Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-10-29
UNVEIL MONUMENT
Woodmen of the World Honor the
Memory Of a Departed Brother.
MEMORIAL SERVICES YESTERDAY
Members of Hickory Camp, No. 31,W.
o. W., of Ottumwa, Conduct I'm
pressive Services at BIakesburg, in
Honor of Late M. w. Forster.
From Mondays Daily.

From Mondays Daily.
Between $50 and 200 members and
friends of the Woodmen of the World
and the Woodmen Circle went to
Blakesburg yesterday morning on the
special train run for that purpose and
participated in the ceremonies attend
ant upon the unwilling of monument
to the memory of the late NJ. W.For-
ster, formerly well respected citizen
OF Hedrick and member of Hickory
camp No. 81, Woodmen of the World,
the camp located at Ottumwa. The
services were impressive and interest.
ing, and were attended by many, not
only Woodmen but others as well.
The special train with the Ottumwa
party on board left this city shortly
before IL o'clock Sunday morning and
made the run to Blallesburg in a few
minutes. At the Blakesburg depot 100
or more people were awaiting the ar
rival of the Ottumwans, and some join
ed in the line when it was formed for
the march to the center of town. The
members of w. o. w. and Woodmen
Circle proceeded to Fritzs hall, which
had very generously been thrown open
for their use. An adjournment was
then taken for dinner.
The Exercises.
At 2 o'clock the lodge men and wo-
men met at Fritzs hall, and marched
to the Baptist church, which had been
put at their disposal. A program was
given at the church before the exer-
cises at the grave, and the attendance
was SO large that many people stood
around the door, outside of the build
ing, as the room itself was literally
packed. The closest attention was
paid to the program, Notwithstanding
the uncomfortable condition in which
many were placed; and which, how
ever, was unavoidable.
The Woodmen of the World have a
strong lodge in Ottumwa and former
ly had one in Blakesburg. However,
the latter has let it's charter become
invalid through neglect, and interest
has been lost by many. Nevertheless
there was no lack of interest in yes
terday's services. Among those who
were faithful to the Woodmen of the
World, no matter where the lodge was
located, was M. w. Forster, of Hickory
Camp, No. 81. He was resident of
Blakesburg, but took pleasure in at
tending the meetings of the Ottumwa
camp and was always striving for the
welfare of the order. On March 20,
1900, he died, at the age of forty-six
years, leaving wife and three chill
dren-two daughters and one son.
The Lodge Memorial.
Since the death of Mr.. Forster the
members of the lodge to which he had
belonged have made arrangements
similar to those made after the death
of every Woodman, for the purpose of
purchasing monument, something to
mark the grave of the departed broth
er. 1t is custom of which the mem
bers of this lodge are proud, that the
order will see that monument is
erected to perpetuate the memory of
every departed Woodman of the
World. This is something that no 9TH
er lodge does and marks the Woodmen
apart from other fraternities
At the Church.
| The services at the Baptist church.
like the entire affair, were in charge
of William Hickey, as master of cere-
monies. The program commenced
with the singing of Nearer, My God,
to Thee" This was followed by the
ritualistic work of Consul Commander
Sallee. After another hymn, in which
all Joined, F. M. Root, the banker of
Hickory camp, read in touching man
ner very appropriate poem.
Rev. SchIeh's Address.
The master of ceremonies then in
troduced Rev. G. H. Schleh, Phi. D., of
Omaha, pastor in the Christian
Union, and a lecturer for the Wood
men of the World. Rev. Schleh spoke
of the virtues of the departed member,
his work and worth among his fellow
men, the love he bore for his relatives
and for the people associated with him
in the fraternal society, and of the
love they showed for him by gathering
in such numbers to honor his memory.
He mentioned the uncertainty of life
and the certainty of death, and told of
the customs of the Woodmen in re-
gard to honoring each Of the members
with monument. He then devoted a
few minutes to discussion and eXpla-
nation of fraternal orders and espe-
cially of the one he represents. His
address was eloquent, well delivered
and brainy. DR.. Schleh is an old and
experienced Woodman.
At the Grave.
After Rev. Schleh's speech another
hymn was rendered, 3'Take it to the
Lord in Prayer" and this was follow
ed by the ritualistic closing exercise.
Before closing his speech, Rev. Schleh
moved vote of thanks to the owner
of the Fritz hall and the pastor and
trustees of the Baptist church for their
accommodation. The motion was
unanimously carried. From the church
the route was to the cemetery where
the monument, yelled with black cloth
stood near the top Of gentle slope
which inclines to the north. The
stone itself is of polished granite, and
is a very pretty and durable work
Upon arriving at the grave, the
Woodmen and members of the Wood
men Circle made a wedge with the
narrow end beyond the head of the
grave. The officers of Hickory Camp
stood inside the wedge and on the lo'
in which the grave is made. Each of
ficer took part in the exercises al
the grave, which were impressive