He and Bertha were also the parents of Jonathan and Edwin Garst.
*************
Coon Rapids Enterprise
September 14, 1923
Edward Garst died Saturday night. He had suffered two or more strokes of paralysis during the past year, and a month or so before his passing he sustained the last one, which effected his left side, arm and leg, though with a little help to steady him he could walk about the house and rest, as was his want for several years, on his large porch. But two weeks or so before passing away he was confined to his bed, and steadily grew weaker until his spirit took its flight, passing in his 81st year.
The deceased came to Coon Rapids in 1869 and entered into partnership in general merchandising business with Crocket Ribble. Soon this was dissolved, the groceries being divided by the pound, and dry goods by cutting the bolts in halves. After the dissolution Mr. Garst placed his stock of $2,000 or so in a small room, made of wide boards, stood on end, being at the time the manner of constructing most buildings, both business houses and dwellings. He was made postmaster in 1871, the mail being kept in a cracker box to which everybody helped himself. By this time the Garst Store was the main trading point in town of possibly one hundred population. Mr. Garst employed no clerks for a considerable time and many amusing stories are told of how he kept store -many customers acting as both purchasers and salesmen to themselves and at times to others. But of course the storekeeper saw to it that no articles left the store without being charged or paid for. It was a community spirit store carried to the extreme of mutual accommodation. Mr. Garst had a remarkable memory for names and things in detail, even being able, it is said, by old settlers to tell every debtor the amount to a cent at any time of his indebtedness without referring to the ledger. This was not a difficult matter in a sparsely settled community, but long after this, when, the business become large, Mr. Garst's memory of the amount of patron's accounts and various credits made from time to time was a matter of general comment. He was a man of quick decision and initiative and of more than usual courage when occasion demanded.
With the Masonic order he built a two story building in Old Town, before the Milwaukee passed through, the Masons occupying the upper half which was used for a lodge room, and Mr. Garst the lower room for merchandise. When the new town started along the railway, Mr. Garst naturally wanted to move the building to the new Coon Rapids to which his Masonic partners objected. Mr. Garst could not by persuasion bring them around to his way of thinking, and so owning one half the building he had it sawed into in the middle, moving his half—as he claimed, being the front half, to the new town, leaving the Masons with the rear half, without a front or stairway. It was something like unto the case of Solomon, threatening to halve the child in order to decide as to its real mother, only Solomon did not divide his object of contention of the two claimants while Mr. Garst did. Probably not one man in ten or a hundred thousand would have thought of settling such a dispute in such a way, or would have had nerve enough to have carried out the thought, had he conceived it, but Mr. Garst did, and without the loss of any time. The Masons finally moved their part of the building to the new town, which was later used as a lodge room above and the lower half by C. E. Morris for a store room and later as a postoffice room under President Harrison's administration. The deceased fitted himself, when a young man for the law, graduating from Ann Arbor, but after completing his course he appears to have lost interest in law as a profession, and entered the field of merchandising. Later his brother, Warren Garst, at the time a brakeman on the Northwestern, joined Edward Garst in the mercantile business as a partner—1874, and with added capital and energy the business materially increased in volume. It formed the basis of what finally grew into comfortable fortunes for both men, and was the stepping stone, also, to Hon. Warren Garst's entrance into political life as senator, lieutenant governor and governor. Also the entrance of both brothers into the banking business, now the Iowa Savings Bank, with others as partners, and whose prestige as business men lent much to the popularity and success of the new bank. Edward Garst was of a nature quite individualistic. He was different from most men. Long ago he was said by everybody to be long headed in business matters and unusually successful his investments always proving profitable, and as in mining stock in N. M and real estate in Okla, notably so as a matter of good fortune, the town lots, which he bought in Sapulpa when the town was laid out, becoming soon almost fabulous in value and on which he built business houses which drew handsome rentals and some of his Oklahoma land proving later on to be profitable in oil production. He also invested much in Iowa land which gradually grew in value, but he set himself against the land speculative fever during the war period, and refused to either buy land or to sell any of his holdings. His nature ran smooth and even. He was the same in placidity, yesterday, today and tomorrow, impossible to ruffle him or turn him from his course. If he was ever angry at anybody, nobody ever knew it. He avoided gossip and also contention. He never argued to the point of excited words and seldom argued at all. If you did not agree with him he merely laughed about it and forgot it. In this he was a philosopher. His aversion for argument or contention probably accounts for his lack of interest in law or in any sort of public life or prominence. So far as the writer can recall, Mr. Garst never held town office nor even so much as delegateship to even a county political convention. He was content to live quiet, unpretentious, uneventful life, However, he read much and always took sufficient interest in local, state and national affairs to attend the polls and record his convictions with his ballot In his large dealings with the public for near half a century, though he had abundant opportunity to take advantage of many of his neighbors in a financial way, for many were in debt to him, there is no case in which he did so. He enjoyed getting ahead but he drew the line at taking advantage of, or distressing anyone. His debtors were always given their own time for settlement. In his business deals he was thoroughly honest and his word was regarded as good as his bond. He had the ability to fill a large niche in life, which can be said of most men perhaps, but he chose to be re tiring in nature and thus avoid the sharp and ofttimes unpleasant contests and animosities which come with strife and contention and large ammunition. He lived his life as befitted his nature, and in a large sense left the impression as a commanding figure in the community. The business houses closed during the funeral hour out of respect to his memory and the funeral was largely attended at the M. E church, Rev. C. W. Koehler conducting the ceremonies.
