Established 1948 Another Pioneer Called Death of Ex-mayor Louis Lebrecht. A
Remarkable Life Closed. Impressive Funeral Services at the Vorwaerts Hall. The year which is just drawing to a
close will be memorable for its number of pioneers who have passed from the
stage of life. The death of Mr. Louis Lebrecht, which
took place Monday, terminates a career of unusual interest and pre-eminent
usefulness. The ending of a valuable life in its
prime, seems to human reason, wonderful and mysterious waste, but rarely so
much so as in this instance.
While Mr. Lebrecht came to Denison in the first
years of its existence, at the time of his death was to the best standard of mankind, in his prime. A man of fifty-four has a great deal to look forward to in life. Mr. Lebrecht went to pieces very suddenly. He was an unusually healthy man until within the past few weeks. There was a mental and physical collapse, brought on by financial worry which his friends think might have been avoided. There is no man who has ever lived in Denison whose life has been more closely interwoven with our history than Louis Lebrecht. He has always been a prominent factor in our industrial and social life. We use the expression “social,” for he has been president for the past twenty-five years of a society that has always led in social and musical events. His was an irrepressible personality which could never be kept in the background. He played a leading part in every movement in which he embarked. There was nothing conciliatory about his methods when he set out to accomplish an object. His time and thought were consumed in accomplishing whatever he undertook. That he was a leader of men no one will ever deny. Take him all in all, he was one of the most remarkable men who ever lived in Denison. As mayor of Denison he did much for the benefit of the community. Some of his measures did not meet with public approval, but no one has questioned his honesty and sincerity. He was the most active and aggressive public official that has ever been at the head of the city government. He devoted all of his time to official duties. He felt impelled to put his mind, heart, and time into multifarious undertakings, for the benefit of the city, as he thought best, from his standpoint, but not always with the approval of the public. For the past twenty-five years, he has
been the heart, soul, and inspiration of the leading social, musical, and in
some respects educational society in Denison - The Society Vorwaerts. In his
public life they knew him best. He was by general consent, their leader. Mr.
Lebrecht was a very intellectual man, and, in some respects, of the highest
ideals. He was, on almost any occasion, able to make an entertaining speech. He
was in constant demand when people desired to be entertained. He was a good,
true, and loving husband. Lebrecht had no religion. He was a Jew,
but lived outside of the faith of his fathers. He was very radical, dogmatic,
on everything touching a future life and religion of whatever sort. He was
impulsive, possessing the spirit of independence. He hated the chains which
bind a man to creeds. Mr. Lebrecht was born in Bingen on the
Rhine, in Germany. He came to this country at a very early age. He was a young
man when he cast his lot with Denison in 1872. His ancestry in Germany are [sic]
very distinguished. His father was a Rabbi. His family connections are among
the best in the Fatherland. Mr. Lebrecht was twice married. Fannie,
sister to his present wife, died a number of years ago. He has seven children
The
Last Rites It was meet that the last respects to
the memory of Louis Lebrecht should be paid in Vorwaerts Hall, for all of the
associations of his most active life were centered there. In fact it was almost
as much his home as the parental roof which sheltered his wife and family. For
twenty-five years, he has seldom absented himself. more flowers are in evidence at a
funeral. For over an hour there was a steady stream of visitors flowing to and
from There was present a very large number of
ladies, and a most affecting scene was the presence of a number of colored
people who wished to take the last view of the man who had befriended them in
life. The Twin City Band played a funeral
dirge, after which Vice President August Knecht, of the Vorwaerts, delivered a
short address in German. Attorney E. J. Smith was then called
forward and, standing at the bier, delivered one of the most eloquent and
remarkable tributes that has ever been heard in Denison. It has seldom been
surpassed by the most studied effort. It was a tribute that should be preserved
in the archives of the Vorwaerts Society. The Singing Section contributed to
the solemnity of the occasion. There was a large delegation of visiting Germans
present from Sherman and other points. There must have been 1,000 people at
intervals at the Hall. The Vorwaerts marched at the head of the
procession, then followed a line of carriages that covered several blocks. The
pall bearers were B. C. Murray, Theodore Wahls, Wm. Geiger, Alex. Margill, L.
M. Fitzgerald, and Chas. Pascal. Cedarlawn Cemetery Susan Hawkins © 2024 |