Berthoud Weekly Surveyor October 17, 2013 Page 5 The historical society and Mark French are interested in obtaining and copying old photos from Berthoud’s past. Please contact Mark at 532-2147 if you have any photos you would like to share.
A LOOK AT BERTHOUD
Harroun automobile sold in Berthoud in 1918
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n 1918 Fenton Matthews sold Harroun automobiles in Berthoud. At that time local residents who wanted to purchase cars in town could shop with Matthews or at the Bashor & Wray Ford Garage at the southeast corner Surveyor of Fourth Street Columnist and Mountain Avenue. John Fahrenbruch also offered the Elgin “Six” at the Berthoud Garage on East Mountain Avenue, and Linn McKanna sold Dodges from an agency he operated at an Mark unknown locaFrench tion. Matthews, who had once been one of the town’s barbers, based his new-and-used automobile business in the Lovejoy Brothers warehouse that sat north of the train depot on Third Street. F.A. Matthews and his family lived at 616 Sixth St. in Berthoud. The Harroun automobile that was
sold by Matthews was manufactured in Wayne, Mich. The vehicle took its name from Ray Harroun who won the first Indianapolis 500 car race in 1911 to earn the first-place purse of $27,550. One year earlier Harroun had been hired by Howard C. Marmon to design and build a streamlined race car that covered the 500-mile course at Indianapolis in a time of 6 hours and 42 minutes and averaged a speed of nearly 75 miles per hour. In 1916 Harroun founded Harroun Motors Corporation. The company produced three models that included a three-seat roadster, five-passenger touring car and a sedan. In the spring of 1918 production was suspended at the Michigan factory so the facility could be used to produce munitions for use by the U.S. Army in World War I. The company returned to the production of automobiles at the conclusion of the war, but still only a few thousand Harrouns were assembled before the plant closed in 1921. The Harroun automobiles that Matthews sold in Berthoud were all produced before production was suspended for the war effort in 1918. In April 1918 Matthews used the pages of The Berthoud Bulletin to arouse the curiosity of prospective automobile buyers when he proclaimed: “Harroun owners are getting an average of 25 miles
to the gallon of gasoline in the mountain district and the saving on oil is wonderful. The upholstering is leather. MARSHALL TYPE SPRINGS WITHIN SPRINGS used in the Packard, Marmon, Cadillac and other high-priced cars. — F.A. Matthews.” In the same issue of the tabloid Matthews added: “Ask to see one of our questionnaires for four-cylinder motor cars. It will set you right on many points that you should know before buying an auto. F.A. Matthews is the dealer for Berthoud, Johnstown, Milliken, Mead and surrounding country.” It evidently took Matthews several months to sell a Harroun, because it was not until Sept. 28, 1918, that The Berthoud Bulletin finally announced that car dealer had sold a new Harroun to Irvin Edmondson. The newspaper did not identify the model that Edmondson purchased, but a few months earlier, in June 1918, the tabloid noted that the price of a Harroun would increase $100 to $1,100 on July 1, 1918. Edmondson, a 27-year-old farmer, lived with his wife and children on the old John Kerr homestead one mile south of Berthoud on the Little Thompson river bottom. That property is currently owned and occupied by Kay Green. The local newspaper never made men-
he fudged his birth date so he could join known at every Subway in the area. Her the U.S. Navy. hobbies included horse-back riding, bicyAfter his stint in the Navy, Gene went cling on her three-wheeler, and the latest into business for himself. He loved wrenchwas dance class. Alison never let her disAlison Marie Fasse abilities stop her from doing the things she ing on cars and was a heck of a mechanic Aug. 3, 1973 — Oct. 10, 2013 — there was almost nothing he couldn’t do. loved. Alison Marie Fasse went to He owned numerous service stations and Alison was very social and loved be with her Lord Jesus Christ on garages over the years, including Gene’s being with her friends. She enjoyed Thursday, Oct. 10, 2013, at her Petroleum (in Littleton), Howell’s Texaco spending time with her caregivers, home in rural Berthoud. Alison Service Station (in Lakewood), Ted’s Place, Carol Carpenter and Carolyn Ryer, was born in Fort Collins, Colo., and Owl Canyon Trading Post. In October Jeanne Braden and Joni Jendzel. She on Aug. 3, 1973, to Charles and 1972, Gene went to work for the Great was beloved by everyone who met her Barbara (Heryford) Fasse. She is Western Sugar Co. factory (GWSC) in and will be greatly missed. survived by her parents and older Loveland. He started out as Utility Man A celebration of Alison’s life will brother Chuck Fasse, Paonia, Alison and worked his way up to Top Mechanic be held Thursday, Oct. 24 at 6 p.m. at Colo., twin brother Andrew Fasse, Fassi (Pipe Fitting), where he was in charge of Mountain View Presbyterian Church Fort Collins, Colo., and numerous re-piping the old lines. He retired in March at 2500 N. Garfield Ave., Loveland. relatives. 