Dexter, Charles E. 1884-1951

DEXTER, WILCOX, SAFRIS, ERWIN, BLACKFORD, LONG

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 5/26/2011 at 07:25:02

The Grinnell (IA) Herald-Register

FUNERAL SERVICES FOR CHAS. E. DEXTER

Friends from all over the county attended funeral services for County Clerk Chas. E. Dexter in the Steffy funeral home in Montezuma Sunday afternoon. The service was conducted by Rev. Wm. Welsh, who had performed the marriage ceremony for Mr. and Mrs. Dexter. Piano selections were played by Miss Alice Underwood.

Active pall bearers were Carl E. Child, Chas. P. Vogel, and F.W. Tomasek of Grinnell and R.J. Smith, E.W. McNeil and Norman McFarlin of Montezuma.

Honorary pall bearers, chosen from Mr. Dexter's close friends in the court house were O.C. Mason, county auditor, R.J. McDonald, county treasurer, Fred Cochran, sheriff, Carl Olson, county engineer, Kelley Davis, county assessor, and the members of the board of supervisors, Clifford Braley, Clem DeMeulenaere and Harry Miller.

Burial was in the Jackson township cemetery.

Charles Edward Dexter, son of Harry and Margaret Bell Dexter, was born in Chicago, Ill., on Oct. 30, 1884, and passed away at his home in Montezuma on Dec. 27, 1951. He was one of a family of nine children, six sons and three daughters.

After spending his early years near Shelbina, Mo., he located in Sheridan township where he was married to Lucy Blanche McFate, on Feb. 20, 1907.

To this union four children were born, two sons and two daughters: Everett of Chicago, Ill.; (Ruth) Mrs. R.T. Wilcox, of Sacramento, Calif.; (Bernice) Mrs. W.E. Safris, of Des Moines, and Charles Cecil, of Sacramento, Calif.

The Dexters moved to Grinnell in 1918 and lived there for twenty years. All of their children graduated from Grinnell high school.

Mr. Dexter has served as county clerk of Poweshiek county since Jan. 1, 1939.

He was a good father, a genial, kindly man and will be missed by a large circle of friends. Four brothers preceded Mr. Dexter in death, Franklin, Robert Truman, Merritt Waller, and Walter Friar. He leaves to mourn his passing, his wife, four children, four grandchildren, Judith and Richard Wilcox, Charles and Richard Safris; three sisters, Mrs. Ernest Erwin, Mrs. Georgena Blackford, and Mrs. Edith Long, all of Shelbina, Mo.; and his brother, Joe Dexter, of Grinnell.