Cemetery Records
| Muscatine County Iowa Cemetery Records | |
Snippet of Lutheran Homes history, submitted by Lynn McCleary.
Source: History written in celebration of the 100th Anniversary of Lutheran Homes, on file at Musser Public Library.
Within the city of Muscatine, Rev. Henry Reinemund, then pastor of Zion Lutheran Church, dreamed of caring for the needy. On December 11, 1894, he set out to establish a society for Christian Charity. The initial meeting was for discussion purposes and for a preliminary draft of articles incorporation. Those who attended this first meeting were Pastors and Lay leaders of the Zion Lutheran Church and nearby Lutheran churches. Several weeks later at the Zion Lutheran Church, under the leadership of Rev. Henry Reinemund, they resolved to band together to establish the German Evangelical Society for Christian Charities. The constitution was read in German and English and was accepted. A board of twelve trustees were elected. Pastor Reimemund was elected President.
In the June 1946 issue of the "Lutheran Homes Messenger" was a the report of a board member of 25-years, who had been present at the organizational meeting: "There are few of us left who remember that meeting in the school room of Zion Lutheran Church in Muscatine when the Society for Christian Charity was formed. I was spending Christmas vacation at the home of Pastor Reinemund and attended that meeting of January 2, 1895. There was quite a bit or argument and quite a bit of prayer. And there were 8 orphans on hand, crowded into the parsonage. The nearest home for children of our synod was up in Andrew, Iowa (near Dubuque) at the end of some impassable roads during half of the year. Such was the beginning of our work. We did not start a new home in opposition to others. It was started because 8 orphans were crying for a home and it was impossible to keep them in the parsonage any longer. For once it became known that Pastor Reinemund took in orphans the applications came in faster and faster. At the moment a judge had four children from a broken home he wished to place in the 'Reinemund Orphanage.' so with a clear vision of our duty a Society was formed."
Rev. Reinemund addressed the newly organized society, that day, with the great news that the Society had received a gift of a new house and five acres of land. This house was part of an 800-acre farm property of Benjamin Hershey, a wealthy Muscatine Lumber Baron. He had built the house as a summer home for his wife, but she never consented to live in it. After his death, his widow Elizabeth and daughter Myra donated it to the Society.
During 1895 the Hershey Home was renovated to make the building usable. Provision was made to accommodate the Reinemund family, a school and rooms for orphans and older residents, as well as cooking and dining facilities.
According to the original register, written in German script, the first child was brought to the home in January 1896 was Mabel Patten. Shortly after, Friedric M. Fritschel, the first elderly person, was admitted in 1896. He died 18 October 1897 and was the first to be buried in the Lutheran Homes cemetery.
Original gift to the Society was expanded by many gifts and donations over the years. We have found references to the Home as Reinemund Orphanage, Elizabeth Hershey Orphans Home, German Evangelical Lutheran Orphan and Old People's Home, Elizabeth Hershey Orphan and Old People's Home and Lutheran Orphan and Old People's Home.
The children’s program was closed in the mid 1960’s. Today, Lutheran Homes located at 2421 Lutheran Drive, Muscatine, still offers Assisted Living and Elder Care Services.
Information from the Lutheran Homes Cemetery Register, was submitted by Charlene Hixon in May, 2007.
Data found in the WPA Graves Registration Project was submitted by Dave Dunston.
Good luck in finding your long-last relative!!
