Large, Martha (Mrs. Isaac S.), abt. 1872-1957

LARGE, GROSSENBURG, STOFFER

Posted By: Lydia Lucas - Volunteer (email)
Date: 6/13/2021 at 20:33:35

From the Rock Valley Bee, June 20, 1957

Mrs. Large, 85, Dies in Minnesota

Mrs, Martha Large, 85, died at a hospital at Wilmar, Minn., about the first of June. She left Rock Valley about 11 years ago and has spent several years at the Bethesda nursing home there. She was buried at Wilmar.

Mrs. Large, the former Martha Grossenburg, lived here as a young woman and was married to Isaac S. Large October 27, 1892. One daughter, Wilhemina, was born to this union. Mr. Large died at Rock Valley Jan. 25, 1936. She is survived by her daughter, Mrs. Henry Rath, and five grandchildren and some great grandchildren. She was the last member of the Grossenburg family.

She was an active member of the Methodist church, being in the Sunday school, the Ladies Aid and the Woman's Missionary Society, and worked with the Junior and Epworth Leagues. She was very well known here and was the aunt of Leo Grossenburg.

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RESEARCH NOTES

Her Minnesota death certificate, #1957-MN-008146, gives her full name as Martha Magdalene Large; age 85, born in Wisconsin September 25, 1873[?]; father John Grossenburg, mother’s name not given; spouse Isaac Large, widowed; usual residence, Rock Valley, Sioux County, Iowa; died at the Rice Memorial Hospital, Willmar, Kandiyohi County, where she had been for 5 weeks, on June 2, 1957; cause of death, metastatic carcinoma of colon, duration about 6 months; an operation was performed 4-30-1957, finding “malignant cells in paracentesis fluid (abdomen)”; buried June 5 in Bethesda Home Cemetery, Willmar.

No obituary was found in the Willmar newspaper for June 3-5.

There seems to be some uncertainty as to her birth date. The year on her death certificate is unclear, appearing to be 1873. Her FindaGrave.com page gives her birth date as 25 Sep 1875, although the accompanying photo of her headstone shows life dates of 1872-1957. FindaGrave shows her burial place as Eagle Lake Lutheran Church Cemetery, Willmar.

The Sioux County marriage register for 1892/1893 shows groom Isaac S. Large, age 24, resident of Rock Valley, a merchant, born in Floyd County, Iowa, father Francis A. Large, mother Refsnider; bride Martha M. Grosenburg, age 22, resident of Rock Valley, born in Grand[i.e., Grant] County, Wisconsin, parents John Grosenburg and Moloney Stuffer; married at Rock Valley October 27, 1892.

The 1925 Iowa state census shows Ike and Martha Large living in Rock Valley; her father as John Grossenburg, born in Switzerland; mother’s name is full of write-overs and strikeouts, but appears to be Lavona Stoffer, also born in Switzerland. Martha is still living in Rock Valley in the 1940 census.