OBIT: August Ludwig SPANHAKE, 1890, Blair County, PA

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THE CORONER KEPT BUSY.
CALLED UPON TO HOLD TWO INQUESTS YESTERDAY.
THE DEATH OF AUGUST LUDWIG SPANHAKE
Found in His Home Yesterday Morning Near Miller's Blacksmith Shop, 
Having Died of Heart Disease.

AN AGED MAN'S DEATH.

  August Ludwig Spanhake, a German, 76 years of age, had been employed 
by Groceryman J. L. Calvert for the past four or five years in the 
capacity of a gardener, at his farm two and a half miles from the city, 
near Miller's blacksmith shop.  Since his residence there he had been a 
regular attended at the Emanuel church at the corner of Fifth avenue 
and Fifth street, of which Rev. J. E. Moeller is pastor.  He was not at 
church last Sunday and this excited some alarm in the pastor's mind and 
to allay the uneasy feeling he determined to pay his absent member a 
pastoral visit.
  Spanhake objected to being in a house where there were any other 
people and last summer Mr. Calvert built him a small house near the 
other property on the farm, in which he has been living ever since.  
Mr. Moeller and a young man named Myer reached the house at about 8 
o'clock in the morning and found the door locked in the inside.  By 
getting on top of some boards and looking in at the window they saw 
that the bed was empty, but had evidently been occupied.  At the other 
side of the room Spanhake was found lying on his back upon the floor, 
apparently dead.  Fearing that there may have been foul play, Mr. 
Moeller hesitated to force the door open and investigate, but sent 
young Myer to the city to notify the authorities.  Coroner Poet, who 
was absent, investigating the death of Mrs. Jane Lewis, was notified of 
the death immediately upon his arrival in this city, and proceeded to 
the scene.  The body was brought to Altoona and given in charge of 
Undertaker Lafferty, who prepared it for burial.  The coroner 
impannelled a jury, which viewed the remains and heard the evidence of 
Rev. Moeller, who was the only witness examined, and his testimony is 
embodied in the facts given above.  A verdict of heart failure, 
superinduced by old age, was rendered.
  The deceased - August Ludwig Spanhake - was born at Herzberg, January 
25, 1814, and at the time of death was aged 76 years, 11 months and 1 
day.  By occupation he was a baker and worked at his trade for forty-
two years at the place of his birth.  He served as a soldier under King 
Frederick VII, of Denmark, having been one of the company of the ship 
Gefgon which sailed around the world.  He was also a soldier on the 
ship Christian VIII, which said to the West Indies and the island of 
St. Schank Schee, Kreuz and St. Croix.  This ship carried 300 men and 
had an armament of ninety-six cannons.  He came to this country in 1865 
and was never married.  The funeral will take place this afternoon.  
Services will be conducted at the Emanuel church at 2 o'clock, after 
which the interment will be made.

Morning Tribune, Altoona, Pa., Tuesday, December 16, 1890