~ Biographical Sketch ~

     Harriet Elizabeth Minger was born on Monday, December 26, 1870 in the family farm home in Colesburg, Delaware County, Iowa, daughter of Rudolph Minger and Elisabeth Ann Walker.¹ Harriet Elizabeth Minger was also known as Hattie.¹

At age 19, Harriet married William Kords on Sunday, December 21, 1890 at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, in Guttenberg, Clayton County, Iowa. William was 26 years old. They were married by the Justice of the Peace, G. H. Smart. The witnesses were Herman Anderegg; Gustav Beutel.¹

Harriet Elizabeth Minger and William had three children; only one lived, Willis Kords. Hattie died age 39 in childbirth. (Willis is grandfather of Clara Frommelt).¹


Harriet died on Friday, June 10, 1910 in Clayton County, Iowa. She was 39 years old.¹ She was laid to rest on Monday, June 13, 1910 in the Guttenberg City Cemetery in Guttenberg, Clayton County, Iowa.¹

Harriet Elizabeth's obituary in the Guttenberg Press, Guttenberg, Clayton County, Iowa, Pg 1, Col. 3, on June 16, 1910, reads--

Mrs. W. L. Kords goes to Her Reward
Passes Awaty At Her Home At Clayton Last Friday, June 10th

On Friday last the sad news was spread over the community that the angel of death had visited the home of Wm L. Kords at Clayton and taken from its midst the beloved wife and mother, Mrs. Hattie Kords. Announcement of the lady's death came as a blow to her many Guttenberg friends, few of whom where aware of her illness and all at first were loath to place credence in the report until, against their hopes, it was fully verified. Her illness was of less than a week's duration, having been taken ill on Sunday, the 12th inst., death came about noon the following Friday.

Mrs. Wm. L. Kords, Nee Hattie Minger, was born near Colesburg, Iowa, on the 26th day of December, 1870, and at her death was aged 39 years, 5 months and 14 days. She was the youngest daughter of Rudolph and Ann Minger and with her parents came to Guttenberg in 1872. She grew to womanhood in this city and on December 2, 1890, was united in marriage to Wm. L. Kords. They resided in Guttenberg until about three years ago when they moved to Clayton where they engaged in the general merchandise business.

To mourn her demise are her husband and son Willis of Clayton and her mother, Mrs. Ann Minger, and one sister, Mrs. Gus Beutel, of Guttenberg. She was preceded in death by her father and three children, the latter dying in infancy.

After services at the family home at Clayton Saturday the body was brought to Guttenberg on the afternoon train and taken to the home of her mother, from where the funeral was held Monday afternoon, June 13. Deceased was a member of both the Royal Neighbor and Yoemen orders. The funeral was conducted under auspices of the former, while the latter attended in a body. Rev. J. C. Warton delivered a brief, but touching sermon at the residence and in which he paid many glowing tributes to the deceased. The floral tributes were beautiful and numerous and the throng that gathered around her bier to show their love and pay their last respects to the departed tend to show in what high esteem she was held. The funeral cortege that wended its way to the City cemetery, in which interment was made, was unusually large.

The pallbearers were Wiley E. Friedlein, F. J. Friedlein, Geo. F. Kluth, Robt. Scholz, W. C. Nehls and John Purnhage.

Those from abroad in attendance at the funeral were; Art Burdick, Postville; Mrs. Lizzie Cords, Mrs. Bertha Cords, Miss Pauline Cords and Joe Cords, Elkader; Mr. and Mrs. Henry Minger, Miss Marjorie Dent, Mrs. J. W. Brown, John Minger, Turkey River; Chas. Kords, Mediapolis, IA; Mr. Parker, Clem Cole, Frank Sheridan, Dubuque; Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Scholz, Alta Vista, Iowa, and Mrs. Fred Schmidt, Dubuque.

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