VANNUYS, John Hervey

JOHN VANNUYS DEAD

One of the Best Beloved of Iola Pioneers Comes to the End of the Long Road

At nine o’clock this morning at the Sutcliffe Sanitarium, after an illness of about a week, John H. Vannuys en­tered into rest. The news spread quick­ly about town and everywhere was received with profound sorrow. For nearly sixty years “Uncle John” Vannuys has been a citizen of Iola and while it is nearly twenty years since he retired from active business life, he had no means dropped out of the town’s memory or its affections. Until his last illness he has always been in good health and day by day has been a familiar figure on our streets. His attendance upon the services of the Presbyterian church was as regular as that of the pastor himself.

John Harvey [sic] Vannuys was born in Johnson Co., Indiana, Sept. 20, 1840. He was the son of Isaac and Elizabeth (Johnson) Vannuys, one of five children all of whom he survived except one sister, Mrs. Mary C. Over­street who is living in Indiana. His boyhood and youth were passed on the farm but he acquired a good ele­mentary education in the country schools and at Hopewell Academy. When the war came on although not yet twenty years of age he volunteered as a private in Co. F., 7th Indiana Infantry with which he served until Sept. 20, 1864, when as a result of wounds received in battle in front of Petersburg, Va., he was incapacitated for further service and was honorably discharged. Upon returning home from the army Mr. Vannuys took a business college course at Indianapolis and later obtained employment in a bank, first at Goshen, Ind., and later at Franklin.

In the spring of 1867 he came to Kansas and located upon an Allen Co. farm, where he remained for two years, engaging in developing his raw homestead and in handling cattle, in which latter business he was assoc­iated with Mr. J. W. Christian, one of the pioneers of Carlyle township. In the spring of 1869 Mr. Vannuys came to Iola and entered into a partnership with the late Wm. Davis, in the clothing business. From time to time he was employed in the bank of L. L. Northrup which then had been but recently established and in April of 1873 he became cashier of the insti­tution, the partnership with Mr. Davis having been dissolved. He held that position until about 1903 when he retired from active business life.

Mr. Vannuys was married before leaving Indiana to Anna M. Over­street, who died in Iola Nov. 20, 1871. In May, 1874, he married Emily A., daughter of the late L. L. Northrup, who died in April 1885. There were no children from either union.

Mr. Vannuys is survived by one sister, as noted above, and nephews and nieces, some of whom live in Indiana, and until they can be heard from the date of the funeral will not be set.

Later—

Since the foregoing was written word has been received from Indiana relatives as a result of which it has been decided to hold the funeral of Mr. Vannuys at the First Presbyterian church at 2 o’clock Wednesday after­noon, December 3. The services will be conducted by Dr. Mathis and the remains will be taken to Franklin, Indiana for burial.

Link to John Harvey Vannuys’ burial

Note: In Franklin Township, Johnson County, Indiana Cemetery Listings 2000 for Hopewell Cemetery, page 36, John Vannuys’ headstone, although recorded earlier, was not found.

Submitted by Lois Johnson