Mrs. Rosalia Greef

GREEF, KNECHT

Posted By: Volunteer - Rich Lowe
Date: 3/26/2003 at 14:01:09

MRS. GREEF DEAD

AGED MOTHER OF THE GREEF
BROTHERS PASSES AWAY.

Was One of Pittsburg’s Most Lovable
Women – Remains to Be Taken
to Iowa Tomorrow.

[hand written on obit is "1906"]

Mrs. Rosalia Greef, aged 79 years, died at noon today, at the home of Mr. Julius Greef, after an illness of nearly a year. The immediate cause of her death was stomach trouble. The beginning of her illness dated back to last January, when she was seized with an attack of lagrippe.

Mrs. Greef was born in the beautiful valley of the Rhine, near the city of Cologne, Prussia, where she resided in the old ancestral home for twenty years of her life.

During the Revolution which swept over Europe in 1848, her family left the Fatherlands, sacrificing the old homestead and landed? property, which had been handed down through preceding generations, and started out to begin a new life in America, the haven of so many of their fellow countrymen.

A few years later they moved to Southeastern Iowa, their home for thirty years, previous to taking up their residence in this city, in the year 1890.

She was of a modest and retiring disposition and while her circle of friends here was limited, owing to her advanced age, she took an active interest in the welfare of all with whom she came in contact, and delighted in their friendship. She was confirmed in the Lutheran church, at her birthplace, and while taking no active part in church affairs here, she always lived up to her high ideals of Christianity, and religion in daily life. Charitably disposed towards all poor and worty [sic] applicants, she took pleasure in many acts of kindness to all who applied and sought out those who were too modest to make their sufferings known.

Her greatest pleasure in life was in making an ideal home for her family. No sacrifice was too great for her to attain this object.

The family located in and near St. Louis where the deceased was married to H.F. Greef, an old friend of the family, in the year 1850.

This devotion was her ruling passion through three generations of her family. Almost her last conscious days were spent in planning for the welfare of her loved ones and when she realized the hopelessness of recovery was perfectly resigned to her fate.

Three sons and one daughter are left to mourn her death and to cherish the memory of one whose life will always be a sacred inspiration to follow.

The remains will be interred in the family vault at Eldora, Iowa, where the last funeral rites will be held. Her only surviving daughter, Mrs. Rosina Knecht, and Mr. and Mrs. Albert H. Greef will lave on the 11:40 Frisco train tomorrow morning for Iowa. A private service will be held at the family residence at 10:40 immediately after starting [unreadable].

[This obit furnished courtesy of the Redheads and the Hansons, previous and current owners of the Mason House Inn of Bentonsport]