2014 Fall Edition Newsletter

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by LuAnne Debrick

Not long ago, an inquiry came into the Museum for historical information on the Ahrens Building on the South side of UIF TRVBSF OPX LOPXO BT 5PXO 4RVBSF GPSNFSMZ &WFSHSFFO &WFOUT ć JT CVJMEJOH XBT CVJMU JO UIF T BOE IBT IPVTFE everything from the Ahrens Department Store, to Kroger Grocery, to an antique store, to Fickel’s Furniture Store. In researching the history of the building, we came across the following obituarie which tell an interesting story of the Ahrens family and the founding of the Ahrens Department Store. Mr. Ahrens was a German immigrant who came to this country in 1866. He started the business on the West side of the TRVBSF BT ić F -JUUMF %VUDI 4UPSFw BOE QSPTQFSFE BT B 1BPMB CVTJOFTT NBO 'PMMPXJOH IJT EFBUI IJT TJY DIJMESFO DBSSJFE PO UIF CVTJOFTT &WFO UXFOUZ ZFBST MBUFS UIF ,BOTBT $JUZ 5JNFT GFBUVSFE BO BSUJDMF BCPVU IJT MJGF BOE UIF FČ FDU IF IBE PO UIF growth of Paola and its business community. An interesting read !!!!

"ISFOT &SOTU ć FPEPSF ć F QBTTJOH BXBZ PG & 5 "ISFOT MBTU 4BUVSEBZ NPSOJOH November 11, takes from Paola and Miami Co. one of our oldest and most substantial merchants and citizens. His long career as a successfully business man, a sociable and genial gentleman, with a friendly word for every person and a kind word for every child, endeared him to everyone, and there was scarcely a family in all Miami Co. but who knew him and had the kindest regard and respect for him. His recent illness XBT PG CSJFG EVSBUJPO ć SFF XFFLT BHP IF XBT UBLFO XJUI B slight attack of pleurisy and a few days later with rheuma UJTN -BTU 'SJEBZ Bę FSOPPO IF GFMU TP NVDI CFUUFS IPX FWFS that he was down at the store. Friday evening he retired as VTVBM CVU 4BUVSEBZ NPSOJOH IF XBT OPU UIF ĕ STU EPXO TUBJST as was his custom. His daughter, Miss Dell Ahrens, and wife got the morning meal and Miss Dell went to his room and he told her he did not feel so well. At 6:40, partially dressed,

he went down stairs and laid down on a sofa. and had been there only a brief time when his daughter found him life less. His death is, attributed to rheumatism of the heart. E.T. Ahrens was born July 7, 1844, on a farm near Mid lum, Prussia, Germany. He was the youngest of six chil ESFO )JT QBSFOUT EJFE XIFO IF XBT MFTT UIBO ĕ WF ZFBST PG age and he was raised by his aunt. He was educated in the German Schools, and in 1864 came to America, to Por tage, Columbia-co., Wisconsin near where he worked for B TIPSU UJNF PO B GBSN BOE Bę FSXBSET DMFSLFE JO B TUPSF at Portage. From there he went to Dakota. and remaining there only for a short time he went to Kansas City, where he came Paola with John Warneke in the fall of 1870 And opened’ a general merchandise “store on the west side of UIF QBSL VOEFS UIF ĕ SN OBNF PG "ISFOT 8BSOFLF ć FZ prospered from the opening of their store and soon en gaged exclusively in the dry goods and clothing business. In 1882 Mr. Ahrens purchased Mr. Warneke’s interest and for two years conducted the business alone, when he formed a stock company by taking his clerks into partnership. ..,r and Fred Schmitz for a number years have been the pro QSJFUPST BOE IBWF DPOEVDUFE POF PG UIF ĕ OFTU BOE NPTU QSPT perous dry goods and clothing houses in eastern Kansas. Mr. Ahrens was married May 20, 1873, to Josie Har tell at Independence, Mo., who with four sons and two EBVHIUFST TVSWJWF IJN ć F DIJMESFO BSF %PSB .BZ %PO J., Della A., D. H., Darwin W. and Denton H. Ahrens. Mr. Ahrens possessed a strong individuality and personal ity and was the most striking character in the community. He had a wider acquaintance than any other person in the county, knowing each member of the large number of fam ilies of his acquaintance and his advice was much sought by them. He gave his personal attention to the newspaper BEWFSUJTJOH GPS IJT ĕ SN BOE UIFSF XBT B RVBJOU IVNPS BOE pleasing style about it that made it the subject of favorable comment among the newspapers of this section of the State.

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Aherns continued on page19