Surname First Name Death Date Notes Aden John 6-Mar-1934 WPA - age 63 yrs. Ahlmeyer Lizzie 11-Jun-1946 Amelon Carl 9-Jul-1936 WPA - age 82 yrs. Andreas Wilhelm (F W) 26-Apr-1923 WPA - age 90 yrs. Arndt Amelia 3-Oct-1940 Barnett John 16-Nov-1943 Bauhofer Miss Mary 22-Apr-1953 Bayer Christine 11-Apr-1915 Bayer Julius 10-Jan-1912 WPA - Julius Andreas Bayer, age 77 yrs. Behrens Johanna 26-Oct-1908 Not listed on Aged Register of Lutheran Homes however marker found in cemetery Bender Margaretha 24-May-1915 WPA - age 82 yrs. Berryman Selma 9-Dec-1929 WPA - Selina Berryman, age 81 yrs. Besselman Miss Lena 25-Feb-1936 WPA - age 72 yrs. Blake August 16-Dec-1935 WPA - August Blak d. 16 Dec 1936 Brechtel Maria 3-Sep-1937 WPA - age 92 yrs. Bund Wilhelmine 23-Jan-1910 WPA - d. 29 Jan 1910, age 69 yrs. Dammeyer Conrad 3-Mar-1954 Dietz Katherine K 1-Jun-1944 Draeger Edward A 21-Jul-1947 Eckhoff Herman 25-Nov-1926 WPA - Herman Johann Eckhoff, age 70 yrs. Fenner George 16-Aug-1929 WPA - b. 17 Nov 1856 Fessler Jacob 23-Oct-1916 WPA - b. 18 Oct 1834 in Baden, Germany Finke Heinrich 27-Dec-1927 WPA - Rev. Henry Herman Finke, age 67 yrs. Finke Marianne 2-Dec-1924 WPA - Mrs. Henry Herman Finke, b. 8 Jul 1860 Fischer Emma 23-Feb-1942 Fischer Paul J 20-Apr-1949 Franck Louise 4-Nov-1904 Not listed on Aged Register of Lutheran Homes however marker found in cemetery Frerichs Fredericka 27-Mar-1942 Fritschel Friedrich 10/18/1897 Fritschel Julie 21-Feb-1911 WPA - Julia Fritschel Fritz Clara C 16-Jan-1956 Fritz John J 3-Jun-1958 Gebhardt Johann 6-Aug-1925 WPA - Johann George Fritschel, b. 19 Oct 1836 Gerdes John 11-Apr-1909 Graessle Christine 18-Oct-1914 WPA - Graesle (Mrs.) Graessle Dr. Carl L 31-Jul-1910 WPA - Graesle (Dr.) d. 28 Jul 1910 Grohman Fritz 23-Dec-1930 WPA - b. 12 Feb 1870 Guenther Alfred 10-Oct-1923 WPA - Alfred Guenter Hahn Carl 11-Jul-1926 WPA - Carl (Gottlieb) Hahn, b. 1 Apr 1854 Hall George 4-Aug-1906 WPA - George Holm Hansen Hans 6-Oct-1927 WPA - Hans Detlef Hansen, b. 10 Mar 1854 Hauptmann Gottlieb 1920 Not listed on Aged Register of Lutheran Homes however marker found in cemetery Helms Friedrich 28-Jan-1909 WPA - Frederick Holm, b. 19 Jun 1830 Hermann Christina 27-Sep-1926 WPA - Christina Herman b. 25 Dec 1847 Hermann Friedrich 8-Feb-1925 WPA - Friedrich Herman b. 20 Aug 1844 Hoensch Ludwig Carl 8-Mar-1914 WPA - Ludwig Hoensch, b. 27 Nov 1837 Hoensch Marie 6-May-1921 WPA - Maria Hoensch, b. 21 Nov 1838 Hoffman Fredricka 3-Mar-1931 WPA - b. 24 Oct 1860 d. 8? Mar 1931 Hoffman L C 19-Sep-1921 WPA - Louis Hoffman, b. 29? Jul 1839? Holm Carl 7-Dec-1909 Hopke John 9-Oct-1907 WPA - d. 9 Jan 1908 Janssen Gertrude 15-Oct-1966 Jastrow Wilhelm 3-Feb-1924 WPA - b 20 Oct 1842 Johnson John D 30-Nov-1930 WPA - John Dietrich Johnson, b 4 Dec 1859 Klaus Christian 20-May-1917 WPA - b. 11 Sep 1841 Kloos Henrietta 29-Apr-1937 WPA - b. 8 Feb 1851 d. 21 Apr 1937 Kludt Dorothea 10-Oct-1919 WPA - Dorothy Kludt, b. 4 Jun 1836 Kluge Frank 20-Apr-1964 Knospe Wilhelm 10-Jun-1923 WPA - William, Knospe, b. 16 Jan 1861 Knote August 9-May-1925 WPA - Carl Knothe, b. 24 Oct 1845 Krabjau Hennriette 9-Aug-1910 WPA - Henrietta Krabjau Kraft Simon 24-Dec-1915 WPA - Simon Krafft Krauss Johanna 15 Feb 1898 WPA - Johann Adam Krauss Kressin August 1-Sep-1921 WPA - b. 22 Mar 1842 Kroker