Wm. J. Harper, son of O. V. L. and Martha Lee Harper, born near Leon, Iowa, August 29, 1866, and passed on July 30, 1953, near Santa Cruz, California, at the age of 86 years, 10 months and 29 days.

He was married to Emma O. Carlton, now deceased, and to this union four children were born: Mae Harper Scriver of Santa Cruz, California, Nellie Stromer of Glenville, Nebraska, Fern Mansfield, deceased, and Ray Harper, deceased. There are also one grandson and two great grandchildren.

Mr. Harper and wife pioneered on a homestead northwest of Farnam in 1888, where his son Ray lived until his death in 1948. He took an active interest in public and private affairs until his demise.

He made his home with his daughter Mae at Santa Cruz, where he passed on very suddenly in a hospital. The remains were accompanied to Gothenburg by Mrs. Scriver and Paul Sulizer. The party was joined at Hastings by Mrs. Nellie Stromer and Mrs. Emma Zimmerman.

Funeral services were held Monday afternoon in the Farnam Methodist church under the supervision of the McVay Funeral Home, with Rev. Earl Brock officiating. Interment was in the Farnam cemetery.

The music was by Pansy Piersol and Mildred Edson with Doris Smith at the piano and the pallbearers were Bernard Lindvall, jr., John Schurr, George Edson, C. Burr Parker, O. L. Hudson and W. Ralph Parker.

The Farnam Press 13(41):1, Thursday, July 9, 1953