MEYER, Donald 1913-1930

MEYER

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 9/5/2012 at 21:25:57

Entire Community Mourns As Donald Meyer Is Entombed

Sudden Demise Of High School Cheer Leader Is Blow To Everyone

Donald Meyer Is Dead.

This message, flashed over this community last Sunday morning, by word from one to another, and by telephone from family to family, fell like a bolt of death from a clear sky.

Everyone knew the young man had been troubled with a breaking out on the neck, and that his condition was growing worse. But only when taken to the hospital at Marshalltown on Saturday was his real danger known, and then only to those in close touch with the family.

After being taken there, all relief measures were unavailing, and the end came at 2:15 Sunday morning.

Donald Meyer was an active figure in all school activities. His irrepressible good spirits made him a marked figure of every gathering.

He possessed the gift of ready repartee, had a fine voice and a marked ease of manner.

As a member of the humorous section of the declamatory contests, he took part in the county contest at Beaman at the last session.

As cheer leader of the Wellsburg school, he was a noticeable figure during the last basketball tournaments here and at Hampton. He will be remembered by many strangers who saw him at those contests, who knew him only as the cheer leader.

Those of the community who knew the lad's good business ability, his deep interest in everything connected with the affairs of the gas station owned by his father, P. A. Meyer, will regret the passing of a promising young man.

The entire school will mourn his passing as the loss of one who was a loyal and capable member of their school circle.

The pall bearers were six of the dead boy's schoolmates, as follows:
Robert Secord, Herbert Eells, Julius Heikens, Thomas Claassen, Harry Heddens, and Russell Nichols.

The entire sophomore class of the high school, numbering twenty-nine, were marshalled in the funeral cortege, following the casket containing the body of their classmate.

The members of the girl's basketball team, for whom the dead youth has so often served as an enthusiastic cheer leader, acted as flower bearers, laden with the fragrant and beautiful momentoes of remembrance that were so numerous as to form a veritable bower about the casket. These floral offerings came from the class to which Donald belonged, from the faculty of the high school, from individual schoolmates, from childhood friends, from friends of the family, from all quarters, in an avalanche of flowery beauty carrying a message of sympathy and condolence that showed the high regard in which the departed lad had been held by all who knew him.

These flower bearers were Grace Ross, Jeanette Peters, Jeanette Weseman, Minnie Snittjer, Helen Lutterman and Gertrude Hook.

A telegram received from Carl Meyer, who is on board his ship in the navy, stated that he was unable to attend the funeral.

Obituary of Donald Meyer

Donald Meyer, the youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. P. A. Meyer, was born in Colfax township near Holland, on July first, 1913. He attended the public school there until March first, 1923 when he moved with his parents to Wellsburg. Here he was a member of the sophomore class at the local high school.

He died at the Deaconess hospital at Marshalltown of streptococcus cellulitis of the neck, with a small abscess back of the right ear. Death came very suddenly and unexpectedly at 2:15 Sunday morning, April 6th, 1930. Donald was conscious of the fact that his end was near but was not afraid to die. God gave him grace sufficient for the ordeal. And though we now mourn, it is not as those who have no hope. We have reasons to believe that he fell asleep in his Lord. This is of great comfort to the bereaved relatives and friends and takes the sting out of the sorrow.

He leaves his parents, Mr. and Mrs. P. A. Meyer, three brothers: Leroy, Arthur, and Carl, who is in the United States navy and unable to attend the funeral, and two sisters: Esther and Kathleen and a host of relatives and a large number of friends who mourn his untimely death.

Funeral services were held Thursday at 2 p.m., from the home to the Second Christian Reformed church with Rev. E. Boeve officiating. The Grundy College Quartette rendered several sacred selections.

--Wellsburg Herald (Wellsburg, Iowa), 9 April 1930