Emil 15-Apr-1933 WPA - Rev. Emil Bernhard Kroker, b. 10 Jan 1879 Lassen Marie 4-Apr-1930 WPA - b. 1 May 1854 Lassen Matthias 10-Apr-1940 WPA - Mathias Lassen b. 5 Jul 1852 Lintow Carl 28-Feb-1908 WPA - Carl Lindow Loerpabel Heinrich 7-Jul-1902 WPA - Heinrich Loerpabal Meier Johanna 2-May-1917 WPA - b. 15 Jun 1819 Mesch Fred 4-Jan-1937 WPA - b. 29 Aug 1853 Milke Ernst 9-Jan-1908 WPA - 19 Jan 1908 Miller Richard 8-Feb-1962 Mussig Jacob 13-Mar-1940 WPA - Jacob Missig, b. 15 Nov 1854 Neth George 16-Dec-1910 WPA - George Neeth, b. 10 Feb 1834 Nolle Wilhelmine 12-Jan-1919 WPA - 22 Mar 1836 Nolting Maria 16-Feb-1937 WPA - b. 13 Feb 1842 Nordgauer George 23-Nov-1944 Nunnenkamp Wilhelm 9-Jan-1914 WPA - Wilhelm Nunenkamp b. 5 Feb 1930 Onken John 30-Aug-1940 Paustian Friedrich 30-Sep-1906 WPA - Fred Paustian Peters Anna 4-Jan-1933 Peters Louise 2-Oct-1907 WPA - Louisa Peters Peters Mrs Anna 12-Oct-1908 WPA - Anna Peters, b. 12 Aug 1837 Petersen Arthur 24-Jul-1923 WPA - Arthur Peterson, b. 8 Jun 1854 Pommerening Friedrich 9-Apr-1923 WPA - Friedrick Pommerening, b. 23 Dec 1844 Postel Gustavar 25-Mar-1929 WPA - Gustave Postel, b. 20 Jun 1853 Raub Amelie 12-Feb-1924 WPA - Maria Raub, b. 4 May 1857 Reischauer Theresa 20-Jan-1940 Remmers Siebolt 16-Nov-1950 Rieger Johann 17-May-1924 WPA - Johannas Rieger, b. 19 Sep 1837 Rietzke Carl 28-Jan-1929 WPA - b. 29 Jun 1853 Roebert Fred 11-Dec-1928 WPA - Fred Roberts, b.8 Feb 1845 Rogers Mrs Minne 13-May-1905 Rohrsdorf Carl 13-Mar-1909 Rohwerder Carl 6-Jan-1913 WPA - b. 19 Jun 1830 Rossel Paul 27-Feb-1934 WPA - b. Jan 1849 Schimpfky Fredrich 10-Jan-1951 Schmidt Fred 29-Jul-1940 Schnell Minnie 16-May-1942 Schroeder Carl 22-Feb-1934 WPA - b. 19 Jun 1849 Schuette Christian 27-Oct-1921 WPA - Christian Schuett, b. 10 Sep 1850 Schulze Sophie 23-Apr-1911 Severins Henry 2-Oct-1956 Soehl Henry 13-Jan-1938 WPA - b. 10 Dec 1844 Stoehr Freda 25-Feb-1948 Strickstock Elizabeth 20-Jul-1900 Stroesner Bertha 27-Aug-1949 Suechting Wilhelmine 18-Feb-1951 Taschner Pauline 24-Nov-1938 Templin Amelia 25-Mar-1956 Turban John F 6-Feb-1936 WPA - John F. Turbin, b. 29 Mar 1864 Unknown Elizabeth none given Not listed on Aged Register of Lutheran Homes however marker found in cemetery Van Horn George 26-Aug-1927 b. 13 Aug 1906, grew up at the Home Van Horn Kate 29-Apr-1913 b. 29 Jul 1880, had children in the Homes Wagner John 26-Jun-1938 WPA - b. 12 Mar 1859 Walter Emilie 10-Sep-1916 Weege Ferdinand 1-May-1911 WPA - Ernst Fred Weege Westhoff Arnold 28-May-1910 WPA - b. 2 Apr 1835 White Leo 1927 Not listed on Aged Register of Lutheran Homes. Orphan accidentally killed. Marker in cemetery Wickenmeyer Edmund 23-Mar-1944 Widmar John 6-Jun-1933 WPA - John Widmer, b. 21 Jun 1843 Wiese Marie Margaretha 9-Feb-1928 Wiese Peter 26-Jul-1933 Wilken Thade 28-Apr-1919 WPA - Thadden Wilk Wittig Louise 6-Feb-1933 Not listed on Aged Register of Lutheran Homes. Matron of the Home for many years. Wollbrink Annie 20-Feb-1946 Wuest Stephan 29-Nov-1954 Zezschwitz Ivon Von 21-May-1919 WPA - Evon Von Zezschwitz Ziebarth Andreas 21-Aug-1909 WPA - d. 21 Aug 1907 Ziegler Philip 18-Apr-1935 WPA - Zeigler, Philip M. b. 1 Aug 1861 Back to Cemetery Records Index Page
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This page was updated July 4, 2007 by Lynn McCleary