
assisted by Rev.
Whitcomb. Interment was made in the Eldon cemetery.
Ottumwa Courier April 29,
1909
Wantze, Margaret -----Eddyville-The funeral of
Mrs. Frank
Wantze was held Saturday forenoon with services at ten
o'clock at the residence, Elder W. C. Ross of the
Christian church, officiating, after which interment was
made in Highland cemetery. The floral tributes at the
funeral were unusually beautiful. Margaret, second
daughter of Wm. L.
and Rachel Mummert, was born November 17, 1844.
in Fairview, Illinois. She was brought
to Eddyville in the Territory of Iowa by her parents in
1847 at the age of about three years, und had since been
a constant resident of this place or a period of 61
years. She was a member of one of the oldest families in
Eddyville, of whom three brothers and one sister are
living: Jacob Mummert. of Prairie City, Mrs. Vina
Roland, of Eldon, George Mummert of Clearwater,
Nebraska, and J. B. Mummert of Los Angeles Calif. She
was married to John Rector in 1862 and to this union
were born two sons, Jesse, who died at the age of five,
and Sherman of Ottumwa. She was married to Frank Wantze
July 20, 1895 who with the son of the first marriage and
four grandchildren survive. She passed peacefully from
this life about 5:30 p. m. June 24, 1909, aged 64 years,
7 months and 7 days. For the last 25 years she had been
a great sufferer, the greater part of the time towards
the last seeming in a more comfortable condition, but
passed away suddenly with none expecting so sudden a
departure.
Ottumwa Courier July 1, 1909
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