WESTENBERGER, Joseph C., Dr. c1871-1961

WESTENBERGER, WEGMAN

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 8/24/2009 at 14:55:45

#1 of 2 items:

DR. J. C. WESTENBERGER

Dr. J. C. Westenberger, 90, died Saturday evening at his home in St. Ansgar, He practiced medicine in the St. Ansgar area for 50 years

Surviving are his wife**; a daughter, Adeline, St. Ansgar; a son, Dr. Lawrence Westenberger of California; four sisters; and one brother.

Funeral Services will be held Tuesday afternoon at St. Ansgar.

[Austin Daily Herald - Monday, August 14, 1961]

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#2 of 2 items:

Dr. Westenberger Rites Held at Immanuel Lutheran

Funeral services for Dr. J.C. Westenberger, 90, who died Saturday, August 23, 1961, were Tuesday, August 15 at the Immanuel Lutheran Church with the Reverend Carl T. Wuerffel officiating. Dr. Westenberger had been in fairly good health until the last two years.

Joseph Carol Westenberger was born in Pocahontas, Missouri on May 12, 1871, the oldest son of Joseph A. and Lisette (Wegman) Westenberger. He was baptized and confirmed by his father who served in parishes in Waterloo, Praieie du Chien, Milwaukee and Ripon, Wisconsin before coming to Mitchell county in 1890 when he took charge of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Rock Township.

In 1877 he entered Wartburg College at Waverly where he received his college education, after which he decided to study medicine. In 1894 he entered the Homeopathic Medical School at the University of Iowa. After completion of his course he decided to locate in St. Ansgar, coming here in May 1897, and continuing to practice here for 60 years.

Dr. Westenberger was married to Josephine Toeter in May 1898. Two children, a son, Lorenz, and a daughter, Adeline were born to them. After practicing for three years, he took a course at Chicago Post-Graduate College.

In 1918 Dr. Westenberger was the only physician here when the flu epidemic was sweeping the country, and again during the second World War.

His life was saddened in 1927 by the death of his wife. Several years later he was married to Amanda Toeter, a sister of his first wife. In 1947 he observed his 50th anniversary of medical practice.

During his 60 years of practice he served the community far and wide, being busy from morning until late into the night attending his patients.

Dr. Westenberger was preceded in death by one sister, Mathilda; four brothers, Gustave, Max, Oscar and Lorenz. He is survived by one brother, John of Mason City; five sisters, Mrs. Antonia Boelk, Mrs. Dora Bokmeyer, Mrs. Anna Bokmeyer and Mrs. Gretchen Dahlke, all of Sheffield; Mrs. Lieschen Suckow of Mason City; his wife, Amanda; a son and wife, Dr. Lorenz Westenberger of Pasadena, California and daughter, Adeline of St. Ansgar; also two grandchildren, Theo Anne, and Laurie Westenberger; three nieces, and four nephews.

He passed peacefully away at his home here Saturday, August 12 at 10:00 P.M. at the age of 90 years and three months.

Burial was in the St. Ansgar Cemetery with Reverend Wuerffel in charge of the committal services.

Relatives attending came from Minneapolis, Chicago, Nashua, Decorah, Cedar Falls, Arnolds Park, Mankato, Sheffield and Mason City.

[St. Ansgar Enterprise, 1961 – St. Ansgar Museum Collection]

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** NOTE: His wife, Josephine, died in 1927. He remarried to a lady named Amanda. See obituaries for Josephine and their daughter, Adeline in this collection. Amanda was born on Oct. 31, 1881 and died in September 1967, living at St. Ansgar. (See SSDI)

NOTE: Dr. Westenberger had a brother, Oscar A. Westenberger who died at age 65, in Decorah, Iowa, on Aug. 6, 1948. (See Mason City Globe Gazette, Aug. 10, 1948.)

NOTE: He also had two other brothers, Rev. Lorenz Westenberger & Jack Westenberger; and five sisters: Mrs. Dora Bolmeyer, Mrs. Tony Boelk, Mrs. Ann Bolmeyer, Mrs. Gretchen Dahlke, and Mrs. Leischen Suckow.

NOTE: Dr. Westenberger was the son of Rev. Joseph Westenberger and Lisette Wegman Westenberger. Lisette died in 1932, and Rev. Westenberger died in 1936. (See Globe Gazette, June 20, 1936)

Biographical Sketch
 

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