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Herman Gerken (1819-1875)
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| Louise (Kerkhoff) Mormann (1888-1969) was a daughter of Herman and Mary (Gerken) Kerkhoff. She married Ben Mormann. Louise was a niece of my great-grandfather Henry Gerken and a first cousin to my grandfather Ewald Gerken. T.L. | ||||
Ben and Louise (Kerkhoff) Mormann
Louise Kerkhoff was born on May 31, 1888, at Petersburg, Iowa, the fifth of five children born to Herman and Mary (Gerken) Kerkhoff. Her siblings were Anna, Margaret "Maggie," Alphonse, and Rosa. She married Bernard Leo Mormann on April 25, 1917, at SS. Peter and Paul Church at Petersburg, Iowa. He was born on March 9, 1895, to Henry and Agnes (Deppe) Mormann.
 Ben and Louise (Kerkhoff) Mormann, his brother John Mormann, and her niece, Valeria Link |
Ceremony Performed by Rev. H. Forkenbrock
Petersburg, Ia.--SS. Peter and Paul's Church was the scene of a pretty wedding last Wednesday morning, when Miss Louise Kerkhoff became the bride of Mr. Ben Mormann. The ceremony took place at eight o'clock in the presence of a large circle of relatives and friends. Rev. Father Loosbrock read the nuptial mass. The couple were attended by Miss Valeria Link of Guttenberg, a niece of the bride, and Mr. John Mormann, a brother of the groom, was best man.
The bride was beautifully attired in a gown of white messaline trimmed with silk lace and bead trimmings. She wore a full bridal veil and carried a bouquet of pink carnations.
After the ceremony at the church, the bridal couple repaired to the home of the bride's mother, where a reception was given to near relatives and friends of the contracting parties. The were the recipients of many costly and beautiful gifts as tokens of esteem.
The bride is the estimable daughter of Mrs. Mary Kerkhoff and is possessed of those accomplishments that go to make a happy home. Her kind and loving disposition has endeared her to a large circle of friends. She is well fitted for her duties in her new state of life. The groom is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Mormann and is an energetic and trustworthy young man. He holds a position with his father, who conducts a general store and is also engaged in the livestock business at this place. His manly traits of character have won for him an unlimited number of friends.
The happy couple will go to housekeeping at this place and their legion of friends wish them every success on the sea of matrimony. The family farmed at Petersburg, Iowa, and Ben also worked as a truck driver. Ben and Louise Mormann had five children, LuVerne Mormann, Arthur Mormann, Evelyn Mormann, Walter Mormann, and Agnes Mormann.
Ben L. Mormann dies.
Bernard "Ben" Leo Mormann, 69, of rural Petersburg, Iowa, died Sunday, September 13, 1964, at the Snodgrass Nursing Home in Coggon, Ia. Friends called at the Kramer Funeral Home in Dyersville, Ia., after 7 p.m., Monday, September 14. Funeral services were held at 10 a.m., Wednesday, September 16, at SS. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Petersburg, with the Rev, Fred Fangmann of Dubuque offering the Requiem High Mass. The casket bearers were Elmer Tegeler, Eldon Kerkhoff, James Althoff, William Mormann Jr., Walter Ovel, and Henry Albert Roling.
Mr. Mormann was survived by his wife Louise; three sons, LuVerne of Earlville, Ia., Arthur of Colesburg, Ia., and Walter of Earlville, Ia.; two daughters, Mrs. Elmer (Evelyn) Geistkemper of Oelwein, Ia., and Mrs. Melvin (Agnes) Mensen of Manchester, Ia.; 20 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; two brothers, Andrew of Cedar Rapids, Ia., and William of Petersburg, Ia.; four sisters, Mrs. Frank Althoff of Earlville, Ia., Mrs. George Ovel of Waterloo, Ia., Mrs. Alvin Arens of Dyersville, Ia., and Mrs. Sam Blume of Prairie du Chien, Wis.; one half brother, Henry of Dyersville, Ia.; and three half sisters, Mrs. Leanda Fangmann, Mrs. Edward Wedewer, and Mrs. Elmer Boge, all of Dyersville, Ia. He was preceded in death by his parents, one brother, one sister, one half brother, and one half sister.
