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OBITUARIES
in Bed of Heart Attack ___________________________________ 59-Year-Old Veteran of Department Here Answers Last Call John Yeager, 59-year-old retired fire chief, was found dead in bed early today by his wife at the family residence, 1501 Silver street. Dr. P. W. Osindup, acting coroner, said that Mr. Yeager had suffered a heart attack. He had been dead several hours. Mrs. Yeager said that her husband had been in fairly good health recently but that he had a coughing spell while listening to a 10 o’clock broadcast of the news Sunday night.
Mr. Yeager resigned as chief of the Sioux City fire department in December of 1940. He had been eligible for pension several years. He joined the depart ment FebruarY 13, 1904. He was appointed chief November 16, 1939, following the resignation of George M. Kellogg who was head of the department for more than 50 years. A native Sioux Cityan, Mr. Yeager was born at 715 Main street. A short time after joining the department, Yeager joined in fighting one of the worst tires in Sioux City history. The big fire, which broke out the night of December 23, 1904, caused a damage of more than $3,000,000 and destroyed every building between Third and Fourth streets from Jackson to Pierce streets except the Tribune building. In Championship Team The blaze began when a Santa Claus upset a toy alcohol engine and ignited a mass of Christmas trimmings in the old Pelletier dry goods store located at that time in the Massachusetts block at Fourth and Jackson streets. In the old days when there were 40 men on the department and nine teams of horses, he drove Dick and Dan, station 3 horses, in competition for the world’s fire department championship at Davenport, Ia.The contest consisted of starting from a bunk at the bell, sliding down the firepole, hitching horses to the rig, driving a half mile and connecting. 150 feet of hose. Yeager’s company, working under Capt. Hartman, was set up at the end of 1 minute, 13 2-5 seconds, a world record. The body was taken to the Perasso Bros. funeral home. Mr. Yeager was born in Sioux City October 22, 1882. Surviving are the widow, Margaret; three sisters, Mrs. Kate Mat— lock and Mrs. Louise McIntyre, both of Sioux City, and Mrs. Carrie Leibrock of Jefferson, 0., and a brother, William of Montevideo, California.
LAST UPDATED: 08/23/99 |
