Death, on Tuesday afternoon, at 5 o'clock, came as a welcome relief from great suffering to William H. Kreider, vice president of the W. L. Kreider's Sons Shoe Company, at Palmyra, one of the foremost and most highly esteemed citizens of the borough. The community mourns his loss in a personal manner that has brought grief into many individual homes of the town almost poignantly as that in which the death occurred. As he lacked but a few months of his 54th year and was but in the prime of life insofar as his age was concerned, his taking off is regarded as most untimely and regretable.
Ill For Long Time
Mr. Kreider's illness dates back almost two years. He was afflicted at first with what appeared to be but local complications, for the relief of which he underwent an operation at the hands of specialists, but to little purpose, and he sank into lingering illness which confined him to his bed for fifteen months - an inexpressible lon period of time to one compelled to undergo most intense pain and suffering
He bore his afflictions with patient fortitude however, and in a manner that reflected the sincerity of his protestations of allegiance to the Christian faith, and to the First United Evangelical church, of which he was a faithful member, and an ardent worker.
Born in County
The deceased was born and raised in Lebanon county, a scion of one of the oldest and most prominent families of the Londonderry township region. His father William L. Kreider, was the pioneer of the shoe industry in Palmyra, having started the original factory there. It was back in 1888 or thereabouts, theat William H. Kreider started as his father's first apprentice, and he followed that avocation ever since, finally succeeding with his brothers, D. A. Kreider and H. C. Kreider, as owners of the big industry which not only outgrew its original home and brought another large factory to the borough, but which also was directly and indirectly responsible for the expansion and development of Palmyra, in the building of homes and otherwise.
First Burgess
While Mr. Kreider's years were short as measured by present standards of longevity on the part of clean-living citizenry, he had the satisfaction of taking part in much of the development of his home town. He was the first burgess when Palmyra was incorporated as a borough, and he was a director up to the time of his death of the Londonderry Water Company which furnishes water to the community.
While he was a quiet and unassuming citizen, and little given to the social frivolities of community life, he took a deep interest in the more important civic aims and puposes of the borough, and his was a willing hand that was ever ready for assistance when the interests of the town were at stake
Member U. B. Church
Both he and his estimable wife were particularly interested in the United Brethren church. He was not only esteemed as a successful business man and a credit to the borough, but as a reliable and praiseworthy Christian gentleman and citizen whose example was always well worthy of emulation.
Those Who Survive
Besides his parents, William L. and Catherine Kreider, who are in the neighborhood of 85 years of age, he leaves his wife, nee Susie Landis and three children - Landis and Elizabeth of Palmyra, and Mrs. George Swanger, of Lebanon. Another child died some years ago. The two brothers above named above are the only surviving members of his father's family.
The funeral is to be held on Saturday afternoon with services in the United Brethren church, at Palmyra, and burial will be made at the Gravel Hill cemetery.
Lebanon Daily News - Wednesday, September 5, 1923