"Resident of the
Month"
Interviews featuring residents at the Postville Good Samaritan
home.
- L -
Transcribed by S. Ferrall for Clayton co.
IAGenWeb
Any notes following the biographies were added by S. Ferrall.
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Gustov 'Gus' Lenth
The November spotlight focuses on Gus Lenth as the resident of the month at the Good Samaritan Center.
Gus was born March 23, 1892, the third child in a family of 11 children born to John P. and Dorothea (Harnack) Lenth. His brothers and sisters live in Monona with the exception of Louis of Postville and Wilbert, now deceased. They are: Herbert, Ernest, Elmer, John, Ella Jarms, Hilda Miller, Esther Palas and Nora Haberichter.
Gus received his education in the Evergreen Grove rural school near their home south of Luana in Monona township. He also attended two years of German Confirmation schooll in Luana, being taught to read and write German along with their study of the Lutheran religion.
One fall, Gus recalls, he and two of his friends spent several weeks helping with a threshing crew near the Winipeg, Canada area.
When Gus finished his schooling, his father rented another farm from his mother's parents and Gus and brother Wilbert operated this for two years, with the help of his brothers and sisters. They enjoyed visiting and having Gus do the cooking for them. Pancakes were his speciality.
On February 18, 1914, Gus married Anna Martins at Luana, and they then purchased the farm. Their family consists of Harvey (deceased), Harold of Farmersburg; Lloyd of Elkader and Bernita Landgrebe of Miller, South Dakota. There are 12 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
For many years Gus served as director of the Farmers' Commission Co. at Farmersburg, was director of the Gooding School in Wagner township, of the Lutheran Church Council at Farmersburg, director of the Luana Ceamery, director of the Garnavillo Mutual Ins. Co. and served on many other committees and boards.
He and Mrs. Lenth retired to Farmerburg in 1943 and Gus found himself as busy as ever. He worked at the Palas Implement for ten years, helped out at local restaurants and on his son's farms.
He entered the Good Samaritan Center in April of 1972, enjoys playing cards, Bingo and most of the other activities.
~Postville Herald, Wednesday, November 6, 1974 (column: Resident of the Month, Good Samaritan Center, Postville, Iowa)
~Gus Lenth's obituary
~Anna Martins' obituary
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Martha W. Schroeder Lestina
Martha Lestina, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Schroeder, was born September 24, 1885 in Giard Township, Clayton County, on a farm near Monona. She attended the country school near the farm home.
Martha was married to Frank Lestina in 1903. The couple had three children. They are Walter Lestina of Ossian, Mrs. Allice Kottman and Mrs. Hazel Blumhagen of Monona. There are five grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild.
In 1968 Mrs. Lestina suffered a fractured hip and became a resident of the Luana Rest Home. She became a resident of the Postville Good Samaritan Center in June of 1969.
~Postville Herald, Wednesday, February 28, 1973 (column: Resident of the Month, Good Samaritan Center, Postville, Iowa)
~Martha Lestina's death notice (I did not find an obituary - there is family info. in Frank's obit)
~Frank Lestina's obituary
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