Frank Martin Cerka (1869-1950)

CERKA, BORCHERT, BURGESS, BOLT, DANNE, BALLINGER

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 5/17/2021 at 16:53:13

From Nevada Evening Journal July 18, 1950 (page 6)

Final Rites For Zearing Resident

ZEARING -- Funeral services were held Friday afternoon, July 14, for Frank Cerka, long time resident of Zearing at the Evangelical United Brethren church there with Rev. R. A. Danner officiating. Interment was in the Zearing mauoleum.

Obituary

Frank Martin Cerka, son of William and Fredrika Cerka, was born June 26, 1869, at Montour, Iowa, and died July 11, 1950, at the age of 81 years and 15 days. He passed away at Elmcrest Nursing Home in Des Moines, having been a patient there since June 3rd. Death was caused by a cerebral hemmorhage following several years of illness as a result of hardening of the arteries.

Preceding his entrance to the nursing home he spent fourteen months in the home of his son, Walter, at Defiance, Iowa. Prior to that time he lived in LeMars for three years with his daughter, Ruth.

Mr. Cerka had lived in the Zearing community since his childhood, knowing the hardships of early settlement, having herded cattle on the open prairie as a boy. He followed the profession of farming until he moved to town, Zearing, in 1940.

On March 15, 1898, he was joined in marriage with Matilda Burgess* of Lake View, Iowa. To this union were born two sons, Vance, who died in 1915 at the age of 16 years, and Walter, and a daughter, Ruth. A step-daughter, Pearl*, shared the love and devotion of their home.

Mr. and Mrs. Cerkka joined the Evangelical church in 1904 during an evangelical service and for many years he served his church as a trustee and steward, also serving several years as janitor. He loved his church and was very faithful in attendance at all regular and special services.

Mr. and Mrs. Cerka celebrated their fiftieth anniversary in LeMars at the home of their daughter in 1948 and lived together until Mrs. Cerka passed away June 4 of last years.

Survivors

Mr. Cerka is survived by a son, Walter of Defiance, two daughters, Pearl Bolt of Amarillo, Tex., and Ruth Danne of Le Mars, five grandchildren, one brother, Ben and one sister, Esther Ballinger, both of Zearing. He was preceded in death by two brothers and a sister.

Those attending were from Guernsey, Montezuma, Victor, Carroll, Nevada, LeMars, Colo, Ackley, Des Moines, Rhodes, St. Anthony, and Zearing.

*SUBMITTER'S NOTE: Matilda Burgess' maiden name was Matilda Borchert. She was the daughter of Herman Borchert and Ernstina Bachman. She first married William Burgess by whom she had a daughter, Pearl Inez Burgess, who is mentioned in the obituary as Frank Cerka's step daughter.