The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-02-01
John Tanker Of Sioux City Always
Said That Recipe For Longevity
Was Plenty Of
Tobacco.
SAW COMET rs YEARS AGO
Was Walking Through Holland For
ests When He Saw Halley's
Brilliant Star in
the Sky.


Sioux Ctiy's Oldest resident, died of
senility yesterday morning at st.
Vincent's hospital
MIR. Tanker was 10S years old Jan,i-
airy ] and had lived here about seven
years. He is survived by his widow,
Mrs. Whilima Willingsteen Tanker,
who is ninety eight years old, and an
adopted daughter, Mrs. s. H Shoop,
100 Grand View boulevard Mrs
Tanker has been i'll the past three
weeks and probably will be unable to
attend her husbands funeral.
Grandpa" Tanker, as he was
known to his friends, was born on a
farm near Rotterdam, Holland, in 1909
He was married to Miss Whiiima VIII
ingsteen in Holland and came to
America when a young man. He made
three trips to Holland after becoming
a citizen of the United States in the
early sos. He settled first in La
Crosse, Wis, where he operated the
first syrup mill founded in Wiscon
sin. He began his career by tapping
sugar >rees for the sap, which was dis
posed Of at considerable profit.
Once Practlced Medicine.
Following his second trip to Europe
Mr.. Tanker settled in Milwaukee ant
practiced medicine there for a shor
time. He then took up his home II
Grand Island. Nebr, where he op
Grated ranch for twenty years ant
engaged in the real estate business
He was living in the then Nebraska
town when the Union Pacific bull
the first railroad through that country
For years after Mr.. Tanker moved tt
Grand Island, Omaha was the neares
railroad point.
Until four years ago Mr.. Tanker
made his home with his adopted
daughter, Mrs. Shoop. When thu
Shops moved from the West Side tt
the house in Grand View boulevard
he was given temporary lodging ii
the parlor He did not like this ar
rangement, it was said, and "ral
away" to live at the Villa Marie
where he stayed until this home wa:
abandoned. For the last year and {
half he stayed at st. Vincent's hos
pital.
Saturday night Mr. Tanker ap
peared at the supper table and seem
ingly was in good health and spirits
He did not respond to the breakfas
call yesterday morning. and when {
hospital attendant went to his room
to inquire if anything was wrong, thu
aged man replied that he was veal
and believed he was about to die. The
end came shortly after 9 o'clock.
Stuck to Cob Pipe.
Grandpa" Tanker was asked
many times to give his secret of goot
health and long life. Invariably he
would reply: Plenty Of good Tobacco,
and this" and he would exhibit corr
cob pipe. He refused to smoke any
other kind Of pipe. The stronger il
became the better it was, he said
Mrs. Shoop presented him with &
carved meer&,haum pipe one Christ
mas, but the old man never smoked
it. He chung to his corn cob until his
last days.
Mr.. Tanker always was averse tc
having his picture taken. He discour
aged every overture made in this di
rection and it seemed to relatives the
old man would go to his grave with
out having faced a camera. The only
picture Of him that was ever taker
was obtained by The Journal photog
rapher in the fall of 1916. Mr. Tan
ken was seated on the porch taking
a nap. He was aroused by relative
Just as the camera man snapped the
machine.
Among the interesting stories the
old man used to tell Of incidents con
uected with his life he related in 1910
1t was suggested by the appearance
OF Halley's comet, which, according tc
astronomers, is visible upon eartI
every seventy-five years. Mr. Tanker
remembered when it appeared seven
ty-five years prior to 1910. He de
clared he was walking through the
forests of Holland to see his sweet
heart, now his widow, and had jus,
come to the end of his thirty mile
Journey when he saw the bright Iigh
in the sky. Mr.. Tanker said they
called it tail star" In those days.
He Predicted War, Too
Mr.. Tanker said he almost was
blinded by the bright glare Of the
comet as he emerged from the wood:
and saw it for the first time. The re
ligious wars Of Holland followed, Mr.
Tanker said, almost Immediately aft
erward. When the comet appeared
the next time, in 1910, the old maj
predicted the world soon would b,
visited by a war
1t Is said of him that years ago h