Edward Garst was born at Dayton, Ohio, August 19, 1843, and died September 8, 1923. His father was a physician and his mother of unusual business capability, as well as a good mother and homemaker. A short account of his life, written by himself for a booklet prepared by the University of Michigan, of the Class of 1866, he says: "When I left Ann Arbor I stopped for several weeks in Chicago and went from there to Boone, Iowa, where my folks had moved from Champaign, Illinois. Father had bought a farm, joining the town, and we went into fancy farming, going in pretty heavy in small fruit at first and afterward put out a vineyard of 4,000 vines. We went in on fancy pigs, fancy chickens and the fancy order generally, but the pay was the fanciest thing about it— it has kept us one year behind for the past five years. In 1868 father traded for a stock of goods and I launched out into business. I am down here—Coon Rapids, fifty miles southwest of Boone, running a general store, but still have a "hankering" after the fruit business and fancy pigs."
Mr. Garst was twice married. First to Miss Annetta Burton of Rockford, Illinois, who died a year or so afterward. A year or two later he was united to Miss Bertha Goodwin of Rockford, Illinois, a classmate of his sister, Mary, of the Northwestern University, Evanston. Four children were born to them, all living—Goodwin, Jonathan and Roswell Garst, and Dorothy, the latter now Mrs. I. G. Chrystal, Checotah, Oklahoma. His wife passed away last October. He was a civil war veteran but permitted to serve three months on account of being stricken with malarial fever. Thus ends the life of the community's oldest settler and most successful and prominent business men. Father Time of late has made heavy inroads upon the community's pioneers and those who helped materially to advance the locality from a mere hamlet of a trading point and sparsely settled neighborhood, with no schools or churches or other advantages, which are now afforded by a well ordered community and by which life is made to seem worth living. The deceased made his will several years ago, dividing his estate equally between the four children. Hon. Warren Garst was made administrator. Considerable inheritance tax will go to the state. How much is not yet known since the estate has not been invoiced.
Contributor: Cammy Brandt (49347870)
*************
Coon Rapids Enterprise
September 14, 1923
Edward Garst died Saturday night. He had suffered two or more strokes of paralysis during the past year, and a month or so before his passing he sustained the last one, which effected his left side, arm and leg, though with a little help to steady him he could walk about the house and rest, as was his want for several years, on his large porch. But two weeks or so before passing away he was confined to his bed, and steadily grew weaker until his spirit took its flight, passing in his 81st year.
