Reinke, Charles August 1879 - 1939

REINKE, WESTFALL, SMITH, GILSTER, BIEL, SCHIFF, KUTZBACH

Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 9/2/2023 at 09:11:11

Clayton County Reister, 20 Dec. 1939.

Charles August Reinke, sixth child of Ferdinand and Bertha Reinke, was born on Oct. 18, 1879, in Wagner township, Farmersburg, Iowa, on the farm which was his home at the time of his death. Mr. Reinke passed from this life on Saturday evening, Dec. 16, 1939, having reached the age of 60 years, one month and 28 days.

Being born into a religious home where daily Bible reading and prayer were the accepted custom, the deceased was dedicated to the Lord in Holy Baptism on Feb. 22, 1880, by the minister of the Evangelical church. In his youth, Mr. Reinke attended the Methodist and United Brethren churches at Bismark, and then later, during the ministry of Rev. E. G. Glaeser at the Prairie Evangelical church, he joined that church and has been faithful to it ever since his acceptance of membership.

When Charles Reinke was a boy of 15 years, his parents retired and lived in Farmersburg, and six years later, when the boy was a young man of 21 years, he came to the home place to farm for himself.

On Dec. 07, 1904, he was married to Floretta Westfall at Emporia, Kan. To this union were born a daughter, Edna, now Mrs. Clifford Smith, of Des Moines, Iowa, and one son, Gordon, who is at home.

The deceased was one of eight children - four remaining and three preceding him in death. Those surviving his passing are: one brother, Herman, of La Crosse, Wis.; and three sisters, Mrs. Henry Gilster of Cresco, Iowa; Mrs. John Biel of Charles City, Iowa, and Mrs. Will Schiff of Sharon, Kans. Those preceding him in death are: two brothers, Wiliam and John, and one sister, Bertha Kutzbach.

Besides his wife, daughter, son, brother, and sisters, who mourn his passing, he leaves many other relatives and friends - all of whom have regarded him highly as he went through life bravely and cheerfully, though in poor health for the past 33 years, and confined to the house for the final two weeks.

Funeral services were held on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 1939, at 10:00 a.m., at the house, and 10:30 in Pilgrim Evangelical church in Monona, with the burial in Giard cemetery. Music for the service was rendered by a quartet composed of Miss Elizabeth Debes, Mrs. Wm. Marfilius, and Harvey and Harry Debes, with Mrs. Melvin Beimfohr at the piano.

The casket bearers were Emil Zurcher, Gust Benzing, Walter Meier, Wm. Marfilius, David Kammerer, and Grover Miller

Alice Meier and Norma Miller acted as flower girls.

Rev. Harvey W. Raduege of the Evangelical church officiated at the services, with C. G. Schultz as funeral director.