Dittmer, Magdalene (Behncke) 1824 - 1919

DITTMER, BEHNCKE, BRINKHAUS, STEMMER, ELVERS

Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 7/22/2019 at 01:56:16

Elkader Register & Argus, Thur., 05 June 1919.

Magdalene Behncke was born at Hanover, Germany, on April 19, 1824, and stayed in that country for thirty-seven years. It was in the land of her birth that her marriage to Peter Dittmer took place.

In 1861 Mr. and Mrs. Dittmer came to the United States of America, settling in Clayton county, Iowa. Three children, Mrs. Anna Brinkhaus, Mrs. Lizzie Stemmer and Martin Dittmer preceded their mother into the Great Beyond. One son and one daughter, fourteen grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren survive this aged mother.

Mrs. Dittmer had always enjoyed the best of health. She had for a number of years made her home with her surviving children taking great pleasure in spending her last years in their respective homes and greatly enjoyed the opportunity of being with each of them.

Her son, Herman, lives on the Dittmer homestead, and her daughter, Mary Elvers, lives on a farm near Osborne.

Death overtook her at the home of her daughter at eight o'clock in the evening on June 4, 1919. She had lived 95 years, one month and twenty days.

The funeral will be held at half after one o'clock in the afternoon of June 7, at the Elvers home, Rev. C. H. Franke, pastor of the Evangelical church of Elkader, having charge of the services.

Mrs. Dittmer held a membership in the Evangelical church and was an earnest and consistent communicant.

Her death was due to old age, as her brief illness of four days found her system not able to withstand disease.

Interment will be made in the Mederville cemetery. Her long life is closed and she now sleeps till the day when with all the hosts of the earth she shall hear the last trumpet and arise to the great judgement.