Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1906-05-04
DIED

DIED
st. Cloud Times -: In the death
Of Matthias Cans, which occurred
Thursday afternoon, st. Cloud and
Stearns county loses one of its most
and honorable citizens. indeed
1t would be hard to lind in any county
Of the state . man WHOSE life would
parallel that of tho deceased, q life
rounded out with al that goee Ca
make up noble character, tho sacri.
dces throughout his career on behalf
of bis family being one of tho manv
characteristics which has endeared
him to hts friends and stamped him "a
tho ideal husband and father.
He WAS . man of business ability.
and Was prominently identified with
the early history of Stearns county.
having honorably filed public Offices
and always occupied . prominent
position in the Catholic church, of
which he was member.
Matthias Cans was born in Budes-
helm. province of Treves. Prussia, on
December 8. 1890. In mis- early youth
his parents kept him in school, and
before he had reached his majority
be had acquired q good education.
he received his first training in
Budesheim and after that went to
Brill, not far from there, where he
took special course of training. as a
teacher. He taught school in tne old
country, but on account of sickness
his physician advised him to remove
to the United States. He consequent.
" came to America in the spring of
1854, and located at Chicago. He was
then ~ years of age. He worked for
some time in q brick yard there, his
not being such that he
could find employment at once as a
teacher. He was. however, offered a
position which would pay him we'll
as singer in one Of the churches of
Chicago, possessing as he did pure,
sweet tenor voice. But he decided to
60 south and in the fall of 1864 went
to New Orleans, where he worked in
q numbering camp for q year or so.
He returned from the south in the
spring of 1866, and located at St. An.
thony Falls. They were then laying
out the townsite Of Mendoza and he
worked around there for about year,
coming to Stearns county in the
spring of 1867. He settled on claim
in the town of St. Joseph and for nine
years taught school in the towns of
St. James and Wakefield. During
this time he also had charge of the
music in the churches at St. Martin
a nd st. James. and for years he was
closely identified with musical matters
in Stearns county.
In June, 1858, he was married to
Miss Mary E. Jung, Of st. Joseph,
and the following winter he went to
work in the copper mines in the Lake
Superior REGIONS. He worked there for
two winters, returning to Stearps
county at intervals to look after bust
ness matters
Mr.. Cans held his first public Office
in the years 1867, being elected to tho
Office of town clerk of St. Joseph.
This Office he held for q number of
years until he was elected county
treasurer in the year 1870. which
Office he filled with credit for eight
years. After he bad completed his
tenure of Office he bought what was
known as the Boardman farm at Sank
River in the year 1879. and it was on
this farm that he lived until he moved
to the city q short time ago. His
ability as a farmer is evidenced from
the fact that out Of the proceeds of
this farm he educated all of his child
rem, thirteen in number. They are q
credit and honor to their father. His
failing health in later years compelled
him to abandon the farm, and he dis
posed of the same in December 1905,
and moved to the city last month.
The deceased had been sick for
about five years and he had many
sinking spells. but would revive. The
past ten days he sank rapidly ana 1t
was finally observed that death was
matter of only few days. With the
exception of two sons, MOI bert and
Joseph. every member of the family
was at his bedside when the end
finally came. The two sons absent
made strenuous effort to be here,
but could not succeed, Norbert arriv.
ing this morning from Spokane.
Joseph is expected tonight or tomor-
row from Uniontown, Wash.
The family left to mourn the loss of
q kind and lndulgent father and low
ing huband are his wife, his two
brothers, Nicholas Cans, of West IN.
ion, and John NJ. Cans, Of LIE Sauk
town, and thirteen children, nine sons
and four daughters The children
are Prof. John Cans, Little Falls
Hubert Cans, st. Cloud; Joseph
Jams, Uniontown, Wash Rev,
Father Peter Cans Of Alexandria :;
Michael Cans, Perham; Mrs. W. l..
Norton, Staples; DR.. Edward Cans
Eveleth; Rev. DR.. Leo. Cans, of st.
Paul Seminary; Nestor Cans, Car
:ington, N. D.; Norbert Cans, Spo-
kane and the Misses Anna, Minnie
Ind Rose Cans, Of this city.
The deceased was q member of no
bat he wac for many years
director of the Concordia club, q sing
ng society, which was considered one
# the the best organizations of the
lind in the state of Minnesota at
me time. He has always been closely
Identified with musical matters, tax.
ng an active interest in such affairs
n the early days Of his life in Searns
county.