KERSTETTER, Birt 1872-1953

KERSTETTER, BLACK, FRITZ, KUHN, FOLSUM

Posted By: S. Bell
Date: 12/31/2012 at 01:16:46

[Progress Review. Thursday, August 6, 1953, La Porte City, Iowa]

Last Rites for
Birt Kerstetter
Held Today

Funeral services for Birt Kerstetter, 81, of Saint Petersburg, Florida were held this Thursday afternoon at two o'clock at the Johannsen Funeral home in La Porte City. Rev. D. R. Corrick of the Methodist church officiated and C. R. Burt, accompanied by Mrs. Burt, sang "The Old Rugged Cross," and "The Lord's Prayer." Six nephews served as casket bearers. There were Philip Norman of Princetown, Wisconsin, Frank Patava and Emery Simon of Waterloo and Merle Kerstetter, Roy Fritz and Robert Goudy of La Porte City. Burial was made in the West View Cemetery.

Mr. Kerstetter's death occurred at 6:30 a.m. Sunday in a sanitarium in St. Petersburg, where he had been a patient for one month. He had been in poor health for several years and in a failing condition for the last six months. Death was attributed to arteriosclerosis and diabetes.

Birt Kerstetter was born March 3, 1872 on a farm in Black Hawk County, west of La Porte City. He was the oldest of six children born to John and Belle (Black) Kerstetter. When a small child he moved with his parents to a farm south of La Porte City in Bruce Township, Benton County, where he grew to manhood.

On March 27, 1900 he was united in marriage to Della M. Fritz of La Porte City and they farmed in Bruce Township until moving to Elgin, Minnesota in 1905. Twelve years later they moved to Balaton, Minnesota and in 1940 to St. Petersburg, Florida. Mr. Kerstetter was a lumber yard manager. He retired in 1938. He was a member of the Masonic lodge of Elgin and was affiliated with the Methodist Church.

Surviving are his wife and two sisters, Mrs. Margaret Kuhn of Frederick, South Dakota and Mrs. Elizabeth Folsum of Long Beach, California. One brother, John Kerstetter, died April 11, 1953.

One other brother and one sister also preceded him in death.