VETERANS OF THE CIVIL WAR: HENRY C. CLINGMAN
BY KAREN HANSEN
Henry Clingman died at his home in Lincoln township yesterday, of heart trouble, after a long illness. The funeral will take place from Grace church Sunday at 2:30 o’clock, p. m. and will be under the auspices of the Grand Army post, of which he was a member. All old soldiers are requested to attend. (The Walnut Bureau, Friday, May 19, 1893)
DIED. – Near Walnut, Iowa, at his home, May 18, 1893, H. C. Clingman, age 50 years 11 months and 4 days.
Deceased was born in Cedarville, Stephenson Co., Ill., and came to Iowa thirteen years ago last March.
The funeral occurred Sunday, the 21st, from the M. E. church in Walnut, at 3 p.m. The Grand Army Post took charge of the remains and buried him according to their ritual. The funeral was largely attended and the sermon was preached by J. Wirth, of Red Oak.
Mr. Clingman was a consistent member of the Evangelical Association and when his health permitted took an active part in church work. It was his delight to worship his God, in singing his praise, and in speaking of his goodness. He was respected by all. He served during the war, contracting the disease that ended his life.
He leaves a devoted wife, three sons, a niece who made her home with him from infancy, four brothers, three sisters, and many friends to mourn their loss, which is however, his eternal gain, as he left a bright evidence that he was prepared. On Sunday May 14 he called his family to his bedside, gave them goodby, said he could not live much longer, and said, “Meet me in heaven.” May the Lord comfort the bereaved. J. WIRTH. (The Walnut Bureau, Friday, May 26, 1893)
Mrs. Susan Clingaman [should be Clingman throughout her obit.], nee Peilecke, was a daughter of Andrew and Mary Peilecke, and was born in Pennsylvania on March 2nd, 1854. She came with her parents to Cedarville, Ill., in 1860, where she grew to womanhood amid the pioneer hardships of those days.
She was united in marriage to Henry Clay Clingaman on March 19, 1872, at Cedarville, Ill. To this union three sons were born. The motherly qualities of Mrs. Clingaman were outstanding. Not only did she raise her three sons to become excellent Christian citizens, but as devotedly she was a loving mother to her sister’s child whom she raised from her birth—Mina Moore, who is de[ce]ased.
Their home was first made at Cedarville, and in 1880 they came to Iowa, locating on their farm near Walnut, where Mr. Clingaman died June 17, 1893 [should be May 18], a veteran of the civil war whose health was broken while in his country’s service.
In 1904 she went with her sons to North Dakota, where they lived for 12 years. She returned to Iowa in 1915, when her sons entered the Palmer School of Chiropractic at Davenport. There all three of them graduated in 1918. Since that time she has made her home with her son, Dr. Charles Clingaman of Oelwein, Iowa.
Although Sister Clingaman had suffered a stroke several years ago, she was in reasonable health until three weeks ago, when she was taken with another stroke, from which she never regained consciousness. She quietly slipped away to be with her Savior on Friday, December 11, at 5:30 p. m., having reached the age of 82 years, 9 months and 9 days.
She is survived by her three sons: Edward B. of Iowa City, Iowa, Charles A. of Oelwein, Iowa, and Arthur H. of Cedar Falls, Iowa, and by ten grandchildren and four great grandchildren and also by a sister, Mrs. Matilda Doty of Crosby, N. D., and by a brother, William Peilecke, of Chehalis, Washington.
Funeral services were held at Grace M. E. Church at Oelwein, Iowa, Sunday, December 13, at 3:00 p. m., the Rev. F. C. Witzigman officiating. Mrs. Eikenberry and Mrs. Whitlow sang “The City Foursquare” and “The Old Rugged Cross.” Miss Eck presided at the organ. The body was taken to Walnut Sunday night. The interment was made in the family lot beside her husband in Walnut on Monday, December 14. (The Walnut Bureau, December 24, 1936)
Barb Butcher and I found that Henry Clingman served as a Private in both Co. E. 146th Regiment Illinois Infantry and Co. B. 71st Regiment Illinois Infantry. He applied for an invalid pension on June 23, 1869; Susan applied for a widow’s pension on June 17, 1893. There was also a record that he received a military headstone for the Walnut Cemetery.
I found the Clingmans in many census records. In 1850, Henry Clay, 8, was in Buckeye Township, Stephenson County, Illinois with this family: John B., 48; Sarah P., 38; Caroline A., 21; Ann E., 18; Mary V., 16; George R., 13; John J., 9; Lewis P., 6; and Francis W., age 0.
Henry’s obituary said that he came to Iowa in March of 1880. In the census of that year, Henry C., 38; Susan, 26; Edward B., 5; Charles A., 4; and Mina F. Moore, 2 were in Lincoln Township, Pottawattamie County, Iowa. Henry was a farmer. In 1885, they were in SE1/4 NE1/4 Section 9, Lincoln Township. Henry was 42; Susan, 31; Edward B., 10; Charles A., 9; Arthur H., 1; and Mina F., 7. Our 1885, 1900 and 1902 Lincoln Township maps show H. C. Clingman owned the northeast quarter of Section 9; the residence was in the southeast quarter of this northeast quarter. That is now the residence of Rich and Janelle Kuhr, 26582 510th Street.
After Henry’s death, the 1895 Lincoln Township Census has Susan Clingman, 40; Edward, 20; Charles, 18; Arthur, 10; Mina Moore, 16 and Susan’s parents, Andrew Pileicke, 74 and Mary Pilecke, 70. [Their name was spelled 2 ways here.]
The 1900 Census shows Susan, 41, as head of the house in Lincoln Township. With her are her parents, Andrew Peilicke, 80 and S. Mary Peilicke, 76; A. Charles Clingman, 24, and H. Arthur Clingman, 16, and F. Minie [Mina] Moore, 22. In July, 1906 they sold their 160 Acres to Emil Reimer for $87.50 per acre.
Henry and Susan Clingman have memorials on findagrave.com, as well as all 3 of their sons. Dr. Edward Bright Clingman married Dr. Nora B. Van Dyke; they are buried at Iowa City, Iowa. Dr. Charles Andrew Clingman married Helen Viola Long; they are buried at Oelwein, Iowa. Arthur H. Clingman married Cora M. Briden, daughter of Wm. M. Briden and Ella Peck. Arthur is buried at Whittier, California.
KH