BLESS, Dorothea Katherine Anna Hartwig "Dora" 1900-1992

BLESS, HARTWIG, DIETERICH

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 8/19/2009 at 20:16:06

Dora Bless

Funeral services for Dorothea Katherine Anna Hartwig Bless, 92, who died September 15, 1992, were held September 19, at Immanuel Lutheran Church with Rev. N. E. Betke officiating.

Dorethea Katherine Anna Hartwig Bless was born February 13, 1900 in Cedar Township, Mitchell County, Iowa, the daughter of Christian Hartwig and Wilhelmine Dieterich Hartwig. She was baptized into the Christian faith March 11, 1900 at St. John’s, Cedar Township, by Rev. Stephan with Louis Freese, Anna Dieterichs and Katherine Dieterich as sponsors.

On November 30, 1922 she was united in marriage with Clarence C. Bless at St. John’s Church by Rev. Gemaehlich.

The Bless couple farmed in Worth County in the first years of their marriage. They were proprietors of the Otranto Hardware Store for a number of years and then moved to a farm south of Rock Falls. In March of 1936 they moved to the present Larry Bless farm and in 1958 to acreage one mile south of there. In 1971 Dora moved to St. Ansgar where she lived until entering the Good Samaritan Center in 1989. She enjoyed music and gardening and her family.

In her earlier years she had been active in Farm Bureau, the Garden Club, the Community Club and the Senior Citizens. She had been a member of the Esther Church Circle of Immanuel Church.

Survivors include one son, Howard and Marian, St. Ansgar; one daughter, Doreen and Carl Finnesgaard, Kenyon, Minnesota; a brother, Paul Hartwig and Esma, St. Ansgar; daughter-in-law, Helen Knudsen, St. Ansgar; son-in-law Donald Morasch, Riceville; 11 grandchildren; 12 great grandchildren; nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, one daughter, Frances Morasch, one son, Darold, three brothers and one sister. Burial was in St. John’s Cemetery.

Schroeder & Sites Funeral Home, St. Ansgar, was in charge of arrangements.

[St. Ansgar Museum newspaper obit. collection]