The deceased came to Coon Rapids in 1869 and entered into partnership in general merchandising business with Crocket Ribble. Soon this was dissolved, the groceries being divided by the pound, and dry goods by cutting the bolts in halves. After the dissolution Mr. Garst placed his stock of $2,000 or so in a small room, made of wide boards, stood on end, being at the time the manner of constructing most buildings, both business houses and dwellings. He was made postmaster in 1871, the mail being kept in a cracker box to which everybody helped himself. By this time the Garst Store was the main trading point in town of possibly one hundred population. Mr. Garst employed no clerks for a considerable time and many amusing stories are told of how he kept store -many customers acting as both purchasers and salesmen to themselves and at times to others. But of course the storekeeper saw to it that no articles left the store without being charged or paid for. It was a community spirit store carried to the extreme of mutual accommodation. Mr. Garst had a remarkable memory for names and things in detail, even being able, it is said, by old settlers to tell every debtor the amount to a cent at any time of his indebtedness without referring to the ledger. This was not a difficult matter in a sparsely settled community, but long after this, when, the business become large, Mr. Garst's memory of the amount of patron's accounts and various credits made from time to time was a matter of general comment. He was a man of quick decision and initiative and of more than usual courage when occasion demanded.
With the Masonic order he built a two story building in Old Town, before the Milwaukee passed through, the Masons occupying the upper half which was used for a lodge room, and Mr. Garst the lower room for merchandise. When the new town started along the railway, Mr. Garst naturally wanted to move the building to the new Coon Rapids to which his Masonic partners objected. Mr. Garst could not by persuasion bring them around to his way of thinking, and so owning one half the building he had it sawed into in the middle, moving his half—as he claimed, being the front half, to the new town, leaving the Masons with the rear half, without a front or stairway. It was something like unto the case of Solomon, threatening to halve the child in order to decide as to its real mother, only Solomon did not divide his object of contention of the two claimants while Mr. Garst did. Probably not one man in ten or a hundred thousand would have thought of settling such a dispute in such a way, or would have had nerve enough to have carried out the thought, had he conceived it, but Mr. Garst did, and without the loss of any time. The Masons finally moved their part of the building to the new town, which was later used as a lodge room above and the lower half by C. E. Morris for a store room and later as a postoffice room under President Harrison's administration. The deceased fitted himself, when a young man for the law, graduating from Ann Arbor, but after completing his course he appears to have lost interest in law as a profession, and entered the field of merchandising. Later his brother, Warren Garst, at the time a brakeman on the Northwestern, joined Edward Garst in the mercantile business as a partner—1874, and with added capital and energy the business materially increased in volume. It formed the basis of what finally grew into comfortable fortunes for both men, and was the stepping stone, also, to Hon. Warren Garst's entrance into political life as senator, lieutenant governor and governor. Also the entrance of both brothers into the banking business, now the Iowa Savings Bank, with others as partners, and whose prestige as business men lent much to the popularity and success of the new bank. Edward Garst was of a nature quite individualistic. He was different from most men. Long ago he was said by everybody to be long headed in business matters and unusually successful his investments always proving profitable, and as in mining stock in N. M and real estate in Okla, notably so as a matter of good fortune, the town lots, which he bought in Sapulpa when the town was laid out, becoming soon almost fabulous in value and on which he built business houses which drew handsome rentals and some of his Oklahoma land proving later on to be profitable in oil production. He also invested much in Iowa land which gradually grew in value, but he set himself against the land speculative fever during the war period, and refused to either buy land or to sell any of his holdings. His nature ran smooth and even. He was the same in placidity, yesterday, today and tomorrow, impossible to ruffle him or turn him from his course. If he was ever angry at anybody, nobody ever knew it. He avoided gossip and also contention. He never argued to the point of excited words and seldom argued at all. If you did not agree with him he merely laughed about it and forgot it. In this he was a philosopher. His aversion for argument or contention probably accounts for his lack of interest in law or in any sort of public life or prominence. So far as the writer can recall, Mr. Garst never held town office nor even so much as delegateship to even a county political convention. He was content to live quiet, unpretentious, uneventful life, However, he read much and always took sufficient interest in local, state and national affairs to attend the polls and record his convictions with his ballot In his large dealings with the public for near half a century, though he had abundant opportunity to take advantage of many of his neighbors in a financial way, for many were in debt to him, there is no case in which he did so. He enjoyed getting ahead but he drew the line at taking advantage of, or distressing anyone. His debtors were always given their own time for settlement. In his business deals he was thoroughly honest and his word was regarded as good as his bond. He had the ability to fill a large niche in life, which can be said of most men perhaps, but he chose to be re tiring in nature and thus avoid the sharp and ofttimes unpleasant contests and animosities which come with strife and contention and large ammunition. He lived his life as befitted his nature, and in a large sense left the impression as a commanding figure in the community. The business houses closed during the funeral hour out of respect to his memory and the funeral was largely attended at the M. E church, Rev. C. W. Koehler conducting the ceremonies.
