Carl Mardorf 1906-1941

MARDORF, PETERS, CASPERS

Posted By: Sharon Elijah (email)
Date: 4/24/2020 at 06:28:00

24 April 1941 - The Anamosa Journal

Life of Carl J. Mardorf, 35-year-old farmer four miles southwest of Anamosa, was claimed in last Thursday night's storm when a section of his barn roof was blown on top of him with such force that he was thrown face down into a barnyard mire of water and mud. Death was believed caused by suffocation.

Mr. Mardorf was waiting at the southwest corner of the barn while his horses were watering after a day in the field when the storm stuck in its full fury, ripping off the barn roof on top of him.

Mrs. Mardorf, who was milking in the barn, was unable to lift the heavy roofing from her husband and sent their two children, Dale, 10, and Jane, 7, to the Walter Reese farm a quarter of a mile south for help.

When the roof still proved too heavy for Mr. Reese, further aid was obtained from Louie Zimmerman, north of the Mardorf farm. The two men were able to lift the roofing while Mrs. Mardorf and Mrs. Reese pulled Mr. Mardorf from underneath the wreckage.

Funeral service was held Monday morning at 10:30 a.m. from Loder's Funeral home and at 11 a.m. from St. Paul's American Lutheran church. Rev. H. L. Buesing, pastor of the church, was in charge of the services and burial was in the family lot in the Monticello cemetery.

Members of the church council served as honorary pallbearers and members of the Brotherhood of the church formed an honorary guard. Pallbearers included Louie Zimmerman, Stanley Zimmerman, Walter Reese, Louis Tapken, Ernest Stahl and Willard Maley.

George Wessels and Rev. Buesing sang "One Sweetly Solemn Thought" and "Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me."

Mr. Mardorf was born Feb. 13, 1906, at Monticello, the son of Conrad Mardorf and Mary Aldrich Mardorf. He was united in marriage to Margaret Caspers on Jan. 16, 1929, at the Castle Grove Lutheran church. The couple had farmed nine years on a farm five miles northeast of Monticello. They purchased the present farm March 1, 1938, and have lived there since.

He was confirmed in the Lutheran faith March 24, 1923, and was a member of St. Paul's American Lutheran church. He was a charter member of the Brotherhood organization of the church and a trustee member of the church council.

Besides his wife and two children, he is survived by three brothers, George, Monticello, Gerhardt, Anamosa and William, Hopkinton, and one sister, Mrs. J. H. Peters, Monticello.