Martha Carolyn Zerke Spoo 1892-1950

SPOO, ZERKE, ZITTERICH, HELMAN, STUDER

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 12/27/2010 at 19:29:42

Mrs. John Spoo Dies
Blood Clot Fatal to Local Woman
Mrs. John Spoo, 57, died yesterday at 5:15 a.m. at the Spoo home in Estherville, of a blood clot. She had been suffering from the ailment for three or four months, and had had treatments at Rochester and Holy Family hospital. She had been home for about two weeks from Holy Family when fatally stricken.

She was born Marva [Martha] Carolyn Zerke, Sept. 7, 1892 in Johnson county, and came with her parents at the age of six years to Emmet county where she was educated in local rural schools.

April 26, 1911, she was married to John Spoo of the local community, and the couple farmed five miles southwest of Estherville for 28 years until retirement five years ago when they moved to Estherville. She was a member of Immanuel Lutheran church in Estherville.

Survivors include her husband; five sons, Raymond, Herbert, Kenneth, John, jr., and Donald, all of Estherville; seven grandchildren; four sisters, Mrs. Fred Zitterich, Mrs. Albert Helman and Mrs. Will Spoo, of Estherville, and Mrs. Earl Studer of Faribault, Minn., and two brothers, Merman Zerke who farms near Estherville and John Zerke of Estherville.

She was preceded in death by her parents and one brother, Pete.

Funeral services have not been arranged as yet.

Services will be held Friday at 2:15 p.m. at the home and at 2:30 p.m. at Estherville Immanuel Lutheran church, the Rev. K. A. Horn officiating. Burial will be in Oak Hill cemetery. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, May 31, 1950)