Barber County Kansas
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Barber County Kansas |
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Allen E. Herr, 88, died Wednesday, April 29 at Halstead.He had been active in politics and government and has been an international official in the IOOF.
He moved to new Kiowa in 1886 with his parents on a half section of land. His father died three months later and he was the head of the family at 16.
He began teaching in a six months school 19 miles southwest of Medicine Lodge, and taught in another rural school after that.
He got into politics in 1890 with the Farmer's Allegiance and the populists, and that same year became the court stenographer for the district court.
In 1893 he made a claim at the opening of the Cherokee strip. In 1894 he married Laura Taylor and they moved to his claim in Oklahoma. In 1894 he became secretary to state senator Harry Landis. In 1896 he was nominated as representative for territorial legislature, and was made chairman of the Populist central committee. He was appointed as deputy county clerk at Alva.
Over the years he was very active in debating over the area.
The family moved to New Mexico for his wife's health, and she died in 1904.
He then sold his claim in Oklahoma and bought a ranch northwest of Medicine Lodge. At one time he owned or leased 5,000 acres of land in the county.
In 1925 he was elected county chairman of the Democratic central committee and held that post for 25 years.
He took the business census in Medicine Lodge, was foreman of WPA project, was an assessor, was the farmer at the Girls Industrial school at Beloit, and at the age of 70, took the federal census.
He took the job of janitor at the grade school in 1944 and was later janitor at the Methodist church.
In 1901 he entered the IOOF lodge in Oklahoma and transferred his membership to Medicine Lodge in 1907. He was the only man to attend every session of the grand lodge. He was quite active in the IOOF all his life and held many high positions.
He was an avid reader, and as his eyes weakened in later years he made use of "talking books" through the welfare department.
Surviving relatives are: Two sons, E. A. Herr of Abilene, F. Floyd Herr, of Topeka; two daughters, Grace Schmidtlein of Battle Ground, Wash., and Mabel Watson of Brandenton, Fla.; one brother, A. L. Herr of Oklahoma City, Okla.; one half sister, Mrs. Theodore Hood of Kiowa; 11 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.
Funeral services were held at the Forsyth Funeral Home Friday, with the Rev. Robert Gordon in charge.
Burial was at the Kiowa cemetery with IOOF services at graveside.
The county welfare department this week has a "talking Bible," which is the chapters of the bible in recordings, which was donated to the department by the children of Allen Herr. The recordings had belonged to Mr. Herr.
Thanks to Shirley Brier for finding, transcribing and contributing the above news article to this web site!
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