Mrs. Louise (Kerkhoff) Mormann dies.
The death of Mrs. Louise Mormann occurred at the Delaware County Memorial Hospital in Manchester, Iowa, Sunday morning, July 6, 1969. She had been making her home with her daughter, Mrs. Melvin Mensen at Earlville, Iowa, and was 81 years old.
Friends called at the Kramer Funeral Home at Dyersville, where the parish Wake Service was held Tuesday evening, July 8, in the Kramer Funeral Home and from where the cortege began to SS. Peter and Paul Church at Petersburg on Wednesday, July 9th, for the requiem high mass offered at 10 a.m. by Father Fred Fangmann. The pastor, Father David Wheeler, was present in the sanctuary. Burial was in the parish cemetery at Petersburg. The pallbearers were Lyle and Steve Mensen, Rick Mormann, Jim Geistkemper, Lawrence Mormann, and Wayne Mormann, all grandsons.
Surviving are three sons: Vern and Walter Mormann of Earlville, Ia., and Art Mormann of Colesburg, Ia., two daughters, Mrs. Melvin (Agnes) Mensen of Earlville, Ia., and Mrs. Elmer (Evelyn) Geistkemper of Oelwein, Ia. Also surviving are 21 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Children of Ben and Louise (Kerkhoff) Mormann:
- LuVerne H. Mormann was born on May 23, 1918, in Petersburg, Iowa, son of Ben and Louise (Kerkhoff) Mormann. LuVerne Mormann married Catherine Lucille Hansel on January 5, 1943, at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Earlville, Iowa. Vern and Catherine Mormann lived at Earlville, Iowa. Vern served his country in the Army from 1944 to 1946 as a private first class. He worked for the Illinois Central Railroad for 20 years and Farm Service until his retirement in 1981. Vern was a volunteer fireman in Earlville for 20 years. He enjoyed playing cards and going fishing, but, most of all, he loved his family.
LuVerne "Vern" H. Mormann, 84, of Earlville, Iowa, died Tuesday, March 18, 2003, at Mercy Medical Center in Dubuque, Iowa, after a brief illness. Family and friends called from 2 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, March 19, at Kramer Funeral Home in Dyersville, Iowa. Funeral services were held at 2 p.m., Thursday, March 20, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Earlville, with the Reverend Herbert Tegeler officiating. Burial was in St. Joseph Cemetery at Earlville, where military rites were accorded by the American Legion.
Mr. Mormann was survived by his wife, Catherine, of Earlville, Ia.; two daughters, Mary Ann (George) Nicholson, of Las Vegas, Nev., and Patricia Ann Hoefer, of Traer, Ia.; seven grandchildren, Bruce Niehaus, Brad Niehaus, Brenda Gray, Tom Steward, Jamie Hoefer, Sarah Hoefer and Heather Waite; 13 great-grandchildren; a great-great-grandchild; and a sister, Agnes Mensen, of Earlville, Ia. He was preceded in death by his parents; two grandchildren, Judy and Brian; two brothers, Art and Walter; and a sister, Evelyn Geistkemper. - Arthur Alphonse Mormann was born on October 18, 1919, at Petersburg, Iowa, son of Ben and Louise (Kerkhoff) Mormann. Art was a World War II Army veteran, serving from October 10, 1941, until January 2, 1946. Arthur Mormann married Abbie Lammers on June 10, 1947, at SS. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Petersburg. Art and Abbie Mormann farmed in the Colesburg, Iowa, area for many years, retiring in 1988.
Arthur A. Mormann, 75, of Colesburg, Iowa, died after a sudden illness, Monday morning, July 3, 1995, near Colesburg. Family and friends called after 2 p.m., Wednesday, July 5, at the Leonard-Vernon Funeral Home in Edgewood, Iowa, where there was a scripture service at 3 p.m. and a rosary at 7:30 p.m. Funeral services were at 11 a.m., Thursday, July 6, at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Colesburg. Burial was in the church cemetery, where military rites were accorded by the Colesburg American Legion, Post 582.
