Hector William Kohl

Hector William Kohl was born 26 June 1848 to Andrew Kohl (1818-1873)and Wilhelmina Seiler (1818-1868).

Hector Kohl married Matilda O. Moseley (1852-1928) on 21 Feb 1871.

Hector was a well respected citizen of Henderson county. He was jailer eight years, was at one time chief of the fire department, and had served on the police force for several years.

In 1910, Kohl was shot in the left shoulder by Sidney Morris, whom Kohl was attempting to arrest for disorderly conduct on First Street. One shot struck Kohl’s whistle and glanced, stopping in his pocket and saving his life. It was said that even without anesthetic Kohl did not flinch as the physican cut a slit two inches in length in his back through which he probed for the ball. The probing was successful, and soon the bullet was brought out, with a small piece of bone adhering to it.

Hector died on 8 Sep 1924 (aged 76) in Virginia at the home of his daughter, Matilda Kohl Andrews (1891-1960). He was buried in Fernwood Cemetery / Section 9 / Lot 908 / Grave 4.

Obituary:

Hector W Kohl, age 76, one of Henderson’s best known eitizen, died at 9:30 o’clock last night nt the home of his daughter, Mrs. T. J. Andrews, Roanoke, Va., where he and Mrs. Kohl had been spending the summer. Although he had been in falling health several years, only within the last few days did his condition become alarming to his family, and the first news of the nearness of his death came in a telegram at noon yesterday to his daughter, Mrs. John O. Huhlein, conveying the sad intelligence that the end was momentarily expected, only to be followed a few hours later by the second measage.
A native of this county, Mr. Kohl has largely lived in the light of publicity, and while for most of his life he bore the commissions that signalized the high regard of friends, it has often been said that he relinquished every position of trust with which he had been honored after discharging the duties with credit to himself and with abundant vindication of the judgment of those who placed it in his care. Whether as Jailer or deputy sheriff, and he held those offices when they were far from sinecures his conduct was solely upon the high plane of duty, and from that nothing could swerve him, for he knew not the meaning of fear, but drove straight toward the goal.
Surviving is the widow who was with him in Virginia, the daughter at whose home he passed away, a son William Kohl, who also lives in Roanoke; four daughters and one son here, Mrs Posey Bailey, Mrs. John O. Huhlein, Mrs. Irene Hancock, Mrs. Anna Cates and Andrew Kohl. Also one brother, Peter Kohl, of Sebree, and two sisters, Mrs. John Reichert and Miss Lizzie Kohl, of this city.
Funeral arrangements await further notice from Roanoke about the arrival of the remains.