Martha Belle (Nitcher) Sowers 1880 - 1956

SOWERS, NITCHER, PEIKERT, BIELEFELDT, LINDSAY

Posted By: Linda H Meyers (email)
Date: 6/8/2008 at 16:20:49

Martha Belle Nitcher Sowers, fourth child of George and Mary Katherine Nitcher, was born April 19, 1880 at Centropolis, Kansas. She passed away at 5 p.m., Saturday, November 10, 1956 at the age of 76 years, 6 months and 29 days, at the Story City hospital, Story City, Iowa.
Martha was united in marriage to George Russell Sowers on September 5, 1906 at Pomona, Kansas. They established their home on the farm where George had been farming in Story County, Iowa. To this union were born three children, Clare of Williamburg, Kansas, Jeanette (Mrs. Frank Peikert) of State College, Penn. and Dorothy (Mrs. Vere Bielefeldt) of Roland, Iowa.
In 1938 Martha and George retired from their farm in Milford twonship, to Story City where she resided until the time of her death.
Martha was preceded in death by her husband, George, on December 3, 1953. She leaves to mourn besides her children Clare, Jeanette and Dorothy, nine grandchildren, Donald and Dona Bielefeldt, Frand and Alice Peikert, Michael, Roger, James, Merlin and Robert Sower. One sister Mrs. Ethel Lindsay, and six brothers, Albert, Orvel, Ben, Simon, Walter, and Ray Nitcher.
At a very early age of four, Martha started her education at a country school in Kansas. She later attended and graduated from Kansas State Agricultural College at Manhattan, Kansas in 1901, then she did graduate work at Iowa State College. She taught school in Milford township prior to her marriage.
Marhta had always taken an active part in all community work. She helped to organize and was the first president of Milford Parent-Teacher Association. For a number of years she served as secretary to the Story County Sunday School Association. She was very active as chairman on the many community drives. She was a member of the Story City Women's Club and served as its president. She also has served as Fifth District Poetry Chairman of the State Federated Women's Club. For the past 12 years she has served as a member of the Story County Welfare Board.
Martha's greatest happiness was in having her friends drop in to see her and knowing that she in her small way could cheer and comfort them. One might say, "She lived, not for selfish aims, but to share joys with others, thus best could her own happiness be secured."
Funeral services were held Tuesday, November 13 at Grace EUB church in Story City, with the Rev. W. D. Winters and the Rev. Raymond Shipman of Ames, officiating. Interment was in Roland cemetery.

---from the Roland Record November 22, 1956