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PIONEER FLAT RIVER BUSINESS MAN DIED MONDAY AFTERNOON

H. Rinke, Veteran Merchant and Undertaker, Passed Away in Missouri Baptist Sanitarium in St. Louis.

Henry Hugo Rinke, aged 69 years, 3 months and 22 days, passed away Monday afternoon, April 22, 1929, at 2:50 o'clock, following a stroke of paralysis which attacked him shortly before noon that day. This was the second stroke he had suffered, the first one having occurred in July, 1927.

Funeral services will be held at the Flat River Baptist Church, of which he had been a member for a long period of years, this (Friday) afternoon, at 2 o'clock, conducted by Revs. E. D. Owen and L. H. Maples. Special music will be supplied by the Baptist Quartette, Messrs. Wilby, Johnson, Inman and Ramsey. Active pallbearers will be T. A. Mathews, F. M. Horton, John Ball, C. R. Pratt, A. C. Norwine and Charles Mergentheimer. Interment will be in Parkview Cemetery. As a mark of respect for Mr. Rinke, local business houses will be closed during the hour of his funeral.

Henry Hugo Rinke was born in Soest, Westphalia, Germany, Jan. 1, 1860, and came to the United States when only thirteen years of age. Left an orphan at an early age, he made his own way through life. June 11, 1884, he was united in marriage at Rush Tower, Mo., his bride being Elizabeth Rutledge. To this union six children were born, Elva, now Mrs. Rolla Cozean, of Farmington; Cetta, now Mrs. E. R. Turley, Englewood, Calif.; Lizzie, now Mrs. Alvin Hood, Flat River; Esther, now Mrs. Raymond Caldwell, Elvins; Pauline, now Mrs. Earl Halbrook, Flat River; and Edward, the only son, who resides at Farmington.

His first wife died April 19, 1923, and he was married a second time Dec. 6, 1924, when Mamie Murry, of Flat River, became his wife in a ceremony performed at Farmington. To this second union one little daughter, Mary Rosalee, was born, the baby passing away Aug. 23, 1926, at the age of four and one-half months. He is also survived by one brother, Julius, of Ronan, Montana, and by a number of grandchildren.

He was a member of the A.F. & A.M., I.O.O.F., M.W.A., K. of P., and Rebekah lodges, and was a charter member of the local Chamber of Commerce, in which he was a faithful and loyal worker. He was also the only mayor the city of Flat River ever had, having been chosen for that honor at the time the city was incorporated a number of years ago. He served in the office during the entire time of the incorporation, and was mayor when the court dissolved the city government.

In his early days he followed the carpenter trade and did quite a bit of contract work. He was employed in timbering the first shaft sunk in the Flat River district and built a number of houses in the rapidly growing community which sprung up around local mining operations.

Prior to coming into this district he had spent some time in the West, where he learned the art of the undertaker. He opened a hardware and undertaking shop in Flat River in 1901, and continued in that business until February, 1928, when he retired from active business life because of ill health, which had persisted since the preceding July, when he suffered his first light stroke of paralysis. During the past winter his health had grown steadily worse, and he spent three months in hospitals just prior to his death, one month in the Bonne Terre hospital and two in the Missouri Baptist Sanitarium, where he passed away. While in the latter institution he underwent two operations, rallying nicely from both, and highly favorable reports about his condition were received here on the morning of the day during which he died.

Perhaps no man in Flat River was better known than was Henry Rinke. Thrifty, honest, ambitious and energetic, he was ever alert for business opportunity, but his every deal was a square deal. During his long residence in Flat River he was invariably out in front on every progressive movement, and his contributions toward all sorts of improvements to the community were always liberal. Called by his profession into almost constant contact with sorrow and misfortune, he was kind and gentle with all, and extremely charitable with many who were worthy and needy, although these acts of charity were kept locked in his own heart and were rarely mentioned by him even to his closest associates and friends.

He has been a loyal and devoted resident of our community, and much of our progress has been materially aided by him. In offering sympathy to members of his family, the News assures them that the entire community joins them in mourning this loyal friend and neighbor, who was as good a citizen as he was a father and husband.

Published by THE LEAD BELT NEWS, Flat River, St. Francois Co. MO, Fri. April 26, 1929

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