Edward Garst was born at Dayton, Ohio, August 19, 1843, and died September 8, 1923. His father was a physician and his mother of unusual business capability, as well as a good mother and homemaker. A short account of his life, written by himself for a booklet prepared by the University of Michigan, of the Class of 1866, he says: "When I left Ann Arbor I stopped for several weeks in Chicago and went from there to Boone, Iowa, where my folks had moved from Champaign, Illinois. Father had bought a farm, joining the town, and we went into fancy farming, going in pretty heavy in small fruit at first and afterward put out a vineyard of 4,000 vines. We went in on fancy pigs, fancy chickens and the fancy order generally, but the pay was the fanciest thing about it— it has kept us one year behind for the past five years. In 1868 father traded for a stock of goods and I launched out into business. I am down here—Coon Rapids, fifty miles southwest of Boone, running a general store, but still have a "hankering" after the fruit business and fancy pigs."
Mr. Garst was twice married. First to Miss Annetta Burton of Rockford, Illinois, who died a year or so afterward. A year or two later he was united to Miss Bertha Goodwin of Rockford, Illinois, a classmate of his sister, Mary, of the Northwestern University, Evanston. Four children were born to them, all living—Goodwin, Jonathan and Roswell Garst, and Dorothy, the latter now Mrs. I. G. Chrystal, Checotah, Oklahoma. His wife passed away last October. He was a civil war veteran but permitted to serve three months on account of being stricken with malarial fever. Thus ends the life of the community's oldest settler and most successful and prominent business men. Father Time of late has made heavy inroads upon the community's pioneers and those who helped materially to advance the locality from a mere hamlet of a trading point and sparsely settled neighborhood, with no schools or churches or other advantages, which are now afforded by a well ordered community and by which life is made to seem worth living. The deceased made his will several years ago, dividing his estate equally between the four children. Hon. Warren Garst was made administrator. Considerable inheritance tax will go to the state. How much is not yet known since the estate has not been invoiced.
Contributor: Cammy Brandt (49347870)
He and Bertha were also the parents of Jonathan and Edwin Garst.
*************
Coon Rapids Enterprise
September 14, 1923
Edward Garst died Saturday night. He had suffered two or more strokes of paralysis during the past year, and a month or so before his passing he sustained the last one, which effected his left side, arm and leg, though with a little help to steady him he could walk about the house and rest, as was his want for several years, on his large porch. But two weeks or so before passing away he was confined to his bed, and steadily grew weaker until his spirit took its flight, passing in his 81st year.
The deceased came to Coon Rapids in 1869 and entered into partnership in general merchandising business with Crocket Ribble. Soon this was dissolved, the groceries being divided by the pound, and dry goods by cutting the bolts in halves. After the dissolution Mr. Garst placed his stock of $2,000 or so in a small room, made of wide boards, stood on end, being at the time the manner of constructing most buildings, both business houses and dwellings. He was made postmaster in 1871, the mail being kept in a cracker box to which everybody helped himself. By this time the Garst Store was the main trading point in town of possibly one hundred population. Mr. Garst employed no clerks for a considerable time and many amusing stories are told of how he kept store -many customers acting as both purchasers and salesmen to themselves and at times to others. But of course the storekeeper saw to it that no articles left the store without being charged or paid for. It was a community spirit store carried to the extreme of mutual accommodation. Mr. Garst had a remarkable memory for names and things in detail, even being able, it is said, by old settlers to tell every debtor the amount to a cent at any time of his indebtedness without referring to the ledger. This was not a difficult matter in a sparsely settled community, but long after this, when, the business become large, Mr. Garst's memory of the amount of patron's accounts and various credits made from time to time was a matter of general comment. He was a man of quick decision and initiative and of more than usual courage when occasion demanded.
