Bandel - Fred
FRED CONRAD BANDEL
Source: Crawfordsville Daily Journal, Jan 5, 1897
This morning shortly before 4 the "solemn tolling" of the bell on city hall apprised a city wakened from its sleep which all feared and expected had finally comes to pass. Fred C. Bandel, Mayor of Crawfordsville, among the foremost of her honored citizens is dead. On this cold grey monring the message of sorrow is brought to many hearts. He was a man of kindly heart and genial soul..also a man of the courage of his convictions, yet conservative and considerate of rights of all men. He was a good citizen and expected all to be. Recognized men may honestly differ and so long as the dignity of law was upheld and public morality was maintained, he was content. Fred Conred Bandel was b. April 26, 1851 Strausberg (sp) Germany. At age 4 years he In Montgomery County, Indiana with his parents, settling in Mineral Point, Ohio then Springfield, Ill. where Fred grew to manhood. When young, he sold papers on holidays and vacations as well as other odd jobs as his father die dyhoung. He learned the stone mason trade then came to Crawfordsville in the 70's when the courthouse was build. There was need of another skilled mason and Fred loved Crawfordsville and decided to settle here. On July 24, 1875, he married Lena Steinhouser of Springfield and began life in Crawfordsville with nothing but willing hearts and hands. In 1893, he was nominated by the Republicans for Mayor and was selected by one of the largest majorities ever given in the city. In 1894, he was renominated under the new state law for a four-year term as mayor - again elected by a large majority. He was commendably fair and owned rare wisdom. At one time, he owned a tobacco store combined with a monument shop and leased stone quarries in Parke Co. He was a tireless political worker.... He was first elected to the 3rd Ward City Council. 1890 nominated for County sheriff - strong race but defeated in landslide Republican loss that year. He was a Knight Templar Masonry; Odd Fellow; K. of P; Order of ben Hur and a Moose. He had peritonitis and lay for several weeks in intense suffering... Last evening, he left final directions to his wife and close friends and prepared to meet his God. Rev. Dr. Leech read comforting passages of Scripture in reference to promises to the sick and dying. Rev. said, "As much as your wife and children love you, God loves you more than they. You are dear to him." ..After bidding his family an affectionate farewell, he passed into an uneasy slumber breathing his last just after 3 o'clock this monring. He leaves a wife and 7 children: Charles, Ella, Minnie, Mabel, Freddier, Harry and Ed. 2 brothers and a sister, Augustus B of Savannah, Mo; Henry of California and Mrs. George Mutters of Springfield, ill. - kbz
Source: Crawfordsville Star newspaper, Crawfordsville, Montgomery County, Indiana Jan 7, 1897
After six weeks' illness Mayor Fred C. Bandel died at his home on South Elm Street at 3 o'clock Tuesday morning. The cause of his death was peritonitis. A week before his death his physicians lost all hope of his recovery. Fred Bandel was aware of the gravity of his case from the beginning and never had any hope of recovery. He was conscious almost to the last. His funeral will be at 2 o'clock today from the M.E. Church under the management of the Knights Templar. He carried life insurance to the amount of $7,000. Fred Bandel has occupied an important part in the affairs of of Crawfordsville. He came here a poor stonecutter to work on the court house being build in 1875. In a few years he got something of a start and sent to Springfield, Ill for the woman (Lena Steinhauser) who became his wife (married 24 July 1875) and here they were married, here they have resided. To them nine children were born, two are dead and four boys and three girls survive. Mrs. Bandel is a woman of much excellence of character and the community shares with her the grief that one who has been such a true and loving husband and father is taken away. Fred Bandel was one time a member of the council in the third ward and to him as much as to anyone else we owe our system of water works put in under the mayoralty of Thos. L. Stilwell. In 1890 he was the republican candidate for sheriff of the county, being defeated in a democratic landslide by John P. Bible. He has always been an active member of the republican party and in 1894 was elected mayor of the city for two years, but by act of the legislature his term of office was lengthened to four years and will not expire till May 1898. As a result of this death the council must select a successor to serve the unexpired term, either one of their own members of some other citizen. Mayor Bandel has been a strong believer in fraternal orders. He was a Knight Templar in Masonry an Odd Fellow, Knight of Pythias, Red Man, Moose and a member of the Tribe of Ben Hur. He was also a member of the M.E. Church. His has been a busy and eventful life and now that his life is ended those who know him are thoughtfully cognizant of the splendid efforts he has put forth to build up a character for good citizenship. Men with far more natural ability and greater opportunity have achieved much less. - kbz
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Source: Ben-Hur Association's "The Chariot" Feb 1897
Death has again claimed one of the members of The Supreme Tribe, Brother F red C. Bandel, mayor of Crawfordsville, Indiana. Brother Bandel was elect ed Supreme Guide at the first meeting of The Supreme Tribe and, by his zeal and energy aided largely in the early work of the Order. He was a man of intense convictions, determined purposes and kindliest sympathy. His death occurred January 5 after 5 weeks of intense suffering from peritonitis. Suddenly stricken in the midst of perfect health, his magnificent constitution did not succumb to the monster until he had fought a wonderful battle of life. A weaker man would not have survived the fearful suffering a week. His funeral cortege was the largest ever seen in our city. One week after his death, the Order he had loved in life, paid to his sorrowing widow $2,000 the full face of his beneficiary certificate. - kbz
Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal Friday 8 Jan 1897
Tuesday morning shortly before 4 o’clock the solemn tolling of the bell on the city hall apprised a city wakened from its sleep that that which all feared and expected had finally come to pass and that Fred C. Bandel, Mayor of Crawfordsville, and among the foremost of her honored citizens, was dead. The great bell tolling on through the cold grey morning brought a message of sorrow to many hearts, for all who knew Fred Bandel honored him because he was not only a man of kindly heart and genial soul but was a man also of the courage of his convictions, but yet withal conservative and considerate of the rights of all men. He was a good citizen himself and expected other men to be, although he never asked that others conform to his standard. He recognized that men may honestly differ and so long as the dignity of the law was upheld and public morality was maintained he was content. This accounts for the esteem in which all fair minded men held him, and accounts for the respect accorded him by all classes and conditions. The Teutonic spirit of fairness was a predominant factor in his makeup and it solved for him in his official capacity many a question which would have harassed and vexed a less decided man. Perhaps no official in the history of Crawfordsville ever had to contend with more perplexing problems during his administration and certainly no one ever conducted affairs more satisfactorily to the general public.
Fred Conrad Bandel was born in Strausburg, Germany, on April 26, 1851, and when only four years of age he came to this country with his parents and settled at Mineral Point, Ohio. The family then removed to Springfield, Ill., where Fred was put to school and where he grew to manhood. He frequently told in after years of his early struggles at Springfield. He sold papers on holidays and during the vacations and did other odd work to contribute to his support, his father having died when he was young. His schooling over, he started in to learn the stone mason’s trade and mastered it. It was as a stone mason that Mr. Bandel first came to Crawfordsville. Early in the 70’s when the Montgomery County court house was being built, there was need of a number of skilled stone masons and Mr. Bandel hearing of the want came on from Springfield. When he arrived he found some delay in the work caused, and for awhile had a rough time of it, but was soon busy and during his employment was so much taken with the town that he resolved to take up his residence here.
On July 24, 1875, he was married to Miss Lena Steinhouser, of Springfield, and the young couple began life here with no capital but willing hearts and hands. Mr. Bandel for a number of years followed his trade in Crawfordsville and, in fact, never quite relinquished his interests in the stone industry, although engaging in other business at times.
As he became well acquainted in the town and county he grew in public favor and esteem and was finally elected by the Republicans of the third ward as a member of the city council. It was during Mr. Bandel’s councilman career that the water works were constructed and other radical changes for the betterment of the city were made. In 1890 he was nominated by the Republicans of the county for the office of Sheriff, but although making a strong race was defeated in the landslide of that year along with everyone else on the Republican ticket. Mr. Bandel then opened up his monument shop on the corner of Green and Pike Streets and carried on this business with considerable success. In 1892 he was nominated by the Republicans for mayor and was elected by one of the largest majorities ever given in the city. In 1894 he was re-nominated under the new state law for a four years’ term as mayor and was again elected by a very large majority.
Mr. Bandel’s every act as mayor was characterized by a commendable fairness and by a rare executive wisdom. He made no mistakes in the administration of a very difficult office. During Mr. Bandel’s second term he opened a tobacco store on East Main Street and removed his monument office to that place. This business he maintained at the time of his death. He had also leased some stone quarries in Parke County and was preparing to operate them during the coming season.
In politics Mr. Bandel was an uncompromising Republican and believed firmly in the principles and tenets of that party. He was a tireless political worker and at the time of his death was president of the Morton Club, a position he had held for several years.
Mr. Bandel was quite prominate in the fraternity circles of the city and was a member of several orders. He was a Knight Templar and a member of the subordinate orders of Masonry, an Odd Fellow, a K. of P., a member of the orders of Ben-Hur, A. O. U. W. and the Moose. In the Ben-Hur, the A. O. U. W., and the Mutual Benefit of New Jersey, he had insurance aggregating $5,000, besides some other insurance indemnity.
Mr. Bandel’s sickness was peritonitis and his illness was one of several weeks’ duration, being marked by intense suffering patiently borne. It was only the possession of a remarkably strong constitution and wonderful vitality together with his determination and the best medical attention that prolonged his life and made his struggle with death so valiant a one. It was seen last Saturday that there was no hope of his recovery and Mr. Bandel realized this fact. As the end drew near his intellect grew clearer and he was keenly alive to his surroundings and conditions. Monday evening he left final directions with his wife and some close friends who were present and prepared to meet his God.