1985, when the sugar factory shut down. Eugene “Gene” Jay Howell Alison attended elementary school He took part in the salvage of the GWSC Aug. 1, 1923 — Sept. 14, 2013 in Loveland, Turner Middle School in factory before moving on to his next advenEugene “Gene” Jay Howell, 90, of Berthoud, and graduated from Berthoud ture, and the next, and the next, “retiring” Loveland, passed away on Saturday, Sept. High School in 1992. She also graduated many more times. 14, 2013. Gene was born on Aug. from Community Connections of Colorado Gene, a longtime resident of 1, 1923, to Harry and Margaret State University. Berthoud, worked hard his entire (Hilzer) Howell in Lafayette, Alison loved music and was a good life. He was generous and loved Colo. Growing up on a farm with six singer. She learned new songs quickly and helping people. He liked to shoot brothers and sisters, Gene was never liked to sing along with her Karaoke mapool, play cards, and especially one for sitting around doing nothchine. She also sang solos in church and enjoyed playing cribbage with his ing. He herded turkeys in the late at Aglow meetings. She attended church daughters and letting his grand1930s, finished high school in Mead, at Resurrection Fellowship in Loveland. daughter beat him at checkers. He Colo., and then felt the call to serve Alison liked to play her guitar, especially Gene had a great sense of humor and his country during World War II. In at friends’ birthdays. She also liked to Howell liked pulling your leg, even in his November 1940, at 17 years of age, eat out, particularly at Subway. She was
OBITUARIES
Fall fest
Internet photo
In 1918 Berthoud’s Fenton Matthews sold Harroun automobiles. In September of that year he sold a Harroun to Irvin Edmondson who farmed one mile south of Berthoud. The Harroun was built and designed by Ray Harroun, the winner of the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911. tion of Matthews selling another Harroun, and it is likely that when the Harroun factory in Michigan shifted from the manufacture of automobiles to munitions in 1918, Matthews’ supply of vehicles dried up and he closed his Berthoud agen-
cy. Harroun Motors Corporation resumed the production of automobiles after the war, but by 1921 the company was out of business for good.
final days. Gene is survived by his loving daughter, Jaki Reddington; his granddaughter, Shelan Golightly; his great-granddaughter Alena Golightly; his sisters Helen Teeple, Virginia Kelly and Madeline Hamilton; numerous nieces and nephews; and close friends Gary Krogmeier and Terry Wright. Gene was preceded in death by his wife, Maxine (George) Howell; parents, Harry and Margaret Howell; brothers, Harry E. Howell and William Glen Howell; sister, Marjorie McAnally; daughter, Connie Golightly; son-in-law, Jan Golightly; and his son, Richard J. Howell. Memorial services were held Sunday, Sept. 29. Cremation and interment have been completed. “Our country is in mourning, a veteran died today.” Leah M. Moore: March 30, 1916-Oct. 8, 2013
Nursing in 1937. She was surgical nurse at Loveland Memorial Hospital for many years, retiring in 1975. She had lived in Loveland for 51 years before moving to Berthoud seven years ago. Leah married Paul Moore on Dec. 21, 1946, in Loveland. Paul died July, 1989. She was a member of Zion Lutheran Church and a volunteer at Meals-onWheels for many years. Leah proudly served her country as a nurse in the U.S. Army during World War II from 1943 to 1944. She is survived by her sons Randall J. Moore (Mary) of Loveland and Thomas D. Moore (Cindy) of Las Vegas, Nev.; daughter Denice Lyon (Earl) of Berthoud; grandson Kevin Paul Moore (Jessica); greatgranddaughter Avery Lyn Moore; and many nieces and nephews. Leah is preceded in death by her husband, two brothers and three sisters. Funeral services were held Sunday Oct. 13, 2013, 2 p.m. at Zion Lutheran Church. Memorials may be made to Meals-on-Wheels or Leah M. Halcyon Hospice in care of Moore Viegut Funeral Home. Go to www.viegutfuneralhome for condolences.
Leah M. Moore
March 30, 1916 — Oct. 8, 2013 Leah M. Moore, 97, of Loveland died peacefully at her daughter’s home Oct. 8, 2013. She was born March 30, 1916, in Severance, Colo., to Fred and Katherine Brunner. Leah graduated from Eaton High School in 1934 and graduated with a nursing degree at Presbyterian School of
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