Hemesath, John Joseph -- 1903 - 2000

BOHR, HEMESATH, SCHEIDELMANTEL, DESSEL, TRESSEL, MCVANEY, HANKEN

Posted By: IA GenWeb Volunteer
Date: 6/24/2010 at 08:11:45

Decorah Public Opinion, Tuesday, January 11, 2000.

John Joseph Hemesath

John Joseph Hemesath, 96, of Ossian, died Saturday, Jan. 1, 2000 at the Ossian Senior Hospice.

A funeral mass was held Thursday, Jan. 6, at 11 a.m., at the St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, with the Rev. Msgr. Cletus Hawes and the Rev. Vincent Simon officiating.

Diane Stee was the organist. The congregation provided special music. Mass servers were James Rothmeyer, Joseph Frana, Andrew Frana and Theresa Frana. Readers were John's grandchildren. Eucharistic ministers were Kathy Martin and Lucy Hageman.

Casket bearers were Frank Dessel, Richard Dessel, Tom Dessel, Peter Dessel, Guy Hanken, Jeffrey Hanken, Cory Hanken, Brian Hemesath, Matthew McVaney, Thomas Hemesath, Christopher Hemesath, Russell Hemesath and Douglas Hemesath.

In honorary attendance were members of the Knights of Columbus Council No. 2073 of Ossian and the Davis Assembly of Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus.

Interment was at the St. Francis Cemetery. The Schmitz Funeral Home of Ossian handled arrangements. Visitation included a Knights of Columbus Fourth Degree Honor Guard and Knights of Columbus Rosary.

John Joseph Hemesath was born Sept 22, 1903, one mile east of Ossian on the family farm of his parents, William and Catherine (Bohr) Hemesath.

He was baptized Sept. 23, 1903, by the Rev. C. B. Lechtenberg and confirmed May 21, 1916, by the Archbishop James J. Keane at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Ossian.

He received his education at the De Sales School and returned to the farm to help with the work.

On Sept. 4, 1928, he was united in marriage to lola Scheidelmantel at St. Frances de Sales Church by the Rt. Rev. Msgr. M. J. Thiltgen. After their marriage, they resided on the Hemesath family farm east of Ossian, where he and his wife raised eight children.

They moved into Ossian in 1993. His wife, lola, died in 1995. John continued to live in his own home until June 18, 1997, when he entered the Ossian Senior Hospice.

John was a lifetime member of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, a past parish trustee and an honorary member of the St. Francis Rosary Society. He joined the Ossian Council No. 2073 of Knights of Columbus in June of 1924, and the Davis Assembly of the Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus in 1957.

With family and friends, John received much enjoyment by storytelling, playing cards and fishing. He played the valve trombone in the Hemesath and Ossian bands.

Survivors include his children, Dr. Carl and Jeanie Hemesath of Bonita, Calif., Jack and Karen Hemesath of Castalia, Greg Hemesath of Louisville, Ky., Elsie and William Dessel of Ossian, Bernice and Mark Tressel of Charles Town, West Virginia, and Sister Tekakwitha (Germaine) Hemesath of Arlington, Mass., and Colette McVaney of Omaha, Neb.

Also surviving are 29 grandchildren, Frank Dessel, Nancy Burke, Richard Dessel, Thomas Dessel, Peter Dessel, Lorna Rothmeyer, Marguerite Costigan, Jean Frana, Susan Dessel, Gail Mathis, Guy Hanken, Wendy
Hanken, Jeffrey Hanken, Cory Hanken, Brian Hemesath, Thomas Hemesath, Amy Ruland, Beth Lane, Christopher Hemesath, Russell Hemesath, Renee Matt, Naomi Harm, Natalie Hemesath, Douglas Hemesath, Car men Hemesath, Mieka Hemesath, Matthew McVaney, Kathy Martin and Maureen Hill.

Other survivors include 48 great grandchildren; two sisters-in-law, Helen Hemesath of Glenview, IL, and Marie Scheidelmantel of Canute, Okla.; and many nieces and nephews.

John Hemesath was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, lola, who died May 30, 1995; one daughter, Irma Hanken, Sept. 1, 1985; two grandsons, Martin Tressel and Darren Hemesath; two sons-in-law, Donald Hanken and Donald McVaney; five brothers, Frank, the Rev. Gregory, Leo, William and George Hemesath; and five sisters, Sister Caroline Hemesath O.S.F., Sister Lucia, Sister Dolora Hemesath, Caroline as an infant, and Caroline Mary Hemesath.

Transcribed by an IA GenWeb Volunteer from obituaries found in the Howard-Winneshiek Genealogy Society Library, Cresco, Iowa.