Yuma County, Colorado Photographs

Yuma County Pioneer Photographs:

John and Mary Felderman lived in 5N 46W (about halfway between Pleasant Valley and Wages)

These photos are from the Library of Congress

Haxtun Harvest, Haxtun, Colorado, March 6, 1963

LONG TIME COUNTY RESIDENT DIES IN WRAY HOSPITAL

John Felderman, 96, who first came to Colorado in 1892, passed away at the Wray hospital Thursday after a five-day illness. He had been staying at the Renotta Rest Home in Wray for the past four years. He was a retired farmer.

Mr. Felderman was a native of Iowa and was married October 20, 1892 at Bellevue to Miss Mary Mangler. They homesteaded that same year in the New Haven community and five years later took up a homestead in the Wages community, where they lived until moving to Haxtun in 1946. He was a member of the Immanuel Lutheran Church.

One son and one daughter preceded him in death. He is survived by his widow, two sons, Elmer and Theodore, five grandchildren,* 12 great grandchildren,* and two brothers, Herman and Henry, both of Bellevue, Iowa.

Funeral services were held Monday afternoon from the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Haxtun, with Rev. James Pomeroy officiating. Mrs. John Rahe was organist and a quartet composed of Mrs. Ernst Weers, Mrs. Lester Seger, Lauren Heermann and William Funke, sang “Rock of Ages” and “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” Pallbearers were William DeBuhr, Herman Papke, Frank Lett, Lawrence Heermann, Frank Westerman and John Martinson. Mr. Rahe was usher.

The Radford Funeral Home was in charge of the service with burial in the Yuma cemetery.

John, one of six children, four brothers and one sister, born to William and Sophia Felderman at Bellevue, Iowa, August 31, 1866, departed this life February 28, 1963, at the Wray hospital having reached the age of 96 years, six months and 28 days.

The early years of his life were spent in Iowa. He was married to Mary L. Mangler in 1892. Four children were born to this union, Elmer E., Irvin D., Elsie and Theodore W. Two of the children preceded him in death, Elsie in 1944 and Ervin in 1962.

Mr. Felderman migrated to Colorado in an immigrant car in this manner transporting to this new county a few head of cattle and household goods. In a course of two weeks or so, Mrs. Felderman was met in Yuma by her husband. Yuma was at that time in its infancy. They settled on a homestead in the vicinity which is known now as New Haven.

This, Mr. Felderman knew, was a land of opportunity and with the fortitude and determination that it took to meet the rigors of homesteading, he began his life’s vocation, raising livestock, cattle and horses.

After a period of six years, they filed on a pre-emption homestead in the Wages community and moved to this place three miles south of the homesite he built a few years later and that now stands, proving the pioneer spirit he possessed.

He prospered in his ranching abilities and he continued in this line of business for many years. When the country became more settled and free range land became a premium, he along with others, began diversified farming.

In 1932 he and his wife moved to Haxtun, residing there three years. They then moved back to their farm and lived there until 1946 when they retired and moved to Haxtun, where he spent his remaining years. Because of ill health he spent the last four years in a nursing home in Wray.

Mr. Felderman was confirmed as a child in the Lutheran faith and maintained this faith throughout his life. His companion of more than 70 years, two son, Elmer of Yuma, and Theodore of Haxtun, six grandchildren* and 14 great grandchildren,* are left to cherish his memory.
 

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