BERENDS, Martha 1868-1939

BERENDS, KRUSE

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 1/9/2017 at 12:16:28

Mrs. G. Berends, Old Resident, Died Saturday

Mrs. Gerhard Berends, Sr., a resident of the Stout community for fifty years, died at her home in Stout Saturday morning at 6 o'clock. Although Mrs. Berends had been in failing health for some months, death occurred rather unexpectedly. She was 71 years old.

Funeral services were held at the Reformed church in Stout on Tuesday, following a short prayer service at one o'clock at the home. Rev. W. J. Heyenga, pastor of the church, conducted the service. Burial was in the cemetery at Stout.

Obituary
The departed, Martha Luberts Berends, nee Kruse, was born April 13, 1868, in Germany. On June 2, 1890, she was united in marriage with Gerhard Berends. To this union were born 11 children: 3 sons and 8 daughters. Two of these died in infancy, one son at the age of 17, and a married daughter, Mrs. Klosterboer.

Mr. and Mrs. Berends, the year following their marriage, left their native country and came to the United States and settled for a brief period in the vicinity of Aplington, whereupon they moved to Grundy county, near Stout.

On Dec. 2, 1919, they retired from farming and moved to town, where they lived together for over 17 years, till Jan. 13, 1937, when the husband was taken from the deceased's side to the higher realm of life. It had been their joy to be each other's companion for 46 years.

Mrs. Berends, after a brief illness passed away Saturday morning, Nov. 11, 1939, reaching the age of 71 years, 6 months and 28 days.

Those that mourn her passing are her children: Mrs. Geo. Viet, Mrs. Geo. Arends, Mrs. Brunk Lauterbach, Mrs. Reint Kalkwarf, George Berends, Mrs. Henry Berends, Elisabeth, and June Klosterboer, who has been with her grandparents ever since a small child, and 20 other grandchildren, besides other relatives and friends.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Berends were charter members of the Reformed Church of Stout, which organization was called into being in 1906. They faithfully attended divine services and thus set a noble example for their children and others.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 16 November 1939, pg 4