CEDAR COUNTY, NEBRASKA - OBITUARY OF WILLIAM FEINER ==================================================================== NEGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. This file was contributed for use in the NEGenWeb Archives by Permission granted by: Rob Dump, Editor, Cedar County News ====================================================================== CEDAR COUNTY NEWS FEB. 23, 1939 PIONEER RESIDENT SUCCUMBS THURSDAY WILLIAM FEINER OF ST. HELENA DIES FOLLOWING A HEART ATTACK. St. Helena - Funeral services for William Feiner, 78, St. Helena Pioneer resident were held Monday morning at 10:00 o'clock at Immaculate Conception church with Rev. J.D. Mines officiating. Mr. Feiner had been in ill health for several years but his condition was not considered serious. Wednesday evening he suffered a heart attack and passed away early Thursday morning. William Feiner, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Feiner, was born in 1961 in St. Louis, and in the early sixties moved to St. Helena. He married Anna Becker, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Becker, pioneers of Cedar County. To this union four children were born. Surviving are his wife, three daughters, Mrs. Leslie Randall, Portland, Ore., Mrs. Ben Kleinhaus, Akron, IA., Mrs. Matt Goeden, St. Helena, and one son, Frank, who is at home, there are also eight nephews and two nieces. Out of town people attending were H.C. Goebel of Wisner, J.M. Goebel of Sioux City, IA., Misses Helen and Dorothy Lammers of Hartington, and Mrs. Estelle Randall, of Portland, Ore. His death last week recalls to Wynot friends interesting incidents in his early boyhood life. It is said that as a boy he witnessed the hanging of Jameson for the murder of Henry Locke, a St. James man in 1870. The hanging took place at St. Helena when that town was the county seat, and Jameson is buried in the old historic cemetery at St. Helena. The sheriff at that time was J.W. Penny. Also in 1884 he saw Spitzgerber hanging from the gallows in the old jail yard at St. Helena for the shooting of Deputy Phillips. Mr. Feiner was a carpenter by trade and built many of the buildings in the St. Helena Vicinity. He also made many coffins used in the early days when freighting was done from Sioux City with ox teams and perhaps a few horse teams. He was also a farmer. An incident which happened at his farm showed his kindness of heart and also the humorous side of his nature. He was missing corn which apparently disappeared through a hole in the side of the crib. With no thought of prosecution but curious to know where his corn was going, as each night the pile grew smaller, he laid a trap. The following night he was awakened by shouts for help. Going to the crib he found a not to distant neighbor caught in the trap. Upon being freed the man asked Feiner what he was going to do with him. the reply was nothing, I just wanted to know who was taking my corn. I know now. so go on home. Mr. Feiner was perhaps one of the few men left who could tell many incidents of early days in northeast Cedar County.