With the Masonic order he built a two story building in Old Town, before the Milwaukee passed through, the Masons occupying the upper half which was used for a lodge room, and Mr. Garst the lower room for merchandise. When the new town started along the railway, Mr. Garst naturally wanted to move the building to the new Coon Rapids to which his Masonic partners objected. Mr. Garst could not by persuasion bring them around to his way of thinking, and so owning one half the building he had it sawed into in the middle, moving his half—as he claimed, being the front half, to the new town, leaving the Masons with the rear half, without a front or stairway. It was something like unto the case of Solomon, threatening to halve the child in order to decide as to its real mother, only Solomon did not divide his object of contention of the two claimants while Mr. Garst did. Probably not one man in ten or a hundred thousand would have thought of settling such a dispute in such a way, or would have had nerve enough to have carried out the thought, had he conceived it, but Mr. Garst did, and without the loss of any time. The Masons finally moved their part of the building to the new town, which was later used as a lodge room above and the lower half by C. E. Morris for a store room and later as a postoffice room under President Harrison's administration. The deceased fitted himself, when a young man for the law, graduating from Ann Arbor, but after completing his course he appears to have lost interest in law as a profession, and entered the field of merchandising. Later his brother, Warren Garst, at the time a brakeman on the Northwestern, joined Edward Garst in the mercantile business as a partner—1874, and with added capital and energy the business materially increased in volume. It formed the basis of what finally grew into comfortable fortunes for both men, and was the stepping stone, also, to Hon. Warren Garst's entrance into political life as senator, lieutenant governor and governor. Also the entrance of both brothers into the banking business, now the Iowa Savings Bank, with others as partners, and whose prestige as business men lent much to the popularity and success of the new bank. Edward Garst was of a nature quite individualistic. He was different from most men. Long ago he was said by everybody to be long headed in business matters and unusually successful his investments always proving profitable, and as in mining stock in N. M and real estate in Okla, notably so as a matter of good fortune, the town lots, which he bought in Sapulpa when the town was laid out, becoming soon almost fabulous in value and on which he built business houses which drew handsome rentals and some of his Oklahoma land proving later on to be profitable in oil production. He also invested much in Iowa land which gradually grew in value, but he set himself against the land speculative fever during the war period, and refused to either buy land or to sell any of his holdings. His nature ran smooth and even. He was the same in placidity, yesterday, today and tomorrow, impossible to ruffle him or turn him from his course. If he was ever angry at anybody, nobody ever knew it. He avoided gossip and also contention. He never argued to the point of excited words and seldom argued at all. If you did not agree with him he merely laughed about it and forgot it. In this he was a philosopher. His aversion for argument or contention probably accounts for his lack of interest in law or in any sort of public life or prominence. So far as the writer can recall, Mr. Garst never held town office nor even so much as delegateship to even a county political convention. He was content to live quiet, unpretentious, uneventful life, However, he read much and always took sufficient interest in local, state and national affairs to attend the polls and record his convictions with his ballot In his large dealings with the public for near half a century, though he had abundant opportunity to take advantage of many of his neighbors in a financial way, for many were in debt to him, there is no case in which he did so. He enjoyed getting ahead but he drew the line at taking advantage of, or distressing anyone. His debtors were always given their own time for settlement. In his business deals he was thoroughly honest and his word was regarded as good as his bond. He had the ability to fill a large niche in life, which can be said of most men perhaps, but he chose to be re tiring in nature and thus avoid the sharp and ofttimes unpleasant contests and animosities which come with strife and contention and large ammunition. He lived his life as befitted his nature, and in a large sense left the impression as a commanding figure in the community. The business houses closed during the funeral hour out of respect to his memory and the funeral was largely attended at the M. E church, Rev. C. W. Koehler conducting the ceremonies.
Edward Garst was born at Dayton, Ohio, August 19, 1843, and died September 8, 1923. His father was a physician and his mother of unusual business capability, as well as a good mother and homemaker. A short account of his life, written by himself for a booklet prepared by the University of Michigan, of the Class of 1866, he says: "When I left Ann Arbor I stopped for several weeks in Chicago and went from there to Boone, Iowa, where my folks had moved from Champaign, Illinois. Father had bought a farm, joining the town, and we went into fancy farming, going in pretty heavy in small fruit at first and afterward put out a vineyard of 4,000 vines. We went in on fancy pigs, fancy chickens and the fancy order generally, but the pay was the fanciest thing about it— it has kept us one year behind for the past five years. In 1868 father traded for a stock of goods and I launched out into business. I am down here—Coon Rapids, fifty miles southwest of Boone, running a general store, but still have a "hankering" after the fruit business and fancy pigs."
