Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-08-14
MRS. c. 8, DAMIEN NIECE OF ILL
NClS WOMAN WHO LEFT
BIG ESTATE.
LAWYERS HAVE TASK
'.. TRACING RELATIVES
Mrs. T. SchIuetert, Who Died in Blue
Island, IT,, Last April, With Fortune
of Over 100000, Proves Sister Of
Mrs. Dannen's Father-Nieee Will
Get $4,000 to $4,000.

To have an inheritance Of from
$4,000 10 $4,000 come to her as I'M
eXpectedly as if fairy Sodmother had
suddenly appeared and handed her the
money was the surprising and pleasant
experience of Mrs. c, B. Damien, living
ten miles southwest OF this city, Satur-
day afternoon. The inheritance came
from an old aunt, who died in Blue
Island H., last April, leaving a large
fortune and no will A firm of lawyers
took up the case. and have finally found
all the living heirs and apprised them
OF their good fortune.
The entire estate was valued at
something over 100000 and consisted
of a large amount of gold the rest be-
ing government bonds.
Lawyers Have Hard Task.
According to the story told Tx.
reporter by L. Q. Theme, of Chicago,
a lawyer. the task of tracing the rela-
tives of the old woman was as hard
as any ever tracked down by a fiction
detective In April, 1916, Mrs. 7.
Schluetert, an aged recluse, was found
dead at her home in Blue Island, ILL.,,
with from $4,000 TO $4,000 OF gold I'M
der her pillow. She was 81 years OF
age. left no will, and was found to have
an estate valued at something over
100000 According to law, the money
went to the next of kin. and the law
Yer. who makes a specially Of, such
cases, was assigned the job of finding
who and where her relatives were.
Gets Trace Of Brother.
Eeishbors told the lawyer the wom-
ans maiden name had been Van Hove,
ard that she had had a brother who
had formerly lived in Mt. Morris. III.
There the legal representative discov-
cred that the brother had owned some
land there, but that he had come to
Marshalltown in 1880. and lived here
about ten years, dying in 1899. Thru an
old letter written in 1869, ne discovered
that Van Hove had a sister in Ger
many, and that this sister had a daugA-
ter, Mrs. Fred Bertog, of Buckeye, Iowa.
Going to Buckeye he found Mrs. Ber-
tog, and got track Of Van Hove's
daughter, who is Mrs. Damien. With
Mrs. Bertog he came to this city. and
Saturday aftern Don went to the Dan :
men farm where he informed Mrs. Dam
men of the good news. Mrs. Dannen's
husband is a wealthy farmer and horse
breeder
Had Lost Track Of Aunt.
Talking over the telephone this morn
ing Mrs. Damien said she had known OF
| Mrs. Schiuetert- but had lost track OF
her during the past few years and had
not heard of her death. To make the
tracing more difficult, Mrs. Schluetert
had been only a half sister of Van
Hove. who was Mrs. Dannen's father
The other sister is still living in Ger
many. Mrs. Damien also has brother
John Van Hove. in California. and there
are several grandchildren. Mrs Bertos
returned home today. and Mr.. Theme
went back to Chicago Saturday night.
He declared that if people kept closer
track OF their relatives and correspond
ed regularly, little difficulty would be
experienced in finding heirs. but also
added that in that case there would be
little for such a firm as his to do.