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 added by Dave Dunston.

In 2009, the markers in the cemetery were photographed by members of the Muscatine County Genealogical Society.
See Iowa Gravestone Photo Project to view the pictures.

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. Obit names Margaret
Berryman	Selma	9-Dec-1929	WPA - Selina Berryman, age 81 yrs.
Besselman	Miss Lena	25-Feb-1936	WPA - age 72 yrs.
Bienenhaus	Mrs M	24-Apr-1921	Per obituary; burial at Home cemetery. No stone found. Born Sep 1820 in Germany.
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. Stone & obit name Christina
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	18-Oct-1897
Fritschel	Julie	21-Feb-1911	WPA - Julia Fritschel. Obit names Julia
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. Obit names John George
Gerdes	John	11-Apr-1909
Gottesacker	Luther	none given	West side of momunment. In Memory of the Departed in the Ev. (Evangelical) Lutheran Orphanage and Old People Home, Muscatine, IA, 1901. Luther Gottesacker may not be buried in this cemetery. He might of been the one who placed this memorial stone or the person who carved it. South side of monument see Elizabeth Strickstock.
Graessle	Christine	18-Oct-1914	WPA - Graesle (Mrs.). Stone reads Frau Doctor Christine
Graessle	Dr. Carl L	31-Jul-1910	WPA - Graesle (Dr.) d. 28 Jul 1910. Obit names Dr. Otto Graessle
Grohmann	Fritz	23-Dec-1930	WPA - b. 12 Feb 1870 spells Grohman
Guenther	Alfred	10-Oct-1923	WPA - Alfred Guenter
Hahn	Carl	11-Jul-1926	WPA - Carl (Gottlieb) Hahn, b. 1 Apr 1854
Holl	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?. Obit names Ludwig Carl
Holm	Carl	7-Dec-1909
Hopke	Johannes	9-Oct-1907	WPA - d. 9 Jan 1908 spells John
Janssen	Gertrude	15-Oct-1966
Jastrow	Wilhelm	3-Feb-1924	WPA - b 20 Oct 1842
Johnson	Elizabeth	none given	Not listed on Aged Register of Lutheran Homes however marker found in cemetery. Shares stone with Son, Johnson
Johnson	John D	30-Nov-1930	WPA - John Dietrich Johnson, b 4 Dec 1859
Johnson	Son	11-Feb 1857?	Shares stone with Elizabeth. B. 14-May-1850? Son of B. & E. Johnson. Hard to read.
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. Obit spells Krobjan
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	Obit spells Notdganer
Nunnenkamp	Wilhelm	9-Jan-1914	WPA - Wilhelm Nunenkamp b. 5 Feb 1930
Onken	John	30-Aug-1940
Paustian	Frau Ida	1906	b. 1822 shares marker with Friedrich
Paustian	Friedrich	30-Sep-1906	WPA - Fred Paustian
Peters	Anna	4-Jan-1933
Peters	Frau 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	Gustav H	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	Gottfred	11-Dec-1928	WPA - Fred Roberts, b. 8 Feb 1845. Obit names Fred Roberts
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	Father Rev Fredrich Emil	10-Jan-1951
Schmidt	Fred	29-Jul-1940
Schnell	Minnie	16-May-1942	Obit names Minna
Schroeder	Carl	22-Feb-1934	WPA - b. 19 Jun 1849
Schuette	Christian	27-Oct-1921	WPA - Christian Schuett, b. 10 Sep 1850. Obit names Christen Schuett
Schulze	Fraulein Sophie	23-Apr-1911	(Miss Sophie)
Severins	Henry	2-Oct-1956
Soehl	Henry	13-Jan-1938	WPA - b. 10 Dec 1844
Staehr	Frieda	25-Feb-1948	Top of stone reads House Mother of Boys Home - under dates, Pasalm 23:1
Strickstock	Elizabeth	20-Jul-1900	shares monument with Gottesacker, Luther
Stroessner	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
Van Horn	George	26-Aug-1927
Van Horn	Kate	29-Apr-1913
Von Zezschwitz	Ivan Von	21-May-1919	WPA - Evon Von Zezschwitz
Wagner	John	26-Jun-1938	WPA - b. 12 Mar 1859
Weege	Ferdinand	1-May-1911	WPA - Ernst Fred Weege. Obit names Ernst F.
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	Obit names Edmund A. Wickemeyer
Widmer	John	6-Jun-1933	WPA - b. 21 Jun 1843
Wiese	Marie Margaretha	9-Feb-1928
Wiese	Peter	26-Jul-1933
Wietze	Martha H	1974	Not listed on Aged Register of Lutheran Homes. Stone b. 1884
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. On top of stone: Orphans Mother. Phil 1:21 Christus Derist Mein leben
Wollbrink	Annie	20-Feb-1946
Wolter	Emilie	10-Sep-1916
Wuest	Stephan	29-Nov-1954
Ziebarth	Andreas	21-Aug-1909	WPA - d. 21 Aug 1907
Ziegler	Philip	18-Apr-1935	WPA - Zeigler, Philip M. b. 1 Aug 1861

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Page updated June 30, 2011 by Lynn McCleary