CAPTAIN HAUENSTIEN PASSED AWAY TUESDAY NIGHT Former steamboat Captain, merchant and farmer was born in Germany Capt. William H. Hauenstein, Tuscumbia's oldest resident, passed peacefully away Tuesday night at 10:30 at the home of his daughter, Mrs. H. L. Wright: taking from our midst a citizen who was prominently identified with the public and business life of Tuscumbia since 1865 until incapacitated by age. Capt. Hauenstein was born in Germany May 12, 1846, a son of William H and Elizabeth Hauenstein, natives of the Rhine Country in Bavara. He was therefore 89 years of age at the time of his death. The Hauensteins came to America in 1852, landing at New York. A short time later they came to Rover Raisin country on the west end of Lake Erie, Monroe County, Michigan. The subject of this sketch received his education at Detroit and Toledo. In 1859 the family moved to Boonville, comng by boat from St. Louis, but soon came out to California, Monitteau county, where the father engaged in the Mercantile business until they came to Miller County. At the age of 18 years, while the family lived at California. he joined the Union army, was assigned to the Second Missouri Artillery, and took part in the battles of Big Blue and Mine Creek. Capt. Hauenstein always took great interest in steamboats and in 1870 his father acquired the "Alice Gray", a boat which plied the Osage between Tuscumbia and Osage City. Capt. Hauenstein conceived the idea of building a light draft boat and a barge, the boat for propelling, and the barge to carry the cargo, thus making it possible to operate on the Osage River when other boats of a heavier craft could not. The result was that in 1882 he built the steamer "Frederick" at Tuscumbia. The boat was 100 feet in length. It was later acquired by hiis brother-in-law, Capt. R. M. Marshall, who operated this boat with the str, "Hugo' a larger craft, on the Osage and Missouri for many years. Capt. Hauenstein was in the river trade for 15 years, then engaged in the mercantile business at Tuscumbia a number of years, taking an active part in business, church, and political affairs. He also acquired considerable land in this county, and became interested in pure bred live stock. When the Barnk of Tuscumbia was organized 18 1903, he was one of the shareholders, and was the Bank's first cashier. However, he soon relinquished this position to take care of his large real estate holdings. He was an elder in the Presbyterian Church here and was a Royal Arch Mason. Capt Hauenstein was married twice, his first wife being Elizabeth Goodrich, daughter of Judge and Mrs. I. M. Goodrich. In 1872, nine years after their marriage, she lost her life when she fell from a boat returning to Tuscumbia from St. Louis and drowned. There is one son, Frederick Hauenstein, of Exeter, California, who survives by this marriage. In 1884, he was married a second time to Mrs. Martha (Challes) Henley, daughter if Mr. and Mrs. Bennett Challes, and she died in 1922. By this marriage there are two surviving children, -----Mrs. H. L. (Elizabeth) Wright, with whom he made his home here for several years and at the time of his death; and William H. Hauenstein , Jr., Osage River farmer of near Tuscumbia. A daughter, Mrs E. P,(. Lela ) Clark died in 1914. He is survived by one sister, Mrs. R. M. (Emma) Marshall of Tuscumbia. Arrangements have been made to hold funeral services at the Presbyterian Church at 2:00 p.m. Thursday, services to be conducted by Rev. C. Smutz, the pastor <BR><BR><BR>**************************************<BR> AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at http://www.aol.com.