Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1920-09-17
Obituary Of Henry E. Lonas.

put him to work in cotton mill
From this time until he was Fl his
earnings were turned over to hisfa-
Their to aid in the support of the Fam.
| lily. He always felt a deep RESPONSE.
bility for the welfare of his brothers
and sisters and through all the years
they felt that they could rely upon
him. When he was II years old his
father brought the family to America
the voyage to New York in sailing
vessel taking six weeks. From New
York they went by boat up the Hud
son, by slow canal boat-so slow that
the children walked when they liked
Ito Buffalo; across the lakes to Mil
waukee, and by wagon to what is now
Waukesha, Wis, then Prairieville
Here his father bought 100 acres OF
land and with the help of his neigh
bors put up log house, but knowing
absolutely nothing of farming, found
it pretty difficult to finish paying for
the land.
At the age of IA he went to Della
van to live with his uncle and learn
the blacksmith trade, and this trade
he followed most of the time until
he was Is, when he determined to try
his fortune in California. Early in
the spring of 1861 he and his partner
joined a party and started across the
plains with four horses and cover
ed wagon; 1.-The finest outfit he said
that we saw on the way" They
reached California July 9th, q hard
and dangerous journey of about four
months with many adventures on the
way; a narrow escape from quick
sand; the digging of path through
the snow in the mountains; the sue
cessful crossing of q torrent in which
other horses and wagons had just
been lost; and the danger from In
dams. They found the Indians they
encountered, however, only persist
ent beggars, treated them generously
and got along well, although there
was great deal of trouble that year
and many were killed. One Indian
to whom they had given food, follow
ed them for half day to present
the with a string of fish. In Honey
Lake. valley, new settlement in the
foot hills of the Sierra Nevada noun
tains, he was urged to start a black
smith shop, and after looking around
decided to do this. The shop was
very successful and he was later sue
cessful in other undertakings, the
principal one being the supplying of
grain, hay and wood to an army post
in Oregon, going there q year before
the actual establishment Of the post
with his brother Thomas, who had
followed him to California. about. .
dozen hired men and as many caval-
ry men assigned to him by General
Crook. In his unfinished autobiog-
raphy Mr.. Tomas passes lightly over
the difficulties of his California days,
but reference to his original records
show more than the normal hard !
ships of pioneer life. These records, |
daily, in simple matter of |
fact way indicate most clearly his
clean. rugged strength, his courage,
his patience and his faith in his abil-
lty to conquer and accomplish. Men,
ton is made Of one overland journey
Of $50 miles undertaken in severe
winter weather, which was accomp-
lished in 20 days. during which time
the party fought snow, rain and bad
roads and were constantly menaced
~ hostile Indians who stole and kill
I'd their cattle. His nearest postof-
ice and trading post was 225 miles
Instant, all supplies being brought in
oy horse and OK teams. After eight
7ears he felt that he had accumulat-
ID enough to return home, and sailed
rom San Francisco 6y way of Pana-
ma for New York. The following year
Re was married to Ella E.. Tillson,
sept. 20, 1870, and located in Cresco
n October of the same year. Here
le was actively engaged in business
Until January, 1901, when he gave up
BUSINESS but took great pride in con-
inuing to work about his home and
arden. Although he had so little op-
to 60 to school he was Gag
r to learn, and as a young man took
p various studies Systematically
his life he was a deep I
tudent, actively interested in the
of the day, with strong
pinions which he supported by|
lear logic. /;
He died in his home Saturday.,
ept. II, 1920, aged "a years, 3 months !
nd days. He is survived by his
7ife, his son Edward and daughter
lrs. Charles Burgess, five grand
hildren, his brothers Thomas of
resco and Charles of Green Bay,
Wis, sisters Mrs. Elizabeth Abbott
nd Miss Ellen Tomas of Grants Pass,
'regon.
Funeral services conducted by Rev. !