Mr. Garst was twice married. First to Miss Annetta Burton of Rockford, Illinois, who died a year or so afterward. A year or two later he was united to Miss Bertha Goodwin of Rockford, Illinois, a classmate of his sister, Mary, of the Northwestern University, Evanston. Four children were born to them, all living—Goodwin, Jonathan and Roswell Garst, and Dorothy, the latter now Mrs. I. G. Chrystal, Checotah, Oklahoma. His wife passed away last October. He was a civil war veteran but permitted to serve three months on account of being stricken with malarial fever. Thus ends the life of the community's oldest settler and most successful and prominent business men. Father Time of late has made heavy inroads upon the community's pioneers and those who helped materially to advance the locality from a mere hamlet of a trading point and sparsely settled neighborhood, with no schools or churches or other advantages, which are now afforded by a well ordered community and by which life is made to seem worth living. The deceased made his will several years ago, dividing his estate equally between the four children. Hon. Warren Garst was made administrator. Considerable inheritance tax will go to the state. How much is not yet known since the estate has not been invoiced.
Contributor: Cammy Brandt (49347870)
*************
Coon Rapids Enterprise
September 14, 1923
Edward Garst died Saturday night. He had suffered two or more strokes of paralysis during the past year, and a month or so before his passing he sustained the last one, which effected his left side, arm and leg, though with a little help to steady him he could walk about the house and rest, as was his want for several years, on his large porch. But two weeks or so before passing away he was confined to his bed, and steadily grew weaker until his spirit took its flight, passing in his 81st year.
The deceased came to Coon Rapids in 1869 and entered into partnership in general merchandising business with Crocket Ribble. Soon this was dissolved, the groceries being divided by the pound, and dry goods by cutting the bolts in halves. After the dissolution Mr. Garst placed his stock of $2,000 or so in a small room, made of wide boards, stood on end, being at the time the manner of constructing most buildings, both business houses and dwellings. He was made postmaster in 1871, the mail being kept in a cracker box to which everybody helped himself. By this time the Garst Store was the main trading point in town of possibly one hundred population. Mr. Garst employed no clerks for a considerable time and many amusing stories are told of how he kept store -many customers acting as both purchasers and salesmen to themselves and at times to others. But of course the storekeeper saw to it that no articles left the store without being charged or paid for. It was a community spirit store carried to the extreme of mutual accommodation. Mr. Garst had a remarkable memory for names and things in detail, even being able, it is said, by old settlers to tell every debtor the amount to a cent at any time of his indebtedness without referring to the ledger. This was not a difficult matter in a sparsely settled community, but long after this, when, the business become large, Mr. Garst's memory of the amount of patron's accounts and various credits made from time to time was a matter of general comment. He was a man of quick decision and initiative and of more than usual courage when occasion demanded.
With the Masonic order he built a two story building in Old Town, before the Milwaukee passed through, the Masons occupying the upper half which was used for a lodge room, and Mr. Garst the lower room for merchandise. When the new town started along the railway, Mr. Garst naturally wanted to move the building to the new Coon Rapids to which his Masonic partners objected. Mr. Garst could not by persuasion bring them around to his way of thinking, and so owning one half the building he had it sawed into in the middle, moving his half—as he claimed, being the front half, to the new town, leaving the Masons with the rear half, without a front or stairway. It was something like unto the case of Solomon, threatening to halve the child in order to decide as to its real mother, only Solomon did not divide his object of contention of the two claimants while Mr. Garst did. Probably not one man in ten or a hundred thousand would have thought of settling such a dispute in such a way, or would have had nerve enough to have carried out the thought, had he conceived it, but Mr. Garst did, and without the loss of any time. The Masons finally moved their part of the building to the new town, which was later used as a lodge room above and the lower half by C. E. Morris for a store room and later as a postoffice room under President Harrison's administration. The deceased fitted himself, when a young man for the law, graduating from Ann Arbor, but after completing his course he appears to have lost interest in law as a profession, and entered the field of merchandising. Later his brother, Warren Garst, at the time a brakeman on the Northwestern, joined Edward Garst in the mercantile business as a partner—1874, and with added capital and energy the business materially increased in volume. It formed the basis of what finally grew into comfortable fortunes for both men, and was the stepping stone, also, to Hon. Warren Garst's entrance