grave import

Obituary

John Blaul, the head of the wholesale grocery house of John Blaul & Sons, died at his residence, 113 South Sixth Street, about half-past seven last evening. Mr. Blaul was taken sick last Wednesday morning. But his sickness was not considered dangerous and had not become generally known in the city. At first, it took the form of congestion of the bowels and caused him a great deal of suffering. Mr. Blaul had had two similar attacks before, the second about a year ago. They lasted but a day or two however and the recurrence of the trouble last week excited no alarm. One of his sons, who was absent, was not even notified of his sickness and came home yesterday only by chance.
Latterly Mr. Blaul had suffered no great pian, and yesterday he felt better than he had felt at any time during his sickness. In the evening, while he was talking with someone in the family, he experienced a sudden severe twinge of pain in the head and remarked: “There is another of those bad spells coming on. I cannot stand many more of them.” A messenger was at once despatched for a physician, but in a few minutes, Mr. Blaul had a second attack and died almost immediately afterward.
John Blaul was one of Burlington’s foremost businessmen and best citizens. His death is a loss that will be keenly felt. Additional facts connected with his life and death will be presented tomorrow morning.
John Blaul, whose unexpected death was chronicled in yesterday morning’s Hawkeye, was born near the city of Worms, in Western Germany, December 18, 1826. Hee emigrated to America, landing and settling at Boston, about the year 1850. He was married there, and his first wife was buried there.
About the year 1855, he came to Burlington. Here, about the year 1856, he was married to Miss Caroline Knoener. For a short time after he came to this city, Mr. Blaul worked at the tinner’s trade. About the year 1857, he engaged in the retail grocery trade on Front street in partnership with Theodore Pooler, now a wholesale grocer of Lawrence, Kansas. During the years 1868, he was associated with Philip Hoerr in the wholesale and retail grocery business. After that, he continued in the same line until 1876 when he established an exclusive wholesale business on Jefferson street. In February 1882, he associated with him in the firm his two eldest sons, John and Charles, and the business has since been conducted in the name of John Blaul & Sons.
Mr. Blaul was a careful, painstaking, conscientious, and conservative businessman. He was an unassuming man, but a man whom everybody who knew him trusted without reserve. As a citizen, he was universally esteemed and honored. A prominent businessman remarked yesterday, “If there were more John Blauls, Burlington would be better off.” He had built up his extensive business from the smallest beginning, by his own quiet, steady energy, strict attention to business, and unswerving integrity.
Mr. Blaul is survived by his wife and six children – four sons and two daughters. The sons are John, Jr., Charles, Theodore, and Louis; the daughters, Emelia and Paulina. The eldest son was born in Boston, the others all in Burlington.
The funeral of John Blaul, sr., will take place at 2:30 Friday, and the German Evangelical Church, of which he was a member.