MESSER, Conrad 1845-1925

MESSER

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 3/21/2015 at 11:16:21

Conrad Messer Died in Texas Tuesday Evening

Was Sick For A Number Of Weeks With Intestinal Flu

Lived in County 44 Years

Remains Will Reach Here Saturday; Interment in Ivester Cemetery

Conrad Messer died at Corpus Christi, Texas, at nine o'clock Tuesday evening. He had been sick with intestinal flu for a few weeks but it was reported to his relatives here that he was recovering satisfactorily. A fatal relapse came quite suddenly. The message announcing Mr. Messer's death reached the son, A. G. Messer, here early yesterday morning.

The remains will be sent here for interment and it is expected that they will arrive about Saturday. The funeral will be at the Ivester church of which Mr. Messer was for a long time a member. Interment will be made in the cemetery there.

Mr. and Mrs. Messer left here last September for Corpus Christi, expecting to remain there until this spring for the benefit of their health. They spent the previous winter there and the climate agreed with them and they liked it. They expected to return home for the summer within a short time. Their only daughter, Hannah, joined her parents in Texas two weeks ago.

Mr. Messer had been a resident of Grundy county for forty-four years. He was a native of Germany. After coming to this country he located in Lee county, Illinois, and remained there until the family came to Iowa in 1881. Mr. Messer purchased a farm in Colfax township where the family lived for twenty years after which they moved to the 480 acre farm in Palermo township where he lived continually since that time.

Mr. Messer would have been eighty years old on his next birthday. He is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter. The sons are A. G. Messer, of this county, Charles, of Mt. Carroll, Ill., and the one daughter, Hannah, who has made her home with her parents.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 23 April 1925, pg 1

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Messer Funeral Held Sunday

Remains Reached Here From Texas Friday Evening

The remains of the late Conrad Messer arrived here from Corpus Christi Friday evening and they were taken to the family home six miles southwest of Grundy Center. Funeral services conducted by Rev. Leatherman were held at the church at Ivester on Sunday and there was a very large attendance. Interment was made in the Ivester cemetery.

Since publishing the report of Mr. Messer's death it has been learned from members of the family who were with him in Texas that Mr. Messer had been sick a number of weeks from the flu but that it seemed he had fully recovered. He was in town on the day of his death. He felt tired upon returning home and went to bed. He died there quite suddenly shortly after.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 30 April 1925, pg 1

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Obituary

Conrad Messer was born in Hessen, Germany, May 20, 1845. He came to America at the age of 18 years and lived near Ashton, Lee county, Illinois, till 1872. In 1870 he was married to Louisa Merbach, who survives him. In 1872 they moved to Benton county, Iowa, where he made his home for seven years. His children, all of whom are living, were born at this place.

In the spring of 1880 the family moved to Colfax township where his home was until 1893, when he moved to the present family home. One daughter, Hannah C., and one son, Adam G., reside on the home place while one son, Charles F., lives at Mount Morris, Ill. Nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild survive him.

He and his wife spent the winter of 1923-24 in Corpus Christi, Texas for the benefit of his health. They again went to the same place in Texas in September, 1924, where he died April 21, 1925, aged 79 years, 11 months and 1 day.

He was a member of a large family of seven brothers and two sisters. Two brothers survive him, Adam of Corpus Christi, Texas, and John, of Dysart, Iowa.

He joined the Church of the Brethren in 1875 and remained a faithful member til his death. He served the church as an official for a good many years.

During his early manhood he was sickly a great deal and suffered much yet he was always patient and zealous for the Savior of his choice. He was devoted to the Church and loved Christ as few do.

Relatives from a distance at the funeral were: from Dysart, Mrs. Henry Zobel and daughter, Earl Messer, Andrew Mealhous and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. John Messer, a brother, Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Messer, Mrs. Fred Messer, Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Santman, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Messer, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Messer, Mr. and Mrs. Ray Minkle, Mr. and Mrs. Knoop, Mrs. Martin Messer, wife of a deceased brother, Mrs. Anna Lindeman, Wesley Lindeman, May Shaffer, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Hark and daughter, all of Dysart; Mr. and Mrs. C. L. Kober and son, of LaPorte City; Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Meeks, of Buchanan, Iowa; Mr. and Mrs. Conrad Hoefling, of Odeboldt, Ia.; Mr. and Mrs. William Messer and son, of Waterloo; Mr. Plum and Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Vaupel, of Bellingham, Minn.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 30 April 1925, pg 7