Mr. Mormann was survived by his wife, Abbie Mormann, of Colesburg, Ia.; four sons, Lawrence (Joyce) Mormann, of Worthington, Ia., Wayne (Mary) Mormann and Gary (Deb) Mormann, both of Colesburg, Ia., and Daniel (Sandra) Mormann, of New Vienna, Ia.; a daughter, Shirley (Darrell) Lindauer, of New Vienna, Ia.; 16 grandchildren; two sisters, Mrs. Elmer (Evelyn) Geistkemper, of Oelwein, Ia., and Mrs. Melvin (Agnes) Mensen, of Earlville, Ia.; a brother, LuVerne (Catherine) Mormann, of Earlville, Ia.; and a sister-in-law, Jean Mormann, of Earlville. He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Walter Mormann. - Evelyn A. Mormann was born on February 2, 1921, in Glen Haven, Wisconsin, daughter of Ben and Louise (Kerkhoff) Mormann. She grew up in the Petersburg, Iowa, area and attended the SS Peter and Paul Elementary School. Evelyn Mormann married Elmer Francis Geistkemper on March 26, 1940, at the SS Peter and Paul Catholic Catholic Church in Petersburg, Iowa, with the Rev. Joseph H. Hagemann, pastor, performing the wedding ceremony. They were attended by LuVerne Mormann, brother of the bride, and Miss Ethel Geistkemper, sister of the bridegroom. Following the ceremony, a reception was held at the home of the bride's parents. They started their married life by making their home on a farm north of Earlville, Iowa. Elmer Geistkemper was born on June 29, 1916, son of Mr. and Mrs. Hubert Geistkemper.
Elmer and Evelyn Geistkemper lived at Oelwein, Iowa, where they farmed. Evelyn and Elmer loved to travel. They liked driving to different places to eat, and while there, Evelyn would be busy talking to new people making friends. They made friends everywhere they would go, and they made it a point to talk to everyone. Evelyn was the "Social Director" for the family and never missed a birthday, anniversary, or somebody's wedding. It was all there on her calendar. Evelyn kept a busy calendar, and often family members would joke that they had to call ahead for an appointment to insure she would be available, but she always made sure there was time for her family. Evelyn signed every card and letter to her family with "Love ya, Like ya, and Will keep ya forever. GGG."Evelyn Geistkemper, 78, of Oelwein, Iowa, died on Thursday, April 17, 1997, at Oelwein. Visitation was at the Hintz-Geilenfield Funeral Home, with the Catholic Daughters of America rosary being recited at 3 p.m. and the parish rosary being said at 7 p.m. The Mass of the Resurrection was held at 11 a.m., Monday, April 21, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Oelwein, with Father Frederick Fangmann officiating. Interment was in Woodlawn Cemetery at Oelwein. Casket bearers were Brian Harrington, Doug Harrington, Curt Harrington, Joshua Geistkemper, T.J. Kienast, Patrick Harrington, Jodie Geistkemper, Julie Geistkemper, and Robyn Muzzy.
Evelyn was one of a kind, and this world will never be the same without her. Everyone loved her, and all will miss her.
Mrs. Geistkemper was survived by her husband Elmer; two daughters, Mary Jane, and her husband Gary Lein, of Inver Grove Heights, Minn., and Joyce, and her husband Brian Kienast, of Hudson, Ia.; two sons, Joseph Lee, and his wife Miriam, of Dundee, Ia., and Jim, and his wife Joyce, of Oelwein, Ia.; fourteen grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; a brother, LuVerne Mormann, and his wife Katherine, of Earlville, Ia.; a sister, Agnes, and her husband Melvin Mensen, of Earlville, Ia.; two sisters-in-law, Mrs. Arthur (Abby) Mormann of Colesburg, Ia., and Mrs. Walter (Jean) Mormann of Dyersville, Ia. She was preceded in death by two brothers, Arthur and Walter, and by her parents.Elmer F. Geistkemper, 84, of Oelwein, Iowa, died on Monday, December 18, 2000, at Mercy Hospital of Franciscan Sisters, Oelwein, after a brief illness. Family and friends called at the Hintz-Geilenfield Funeral Home in Oelwein, where the rosary was recited at 3 p.m. Funeral services were at 10:30 a.m., Friday, December 22, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Oelwin, with burial in Woodlawn Cemetery at Oelwein.
