John H. Spindler (1861-1921)
- John H. Spindler was born in Ohio April 28, 1861, and died at his home in Valparaiso, Indiana, early Wednesday morning, March 23, 1921, aged 59 years, 10 months and 28 days.
At the age of four his family moved from Ohio and settled near Lowell, where most of his life was spent. He lived in Valparaiso for several years about twenty years ago and at that time had charge of the Spindler hotel. He then went back to Lowell and came to Valparaiso to make his permanent home in 1913.
In 1884 he was united in marriage to Miss Jennie Hammarstrom. Bur death robbed his home of his bride only a few months after their marriage.
In 1890 he was married to Miss Etta Johnson of Chicago and to this union three children were born. The eldest child died in infancy. Burdette and the mother perished in the Iroquois theatre fire. Cecil, the remaining child of this union, survives to mourn the departure of his father.
Mr. Spindler was united in marriage in 1906 to Miss Ruby Bacon and to this union three children were born: Ralph, John and Naomi. Mr. Spindler joined the Methodist Episcopal church as a young man and has been a faithful member through his entire life. He has been a member of the Official Board and a Trustee of Valparaiso church for a number of years. His place on the Board and in the congregation will be greatly missed. He was an active member of the Masonic lodge and of the Present Day club.
He leaves to mourn his departure, a faithful wife, four children, Cecil, Ralph, John and Naomi; two brothers, Alva and Irvie, of Chicago Heights, one sister, Mrs. Samuel Pletcher, of Lowell, besides a multitude of friends and other relatives.
Funeral services were held at the M.E. church here Friday at 2:30 p.m. and were attended by a large number of his old friends. Rev. R.H. Johston, assisted by Rev. C.A. Brown, preached the funeral sermon. Interment was made in the Lowell cemetery.
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Harken! Harken! God speaketh in thy soul,
Saying, O thou that moveth
With feeble step across this earth of mine,
To break beside the fount thy golden bowl,
And spill its purple wine,
Look up to Heaven and see how, like a scroll.
My right hand hath grasped immortality
In its eternal grasping.
- -- Elizabeth B. Browning.
The following unidentified newspaper article (ca. 1904) was found in a scrapbook owned by Betty Burton of Lowell:
RESOLUTIONS OF RESPECT
WHEREAS, the Overruling Power has seen fit to remove by death the wife and son of our Esteemed Neighbor, John H. Spindler, andWHEREAS, in the death of Mrs. Spindler and son Burdette the community has lost a noble woman and a promising boy and the bereaved husband and father a beloved wife and child. Therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the members of Cedar Camp. No. 5155, Modern Woodmen of America tender to the bereaved husband and father our sincere sympathy in this his hour of darkest sorrow. Further
RESOLVED, that these resolutions be spread upon the books of the Camp, be printed in the city papers, and a copy be presented to our bereaved Neighbor.
EDWIN SANDERS
H.L. BAUGHMAN
L.W. RAGON
Go to John H. Spindler, "Pioneer History Index," for further information.
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