into political life as senator, lieutenant governor and governor. Also the entrance of both brothers into the banking business, now the Iowa Savings Bank, with others as partners, and whose prestige as business men lent much to the popularity and success of the new bank. Edward Garst was of a nature quite individualistic. He was different from most men. Long ago he was said by everybody to be long headed in business matters and unusually successful his investments always proving profitable, and as in mining stock in N. M and real estate in Okla, notably so as a matter of good fortune, the town lots, which he bought in Sapulpa when the town was laid out, becoming soon almost fabulous in value and on which he built business houses which drew handsome rentals and some of his Oklahoma land proving later on to be profitable in oil production. He also invested much in Iowa land which gradually grew in value, but he set himself against the land speculative fever during the war period, and refused to either buy land or to sell any of his holdings. His nature ran smooth and even. He was the same in placidity, yesterday, today and tomorrow, impossible to ruffle him or turn him from his course. If he was ever angry at anybody, nobody ever knew it. He avoided gossip and also contention. He never argued to the point of excited words and seldom argued at all. If you did not agree with him he merely laughed about it and forgot it. In this he was a philosopher. His aversion for argument or contention probably accounts for his lack of interest in law or in any sort of public life or prominence. So far as the writer can recall, Mr. Garst never held town office nor even so much as delegateship to even a county political convention. He was content to live quiet, unpretentious, uneventful life, However, he read much and always took sufficient interest in local, state and national affairs to attend the polls and record his convictions with his ballot In his large dealings with the public for near half a century, though he had abundant opportunity to take advantage of many of his neighbors in a financial way, for many were in debt to him, there is no case in which he did so. He enjoyed getting ahead but he drew the line at taking advantage of, or distressing anyone. His debtors were always given their own time for settlement. In his business deals he was thoroughly honest and his word was regarded as good as his bond. He had the ability to fill a large niche in life, which can be said of most men perhaps, but he chose to be re tiring in nature and thus avoid the sharp and ofttimes unpleasant contests and animosities which come with strife and contention and large ammunition. He lived his life as befitted his nature, and in a large sense left the impression as a commanding figure in the community. The business houses closed during the funeral hour out of respect to his memory and the funeral was largely attended at the M. E church, Rev. C. W. Koehler conducting the ceremonies.
Edward Garst was born at Dayton, Ohio, August 19, 1843, and died September 8, 1923. His father was a physician and his mother of unusual business capability, as well as a good mother and homemaker. A short account of his life, written by himself for a booklet prepared by the University of Michigan, of the Class of 1866, he says: "When I left Ann Arbor I stopped for several weeks in Chicago and went from there to Boone, Iowa, where my folks had moved from Champaign, Illinois. Father had bought a farm, joining the town, and we went into fancy farming, going in pretty heavy in small fruit at first and afterward put out a vineyard of 4,000 vines. We went in on fancy pigs, fancy chickens and the fancy order generally, but the pay was the fanciest thing about it— it has kept us one year behind for the past five years. In 1868 father traded for a stock of goods and I launched out into business. I am down here—Coon Rapids, fifty miles southwest of Boone, running a general store, but still have a "hankering" after the fruit business and fancy pigs."
Mr. Garst was twice married. First to Miss Annetta Burton of Rockford, Illinois, who died a year or so afterward. A year or two later he was united to Miss Bertha Goodwin of Rockford, Illinois, a classmate of his sister, Mary, of the Northwestern University, Evanston. Four children were born to them, all living—Goodwin, Jonathan and Roswell Garst, and Dorothy, the latter now Mrs. I. G. Chrystal, Checotah, Oklahoma. His wife passed away last October. He was a civil war veteran but permitted to serve three months on account of being stricken with malarial fever. Thus ends the life of the community's oldest settler and most successful and prominent business men. Father Time of late has made heavy inroads upon the community's pioneers and those who helped materially to advance the locality from a mere hamlet of a trading point and sparsely settled neighborhood, with no schools or churches or other advantages, which are now afforded by a well ordered community and by which life is made to seem worth living. The deceased made his will several years ago, dividing his estate equally between the four children. Hon. Warren Garst was made administrator. Considerable inheritance tax will go to the state. How much is not yet known since the estate has not been invoiced.
Contributor: Cammy Brandt (49347870)
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