Mai, Barney 1870 - 1958

MAI, STOEBER, HEISSEL, MEYEN, LUDOLPH, FRANK

Posted By: Karen Danzer (email)
Date: 5/5/2009 at 19:19:19

Remsen Bell Enterprise – 1958

Bernard Mai Funeral
At St. Mary’s Tuesday

Prominent Longtime Resident
Dies in Sleep Saturday
at Age 88 Years

Funeral services for Bernard (Barney) Mai, 88, a resident here for some 70 years who died in his sleep Friday night, September 26, were held in St. Mary’s Catholic church here Tuesday morning.

The requiem high mass was offered by St. Mary’s pastor, the Rt. Rev. Francis P. Schultes.

Mr. Mai had been in apparently good health despite his age, was up and about until the night before his passing. He was at home with his daughter-in-law, Mrs. Florentine Mai, and retired at his customary hour, in good spirits. He failed to awake Saturday morning and Mrs. Mai found him dead at about eight o’clock.

Born in Waterloo

Born in the Waterloo, Ia., area May 10, 1870, he was the son of William and Margaret Mai, who had settled there after their coming from their native land, Luxembourg. He grew up in that community and came to Remsen at the age of 18, working various farms.

He married Catherine Stoeber in September 2, 1890 and the couple continued farming, first on the later Herbst place four miles southeast of Remsen and later buying their own, the present Boever farm one and one-half mile east on highway 3-5. (Barney and Kate were the parents of 4 children; John, Nicholas, Lawrence and Leona.) Mrs. Mai died in 1921.

Mr. Mai married Margaret Heissel of LeMars in 1923. He had quit farming, lived in retirement the past number of years. His wife died in 1933.

During his long years on the farm Mr. Mai was interested in steam threshing which he did for neighbors, and in horse buying and selling, besides his extensive farming operations.

In recent years he lived with a sister, Mrs. Lena Meyen, in LeMars, but returned to Remsen a year ago to be at home with his daughter-in-law, where he died.

Barney Mai was a lifelong member of the Catholic faith, a staunch member of St. Mary’s parish here, a good husband and father and a man who won the admiration of many friends.

Services

Fisch funeral home had charge of funeral arrangements and direction, and wake, with rosary recital held there Monday night. Burial was in St. Mary’s cemetery. Pallbearers were Joseph Lampert, Dominic Loutsch, Wm. Tentinger, Wm. Beckmann, Charles Wilberding and Anton Miller.

Survivors

Survivors are one daughter, Mrs. Helene Leona Ludolph of Los Angeles, Calif., a step-son, Clarence Heissel, member of the U.S. diplomatic staff in Copenhagen, Denmark, two sisters, Mrs. Lena Meyen of LeMars and Mrs. Margaret Frank of Remsen. (He was preceded in death by his parents, his first wife Kate Stoeber Mai, his second wife Margaret Heissel Mai, and three sons, John Mai in 1937, Nick Mai in 1950 and Lawrence Mai in 1954.)

Relatives who came from a distance to join the family in its sorrow were Mr. and Mrs. Leo Beckmann of Westbrook, Minn.; Mr. and Mrs. Ed Herrick of Alton, Ia.; Mr. and Mrs. Rollie Porter of Spirit Lake, Ia.; Mrs. Lena Meyen of LeMars and Marvin Mai of Omaha, Nebr.