John Summer Sr.
Marriages
Philippina Specht - 1871
Burial Details
Obituaries
Steamboat Pilot - February 21, 1936
JOHN SUMMER, SR.
John SUMMER, Sr., patriarch of the Sidney valley, passed away soon after midnight Sunday, February 16, at the age of 92 years. He had been ill for about two weeks with throat trouble. While he was ill he retained his usual cheerfulness and calmness, talking to his children and friends in the happy vein that has characterized him for many years. He had arisen from his bed and turned on the electric light just a few minutes before the end came. His daughter, Mrs. Algia BOWEN, saw the light and returned him to his bed. In a few minutes he breathed his last.
Funeral services were conducted at the Catholic church in Steamboat Springs Wednesday at 1:30 in the afternoon. Rev. Father Meyers was in charge of he services. Frank Smith and Bill Campbell were altar boys. Olin Light acted as usher. Pallbearers were W. G. NAY, O. C. BARTHOLOMEW, Thomas HEITZMAN, Gus STRIKER, Charles ECKSTINE and A. A. CURTIS. Many of the friends of John SUMMER attended the service, most of them having to use team and sleds on account of the deep snow. There were many beautiful flowers in the church vestibule.
Relatives who came from outside for the funeral were his granddaughters, Mrs. Don FUNK of Omaha, Nebraska, and Mrs. Chauncy BLANK from Hughes, Colorado. His daughter, Mrs. Guy OVERTREE, arrived from Denver before her father passed away.
In the choir were Mrs. Geraldine Muench, Mrs. L. C. Fisk, Mrs. John Williams, Mrs. Ed Beeve, Mrs. Wayne Light. Mrs. R. M. Smith was organist. A. W. Heyer was funeral director.
Father Meyers gave a comforting sermon. He said that the earthly life was only a stewardship and that earthly possessions were only given into the care of persons for a time. He urged the people present to give heed to the ten commandments to lead clean, pure and chariable lives and to be merciful and sympathetic. He referred to the many good qualities of John SUMMER, whose books were closed on earth. Kindness to one's fellowmen is the test of faith in God, he said.
Interment of John SUMMER's body was in the Steamboat Springs cemetery beside the grave of his wife. It was not possible to get to the cemetery with cars on account of the deep snow. The funeral cortege of cars went down the highway to the foot of the cemetery hill and from there teams and sleds were used to get to the cemetery. The road had been cleared the day before. The last rites for the beloved pioneer were typical of the early days, when relatives, friends and neighbors gathered to pay their last respects to the departed when roads were impassable. His body going to its final rest by means of a team and sled would perhaps have been his choice because of the many times he had gone on similiar trips for his friends who had preceded him to the land of open vision.
He is survived by nine of the 12 children born to him and his estimable wife, who passed away in 1908. The six daughters are Mrs. W. F. EICKHOFF of Spokane, Washington; Mrs. Fred K. MERRILL of Wilmar, California; Mrs. Bertha WHISTLER of Laramie, Wyoming; Mrs. Guy OVERTREE of Denver; Mrs. Alexander McDERMOTT and Mrs. Algia BOWEN of Steamboat Springs. The sons are John Jr. of Steamboat Springs, Louis of Sidney and Henry of Hayden. The three other sons were Joseph, who died in December, 1900; August, who died in January, 1901, and Adolph, who died in 1928.
There are 24 surviving grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
He was the last surviving member of a family of 15 children.
John SUMMER, Sr. was born January 8, 1844 at Weiler by Feldkirch Corarberg near Tirol, Austria. In 1870 he left his native land and arrived in New York City to meet two of his brothers who had preceded him to America. After four months in New York he and his brother Louis came to Colorado, settling in Denver and operating a business there for four years. Louis died in Denver five years ago.
John was married in Denver in 1871. He and Louis moved to Georgetown, Colorado, in 1874, where they operated a hotel for two years. Then they purchased a brewery and continued its operation for eight years. John moved with his family to Empire and engaged in mining for four years.
When his family increased to 11 children he began to think that a ranch would be the best place for them. He bought land at Sidney in 1889 and still owned the place when he passed away. The family went thru the usual hardships of pioneer ranching in Routt county, but by industry and frugality they managed to thrive. All of the children grew to be substantial men and women of the community. Henry SUMMER is a county commissioner. There was plenty of wild game in the country in the early days, providing meat for the family. It was often hard to decide whether to go into the hills for deer, or to the river for ducks and fish. Deer hides were traded for clothing. There were very few settlers in the valley when the SUMMER family arrived.
Mr. SUMMER made the trip to Hahns Peak with produce, taking one day to go up and one day to return. In his passing, the community loses one of its honored pioneers, a man who had many recollections of the early days. He had a keen sense of humor which no doubt contributed to his long and useful life. He always had a piquant remark for every occasion. Tho he had reached the age of 92 years, he kept in touch with current events, had good eye sight and a fine memory. He read the daily newspapers and was greatly interested in the Steamboat Pilot. The Rock Mountain Herald, a German paper printed in Denver, kept him well informed.
He always recalled with pride and affection the loving wife, the mother of his children and his helpmate during their years of rearing their large family. His two brothers who came to the United States had both made visits to their old home in Europe, but John SUMMER was too busy caring for his large family to get far from home.
The Sidney valley was his home. After the death of his wife he lived with his daughter, Mrs. Algia BOWEN, whose home adjoins the old SUMMER ranch. It was there that he passed away. Tho John SUMMER had reached an advanced age, he was by no means old. He had keen use of all his faculties to the last, was independent and never a burden to anyone.
Before coming to the United States Mr. SUMMER served in the Austrian army for three years. During the war with Italy, starting in 1866, he was wounded. In 1868 he received his honorable discharge. His life as a soldier, his pioneering and rearing of a large family were not years of ease and plenty. Yet he found life an interesting game at the age of 92.
