Melchers, Dena (Mrs. Jake) 1889-1941

MELCHERS, MIERAS

Posted By: Lydia Lucas - Volunteer (email)
Date: 7/18/2022 at 19:14:54

From the Sioux Center News, April 10, 1941:

Mrs. Jake Melchers Dies At Orange City.

Orange City, Ia.—Special: Mrs. Jake Melchers, 51, of Sioux City, died Wednesday afternoon at the home of her sister, Mrs. Henry Westra, here. Death was caused by dropsy and heart trouble. She had been critically ill for only a day and a half. Funeral services will be held Saturday in Maurice, at the home of a sister, Mrs. Ada Ard, and in the First Ref. Church. Burial will be at Maurice where she was born.

Surviving are her widower, Jake Melcher of Lamont, Ia., who arrived here just an hour after his wife's death; four sisters, Mr. Ard, Mrs. Westra, Mrs. Peter Vander Poppe, Maurice, and Mrs. J. W. Kemp of Lewiston Mont., and two brothers, Peter Mieras of Orange city and Jake Mieras of Maurice. Mr. and Mrs. Melchers were planning to move to Lamont this week where Mr. Melchers is an instructor in a CCC camp.

* * * * * * * * * *

From the Alton Democrat, April 11, 1941, Maurice news:

Funeral services were held here Saturday afternoon in the First Reformed church at 1:30 o’clock for Mrs. Jake Melchers of Sioux City who passed away on Wednesday, April 2, at the home of her sister, Mrs. H. M. Westra, near Orange City. Mrs. Melchers had been in poor health for a number of years with her death being attributed to heart trouble and dropsy.

Dena Mieras was born Sept. 30, 1890, on a farm one and a half miles east of Maurice. She grew to womanhood in this community and spent practically her entire life here. In 1919 she was united in marriage to Jake Melcher and for 18 years they lived on farms near here until about 4 years ago when she moved with her husband to Sioux City where she had since made her home. A few weeks ago she came to the home of her sister, Mrs. Ard, here, where she was cared for until a few days before her death when she was moved to the home of Mrs. Westra.

Besides her husband she is survived by four sisters: Mrs. Ada Ard and Mrs. Peter Vander Poppe of Maurice, Mrs. Lillian Kemp of Lewistown, Mont., and Mrs. H. M. Westra of Orange City; two brothers: Jake of Maurice and Peter of Orange City. She was preceded in death by her parents who died many years ago, and one brother, Adrian, who passed away two years ago.

Rev. J. Roggen, pastor of the First Reformed church conducted the services, assisted by Rev. H. Van Raalfe, pastor of the American Reformed church. Burial was made in the Sherman township cemetery.

* * * * * * * * * *

RESEARCH NOTES

Her death certificate (informant Henry Westra) has Dena Melchers, wife of Jacob Melchers; resident of Sioux City; born Sept. 30, 1889 in Maurice; parents Lewis Mieras and Jennie Mieras, both born in the Netherlands; died in Orange City, where she had resided 1 week, on April 2, 1941; cause, decompensation of the heart, duration several years; due to valvular deficiency of mitral and aortic[?] valves, due to rheumatism; buried in Sherman Township Cemetery near Maurice.

Her FindaGrave.com page gives her life dates as 30 Sep 1889 to 2 Apr 1941, with a photo of her headstone; parents Lewis Mieras (1850-1906) and Jennie Mieras Mieras (1866-1925); 7 siblings listed; husband Jacob Hendrich Melchers (1889-1972, married 1920). (Jacob’s FindaGrave.com page shows him to have remarried, to Sylvia Eldora Campbell, and to be buried in Indiana.)

The Sioux County marriage register for 1919/1920 has groom Jacob Hendrik Melchers, age 31, resident of Maurice, a farmer, born in Amsterdam, Netherlands, parents Andries Melchers and Marie Y. W. Geride; bride Dean[sic] Ada Meiras, age 30, resident of Maurice, born in Maurice, parents Louis Mieras and Jennie Mieras, married in Orange City January 8, 1920.