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FLESSNER, John T. 1878-1957

FLESSNER, BEVING

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 7/29/2013 at 07:15:28

John T. Flessner
Retired Merchant Dies In Church

John T. Flessner, 78, Wellsburg businessman for 42 years, was fatally stricken with a heart attack about 12:10 p.m. Monday [7 Jan 1957] in the Reformed Church where he had gone to attend the funeral of Mrs. John Paterni, Sr.

Mr. Flessner, who lived across the street from the church, had gone to the church about noon, an hour before Mrs. Paterni's funeral was to have begun. He removed his coat and had just taken his seat in a pew when the fatal attack stuck him.

The doctor was summoned, but death was instantaneous. Meanwhile the Paterni service was delayed for a short time until his body was removed.

Mr. Flessner had retired from the implement business in Wellsburg in 1952. He remained fairly active, however, and often could be found at the office or on main street.

His health had only been fair in recent years, but his sudden death still comes as a great shock both to his family and his many friends and business associates in the community.

Funeral services for John Flessner will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday in the home and later in the Reformed Church, Rev. George C. Poppen officiating. Burial will be in the cemetery east of the church.

Pall bearers were Gordon Junker, M. M. Boeke, Douglas Geerdes, Meinert Niehaus, John Heinrichs, Claus Neessen, Odie Olthoff and Louie Wulf.

Obituary.
John Thomas Flessner was born February 19, 1878 in Germany, the oldest son of Thomas and Anna Flessner. He came to this country with his parents in the late 1880's, where the family settled in Grundy county.

While as a young man he worked on the farm, and later served as a telegrapher at the depot in Mitchellville for a short time.

He was united in marriage to Gretchen Beving on December 17, 1903, who passed away the following year, December 11, 1904.

Mr. Flessner then farmed in the Cleves neighborhood until 1910. On June 16 of that year he married Hattie Beving and in 1910 he moved to Wellsburg and went into partnership with his brother-in-law, D. J. Beving, in the implement and hardware business. In 1914 Beving & Flessner bought out the remaining stock of Wm. Martin, who then moved to Ackley, and the same year they added a line of furniture.

This business partnership continued until January, 1945 when it was dissolved after 35 years. Mr. Flessner took over ownership of the John Deere Implement dealership, while Mr. Beving went on in the hardware, furniture and undertaking business.

In 1952 the deceased retired after 42 years and his son, Thomas F. Flessner, took over management of the business. A couple years ago, Mr. Flessner's grandson, Thomas H., joined the firm to put Flessner Implement in its third generation.

The deceased was a member of the East Friesland Presbyterian Church, but had transferred his membership to the Reformed Church. He always was vitally interested in church and community affairs, and served on the Wellsburg town council at one time.

Survivors include his widow; one son, Thomas F.; and two grandchildren, Thomas H. Flessner and Nola Kay Flessner; two brothers, Henry of Cleves and Elmer, who lives near Ackley; and three sisters, Mrs. Albert (Jennie) Ross and Mrs. Arend (Helen) Eckhoff, of Steamboat Rock, and Mrs. C. A. (Bertha) Schmid of Berne, Ind.

He was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters and one brother.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 10 January 1957, pg 16


 

Grundy Obituaries maintained by Tammy D. Mount.
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