DETRICK, Andrew J. - Putnam

The Sudden Demise of one of Leon's Pioneers--A Sketch of His Life. The citizens of Leon were astounded to learn Monday that A.J. DETRICK had died very suddenly in Des Moines of cerebral hemorrhage. MR. DETRICK, under the care of J.A. CALDWELL, went to Des Moines to attend the institute for the cure of liquor habit, to which he was unfortunately addicted. He was taken sick before reaching Des Moines and on arriving there was taken immediately to the National Institute.

No effort was made during his stay to administer the cure which he desired, but the doctors confined their efforts to an attempt to save his life, but they were in vain. The remains were brought home Tuesday and the funeral will be held this morning at the M.E. Church, under the auspices of the G.A.R., of which he was a member.

ANDREW J. DETRICK was born March 2, l828, at Zanesville, Ohio, being at the time of his death 65 years of age. At an early age he moved with his parents to Green Castle, Ind., where he attended college for some time. Arriving at the stage of manhood he started west and located at Beardstown, Ill., where he commenced working at the printer's trade. In June, l849, he was married at Beardstown to MISS SUSAN HARRINGTON and soon afterward moved to Des Moines, which was at that time nothing more than a frontier fort.

In l850, in connection with a man named Granger, he commenced the publication of the Iowa Star, which was the first paper published at that place. The family then moved to Boone, Iowa, where they resided for about seven years. While here he engaged in the mercantile business mostly. The glowing accounts from Kansas again lured him into moving still farther west and he made Ft. Scott his home for nearly two years, but the growing political strifes were destroying the golden opportunities he had hoped to meet, and he started for Leon, arriving here in October, l860, and this has been the residence of the family ever since.

He at once engaged as a printer on the Leon Pioneer, then owned by P.H. BINKLEY. In l86l the sounds of war were echoing throughout the country and he enlisted early in the Third Iowa Cavalry in the company of John W. Warner, and served faithfully for three weary years. Upon his return from the war he engaged in various pursuits, editor, selling nursery stock and finally real estate, which he has followed closely for the greater part of twenty years, in which he was fairly successful.

He has left as surviving relatives the faithful and patient wife of his youth, five daughters, two sons, twelve grand-children and one great grandchild, all feeling deeply the death of the husband and father, in which they are joined by the entire community.

Sad to state, yet true it is there are men, noble and generous hearted fellows, honest and upright in many relations of life, who unfortunately through some unexplained and unaccountable means, incur a habit of hallucination, as it were, that oftimes unmans them and impairs their usefulness. Barring this misfortune he was an upright and genial citizen, a kind and indulgent parent and an agreeable man.