MEHMEN, Bena 1897-2004
MEHMEN, SCHLACHTER, ARENHOLZ, WEDEKING, LIERMANN, KRULL
Posted By: S. Bell (email)
Date: 4/26/2012 at 01:57:30
Bena Mehmen, 107, of the Cedar Falls Health Care Center, Cedar Falls, Iowa, and formerly of Waverly, Iowa, died on Friday, July 16, 2004, at Sartori Memorial Hospital in Cedar Falls from natural causes.
Bena Arenholz Mehmen was born in Osteel, Osfriesland, Germany, on July 3, 1897, the daughter of Rolf H. Arenholz and Carrie Schlachter Arenholz. She was the fourth of 13 children, two of whom died in infancy. Bena, along with her parents and six brothers and sisters, left Germany in September of 1903 to come to the U.S. to live, when Teddy Roosevelt was president. Five other siblings were born in the United States.
Her parents and family settled in Grundy County, Iowa, on a farm near Stout, where she attended a rural school near her home.
Bena was baptized in the Lutheran faith in Germany, and confirmed in 1914, in the Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church, Beaver Twp., Grundy County. At the time of her death, she was a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Waverly, having joined St. Paul's when she moved to Waverly.
On July 7, 1917, Bena married George Mehmen in the Reformed Church in Grundy County, with just her parents and his parents attending. They farmed in Butler and Bremer Counties before moving to Waverly in 1942. At that time her husband was employed at Rath Packing Co., and she was employed at the Bremer Packing Company until it closed in 1961. George died on June 2, 1973, and Bena remained in her own home until she was 100 years old. She became a resident of the Cedar Falls Health Care Center in September of 1997.
When Bena was in her own home, she liked to read the daily papers, do word-find puzzle books, embroider, and crochet. Most of all, she loved to have her grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and even her great-great-grandchildren come to visit her.
Bena is survived by two sons Ralph (Jeanette) and James (Jan) Mehmen both of Waverly; one daughter Carrie Wedeking of Plainfield; and one son-in-law, Robert Liermann of Wisconsin; 14 grandchildren; 37 great-grandchildren; and 21 great-great-grandchildren; one brother, Ralph Arenholz of New Hartford; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; 2 daughters, Berdine Liermann and Gertrude Krull; two son-in-laws, Siebelt Krull and Alva Wedeking; four grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; seven brothers, George, Joe, Henry, Andrew, Tabt, Harm and Martin; four sisters, Martha and Johanna in infancy, Grace Mehmen and Annie Adelmund.
Funeral services will be held on Monday, July 19, 2004 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Waverly, with Pastor Curt Schneider officiating. Burial will be in the Harlington Cemetery in Waverly. Visitation will be held on Sunday, July 18th from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the Kaiser-Corson Funeral Home in Waverly.
Memorials may be directed to either Cedar Valley Hospice or Cedar Falls Health Care Center.
[Source: Kaiser-Corson Funeral Home]
Black Hawk Obituaries maintained by Karen De Groote.
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