Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-11-18
oLp.TiME GERMAN EDITOR OF
IOWA DIES At HIS HOME AFTER
LONG ILLNESS.
WAS FOR MANY YEARS
OWNER OF REoRAcATER
Finely Educated, With View Of Enter
ing Catholic Priesthood, Wild Was
Ono of the Leaders in German Jour.
naIism of State-Resident of Mar
shalltown Since 1877.


asthma, heart disease and dropsy
/ Frank S. Widl, one of the old-time Ger
man editors of Iowa, for many years
owner of the Beobachter, OF this city,
and resident of Marshalltown since
1877, died at 3:45 this morning at his
/ home, S01 North First street.
! Mr.. WidIs death removes one of the
pioneers of the field of German jour
: nalism in Iowa. Mr.. Widl became
! editor of the Beobachter in 1888, and
continued in charge Of the paper until
Jan. l, 1902. Since that date Mr.. Widl
/ had not been in any active businss.
| Six years ago his healun began TO fail.
and at different times his condition vas
| such that it was feared he could not
| live. He rallied, however, from time
TO time, but since last August had been
confined to his home. Sunday change
for the worse set in, and resulted in
| the end.
| Educated for Priesthood.
Franz Won Sales Widl was native
OF Muehidorf, Bavaria, where he was
born Feb. 8, 1916. His parents destined
him for the Catholic priesthood and at
! the age of 10 the lad was placed in
the Catholic seminary at FTeysing,
where he remained until the age of Is.
! His plans were the naltered because of
| the death of his father. and he left
college and became apprenticed to a
| jeweler and matchmaker. After learn
| ing his trade the desire to travel over
came him and he decided to come to
America after visiting Munich, Vienna.
and Geneva. In 1873 ne set sail for
America, settling in Chicago, where he
became connected with what was then
one Of the largest wholesale jewelry
concerns in that city. A year later
he entered business for himself at
| Hancock. Mich, selling out to visit the
| centennial at Philadelphia in 1876.
Comes to MarshaIItown in II.
Mr. Wild crossed the Atlantic again
following the centennial, touring
France and Germany, and returned to
this country II 1s77, to settle in this
city. Here he engaged in the jewelry
/ business, renting corner Of the har-
ness shop of George H. Shelter, then
at II West Main. In 1880 the migra-
tory spirit that had prevailed in him
became dominant again, and Mr.. Widl
made another trip abroad, this time
making an extended tour thru France,
Italy, Greece, Turkey. Egypt and the
Holy Land.
| In accordance with a prearranged
! plan Mr.. Widl met in Hamburg DR..
! Paul Krause, q veterinary surgeon. and
at Juttland. Denmark, the two made a
I heavy investment in general purpose
| stations, which were imported to this
| country, via London and Boston. For
| two years Mr.. Wild and DR.. Krause
/ were engaged in the horse business
here.
! Acquires Beobachter.
/ In November, 1882, Mr.. Widl ac-
| quired an interest in the Marshalltown
| Beobachter, the local German newspa-
per. then owned by c. A Neuhaus.
Shortly after the bells rang out the
new year Of 1854 Neuhaus. who had
been celebrating at the German Har-
uaonia Club, over Putzel-s clothing
store. % West Main, fell down the
stairway and broke his neck. Mr.. Widl
had taken a mortgage on the Beo~
/ bachter plant when ne had sold his in
terest back TO Neuhaus in August,
1883, and after Neuhaus' death Wild
took charge of the property to protect
his own interests Mr.. ETidl made the
newspapers Of the state, expounding
always democrat tic principles. Mr..
widl continued to run the paper I'M
Ill Jan. 1, 1902. when he sold to the
late John Schnel1bacher, who was pre-
sumed to have been murdered in Des
Moines about a year ago.
Mr.. Widl was very finely educated
not only in his native language, but in
wrote both, as well as English, and
had more or less knowledge of Italian
and Spanish.
In April, 1890, Mr.. Widl was ap-
pointed by Governor Horace Boies as
deputy oil inspector, and served four
years.
Is Last Of Family.
Mr.. Widl is the last member Of his
fathers family. He never had children
of his own, but is survived by his sec
ond wife and four stepchildren.
The first Mrs. Wild was Mrs. Flora
Watson, mother Of George V Watson
now Of Denver, and Mrs. S. VI. Rogers
of Chicago. Mrs. Widl died in June
1892, and on Aug. 81, of the same year
Mr. Wild took as his wife Mrs. Chris
tine Gerst, of this city. Mrs. Gerst
has two children, Miss Clara Gerst, Of
this city, and Harry Gerst, of Seattle
Wash.
Mr. Wild was a. member of Goethe
Lodge, No. 211, which he joined il
1877, and of Marshall Lodge, No. 108
A. F. and A. M, and Signet Chapter
No. SO, r A. NJ. His utilization witt
the blue lodge dates from 1879, ant
with the chapter from 1880
BODY to Be Cremated,
Private funeral services will be helt
from the family home at 2:30 Wednes
/ day afternoon. The house will be oper
/ to friends from 10 to II Wednesday
Thursday morning SIR. Widrs bod!
will be taken to Davenport for crema
ton, and the ashes wifi be placed il
the family lot in Riverside.