Martin Luther "Mart" Soeth 1867-1947

SOETH, WARD, SCHROEDER, BELLOWS, POWELL

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 2/21/2012 at 23:39:41

“Mart” Soeth, Prominent in County, Dead
“Mart” L. Soeth, for years one of Emmet County’s very prominent farmers and a leading citizen, died at the Holy Family hospital Wednesday evening.

Marin Luther Soeth, known to almost everyone in the county as “Mart”, has been ill for some time past. He has resided long enough to be a pioneer of the county and had reached the age of 79 at the time of his death.

Before his illness, Mr. Soeth was interested in everything that pertained to the farmer and was deeply interested in the welfare of this county and also in the city. He had a host of friends over county and over the state. He was educated as a lawyer but loved the farm and chose that as a lifelong occupation.

He was always interested in politics and anything that pertained to it. He was always posted on every public subject and at one time lectured for the Farm Bureau in about every county in the state.

The funeral services will be held from the Mahlum & Sandin chapel at 1:30 Saturday and from the Presbyterian Church at 2 o’clock, the Rev. F.E. Conoway officiating. Interment will be in East Side Cemetery. (Estherville Enterprise, Estherville, IA, January 9, 1947)

Martin Luther Soeth
Martin Luther Soeth was born February 2, 1867 in Dubuque, Iowa, and died January 8, 1947 at Estherville, Iowa, at the age of 79 years, 11 months and six days.

His parents, Mark and Anna Schroeder Soeth, came to America in 1854 from Schleswig-Holstein, landing at New Orleans and sailing up the Mississippi River to Dubuque, where they settled and where he was born. When he was a young man he worked for a short time in the railroad shops at Dubuque, until his family moved to Dyersville, Iowa. Then he moved to Storm Lake with his parents, where they settled on a farm.

He was united in marriage to Mary Gwendolyn Ward at Storm Lake on February 20, 1896. With his wife he began farming near Storm Lake. Later he moved to Rembrandt, and finally to Emmet County in 1913, where he resided on the same farm until the time of his death.

To him and his wife were born two sons, Archie Ward Soeth of Moorhead, Minnesota, and Max Miles Soeth of Gruver, Iowa.

He was a member of the North Star 447 Masonic Lodge at Estherville, and a Modern Woodman of America. He had been a member of the Farm Bureau ever since its organization in Emmet county. Although he was not a member of a church he was a believer in Jesus Christ.

Preceding his death he had been ill only a couple of months. Although advanced in years he continued to live on the farm, and to take care of some of the chores about the place.

He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers and one sister. He is survived by his wife, Mary, his two sons, two sisters, Mrs. A.M. Bellows of Storm Lake, and Mrs. Tena Powell of California, besides six grandchildren.

Funeral services were held Saturday, January 11, t 1:30 from the Mahlum and Sandin Chapel, and at 2:00 from the Presbyterian Church, the Rev. F.E. Conaway in charge. Burial was in the East Side cemetery. (Estherville Enterprise, Estherville, IA, January 16, 1947)