Mr. Geistkemper was survived by a son, Lee of Dundee, Ia.; two daughters, Mary Jane Lein of St. Paul, Minn., and Joyce Kienast of Hudson, Ia.; 14 grandchildren; twelve great-grandchildren; his stepmother, Delores Devtmeyer; four brothers, Herman of Earlville, Ia., Ray of Dyersville, Ia., Alfred of Savanna, Ill, and Daniel of Elburn, Ill.; and three sisters, Ethel Pins of Earlville, Ia., Dorothy Lake of Colesburg, Ia., and Joan Ament of Dyersville, Ia.. He was preceded in death by his wife, Evelyn; a son James; three infant brothers; and three sisters, Eleanor Hoeger, Margie Geistkemper, and Marie Geistkemper. - Walter J. Mormann was born on March 13, 1925*, at Petersburg, Iowa, son of Ben and Louise (Kerkhoff) Mormann. Walter Mormann married Jean S. Schemmel on September 1, 1949, at the Basilica of St. Francis Xavier in Dyersville, Iowa. Walter and Jean Mormann farmed at Earlville, Iowa, beginning in 1951, and were members of St. Joseph's Catholic Church. Walter was a member of St. Joseph's Holy Name Society, the Delaware County Cattlemen's Association, and the Delaware County Farm Bureau. He was an Oneida Township Trustee. Walter and Jean Mormann had six children, Nancy Mormann, Judy Mormann, Sheryl Mormann, Rick Mormann, Ron Mormann, and Randy Mormann. [* = March 13 was listed as Walter's date of birth in his Dubuque Telegraph Herald obituary; March 14 is listed as his date of birth in an online SSDI.]
Walter J. Mormann, 69, died Sunday evening, October 2, 1994, at the Delaware County Memorial Hospital in Manchester, Iowa. Family and friends called at Clifton Funeral Home after 2 p.m. on Wednesday, October 5, where there was a Holy Name Society rosary at 4 p.m. and the parish vigil wake service at 7:30 p.m. Funeral services were held at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Earlville, Iowa, at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, October 6, 1994, and burial was in St. Francis Cemetery at Dyersville, Iowa.
Walter Mormann was survived by his wife Jean S. Mormann, of Earlville, Ia.; three daughters, Nancy (and Marvin) Krapfl, of Petersburg, Ia., and Judy (and Walt) Wessel and Sheryl (and Mark Fitzpatrick, both of Greeley, Ia.; three sons, Rick (and Cindy) Mormann, of Earlville, Ia., Ron (and Colleen) Mormann, of Marion, Ia., and Randy (and Jacqueline) Mormann, of Manchester, Ia.; 15 grandchildren; two sisters, Evelyn (and Elmer) Geistkemper, of Oelwein, Ia., and Agnes (and Melvin) Mensen, of Earlville, Ia.; and two brothers, LuVerne (and Catherine) Mormann, of Earlville, Ia., and Arthur (and Abbie) Mormann, of Colesburg, Ia. - Agnes Mormann was born, daughter of Ben and Louise (Kerkhoff) Mormann. Agnes Mormann married Melvin R. Mensen. Melvin Mensen was born on October 18, 1923. Melvin and Agnes Mensen resided at Earlville, Iowa.
Melvin R. Mensen, 83, of Earlville, Iowa, died on November 23, 2006, at Regional Medical Center in Manchester, Iowa.
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Sources include, primarily, wedding accounts and obituaries from the Dyersville Commercial and the Dubuque Telegraph Herald. Mary Jane Lein provided the Ben and Louise Mormann wedding and family photographs and copies of other obituaries for her grandparents Ben and Louise, her uncle Arthur Mormann, and her parents, Elmer and Evelyn Geistkemper.
Click here for the Gerken family history contents page.
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http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~tdlarson/gerken/kerkhoff/louise/ |
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