Koester, Martin 1824-1904

KOESTER, GWIN, SEARS, MEYER

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 1/19/2012 at 19:58:02

Newspaper Obituary dated March 22, 1904

MARTIN KOESTER

Martin Koester was born at Holstein, Denmark, August 6th, 1824, and died at the Iowa Soldiers' Home Hospital at Marshalltown, Iowa, March 19th, 1904.

At the age of eighteen years he came to this country. He was a resident of Scott county for several years. Later on he came to Brooklyn, Ia., where in the year 1861 he was married to Mrs. Eliza Gwin. To them were born four children, three of whom survive him, John A. of Ralston, Ia., Alice M. now Mrs. M.E. Sears of Chester Center, Ia., and Mary M. of Grinnell, Ia.

During the War of the Rebellion he was a member of Co. H, 28th Iowa Vol. Infantry. He entered the service in Jan. 1864 and remained there until honorably discharged at the close of the war. He was also a member of the Drake G.A.R. Post.

At Malcom, Ia., in 1870 he was again married to Mary E. Meyer, who died Dec. 25th, 1899. To them were born seven children, four of whom are living, C.N. of Des Moines, Iowa, F.W. of Sibley, Iowa, Frances M. and C.M. of Malcom, Iowa.

He was a very affectionate and indulgent father, often sacrificing his own comfort and pleasure for his children. He spoke ill of no one, and always gave a goodly word and did a charitable act when it was in his power to do so. His home was at Malcom until January 1903, when he went to the hospital at Marshalltown for special treatment for a chronic trouble of long standing. He received no permanent benefit and in February he had a partial stroke of paralysis from which he never recovered. That with blood poisoning in his left hand was more than one his age could endure and after weeks of terrible suffering he passed away peacefully to his long rest at 4:30 p.m Saturday.

The funeral was held at the M.E. Church at Malcom at 2:30 p.m. Monday conducted by Rev. W.S. Kight, of Lovillia, Iowa assisted by Rev. D. Phillips of Malcom, Iowa.