grave import

Obituary

Capt. Chas. Ende was found dead near the place where he spent his youth, yesterday afternoon. He had gone out to visit the place where his boyhood had been spent. And there he seems to have fallen and passed into the sleep that knows no waking. He was lying with one arm thrown over the upper part of the face as if to shield his eyes from the light. Evidently he had passed without a struggle. The place is a pretty wooded spot from where there is a good view of the surrounding country. Searching parties were in that vicinity Tuesday but discovered no trace of the missing man. Yesterday afternoon George S. Tracy organized a party, enlisting a dozen boy scouts, who were called out of the Palace theater and who responded with alacrity and were soon swarming over the hills in the section where it was believed that the captain had gone. At 3:40 o'clock the search ended. Walter Wilson and Cornell Badger both are given credit for finding the body. Messrs. Chas. H. Muhland, August Schlapp, Geo. S. Tracy and other friends of the deceased were on the spot soon thereafter and Coroner Prugh was notified and took charge of the remains. Mr. Prugh was convinced that the cause of death was heart trouble and no inquest will be held. It seems that Mr. Ende started out to revisit his old home place Monday before noon. He probably intended to take a West Burlington car but took one that runs to the Kitter switch only and covered the rest of the distance on foot. He had been suffering from heart trouble for some time and the exertion probably proved too much for him. Charles Ende was born in Schwarzenfels, Electorate of Hesse, Germany, Oct. 20, 1837, the son of Ferdinand and Nappy Mertz Von Ende. His father, becoming dissatisfied with the political reaction which had set in everywhere in Germany, emigrated to this country with the children in 1851. They spent the first winter near Beardstown, Ill., coming to Burlington in 1852, where they took up a farm two and one-half miles out of the city. The father died here in 1885. Young Charles had received good schooling in the fatherland, lived on the farm until 1855,then worked in various places and started to the gold fields of Colorado in 1860, but soon discovered that the yellow metal was not to be found where the party sought it and came back to Iowa in 1860. On Sept. 7, 1861, he enlisted as a private in Company F, Fifth Iowa cavalry and was mustered out as first lieutenant August 11, 1865. During his term of service he took part in many battles and skirmishes, had many narrow escapes but never received a wound. One, of the incidents of his military career is reported as follows: "While stationed at Atlanta, on May 14, 1865, he was detailed to take charge of a detachment, furnished by the regiment, to help guard Jefferson Davis, the president of the defunct Confederacy, from Atlanta to Augusta, where he was turned over to another command, which took him to Fortress Monroe." Mr. August Schlapp, of this city, was second lieutenant of the same company, and the friendship they formed remained unbroken to the end. Returning to Burlington Mr. Ende engaged in the brewing business until the mulct law was repealed and the manufacture ceased in Iowa. His intense Americanism was demonstrated in various ways. Thus he dropped the part of his name showing him to be a member of the German nobility. As a democrat he had no use for titles and his greatest pride was in the fact that he was a citizen of the great republic, for which he had fought bravely during four long year. It is said that when the opportunity came to get into the ranks of his country's defenders he did not stop to even get his coat. He was ready. All his days he kept in touch with old comrades, and he was a charter member of Matthies post of the Grand Army of the Republic. During the years 1879, 1880 and 1881, he represented the second ward in the city council under the administrations of John Zaiser. And he gave the interests of the city painstaking attention. But he found no liking for public service and never again accepted a nomination or aspired to office. Personally, Mr. Ende was the very soul of honor and one of the most likable of men. In his prime he was a mighty hunter and the real sportsmen were among his numerous friends. None knew him but to hold him in the highest esteem. If he had enemies the fact remained unknown to him and there was a hearty welcome and kindly greetings for him wherever he went. On Oct. 3, 1869, Charles Ended was married at Liberty, Mo. to Thusnelda Louise Leopold. This union proved a very happy one and was terminated by her death in 1902. She rests in Aspen Grove. Of the four children who came to bless this union August passed away several years ago. The surviving members of the family are :Carl Von Ende, who is professor of chemistry at the Idaho state university at Moscow, Idaho; Mrs. Marie von Ende York, of Phoenix, Ariz., and Henry von Ende, with whom the deceased had been making his home in recent years. The old family home is at No. 722 North Third street, but the son makes his home in Union township. Burlington has had few citizens who were widely known and so universally esteemed as the fine American citizen, this brave soldier, this good man. He will be missed indeed and in the years to come there will be nothing but happy memories of his presence here. Funeral services will be held at the Frank Esau home, 922 North Fifth street this (Thursday) afternoon at 4:30 o'clock. Friends are invited to these services. Aug. Schlapp and Frank Esau will accompany the remains to Davenport for incineration. The ashes to be interred in Aspen Grove later.