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MAGDALENA GOLDSMITH GERIG 1847 - 1931

GOLDSMITH, GERIG, SUTTER, WYSE, ROTH, EIGSTI, BLOSSER, LEICHTY, ORENDORFF, SUTTER

Posted By: Ann Miller White (email)
Date: 4/14/2004 at 23:13:51

Wayland News – September 17, 1931

LAST RITES FOR MAGDELENA GERIG HELD THURSDAY

Large Crowd Gathers at Sugar Creek Church To Pay Last Respects to Widow of the Late Rev. Sebastian Gerig.

Funeral services of Mrs. Magdalena Goldsmith Gerig were held at the Sugar Creek church last Thursday afternoon and were in charge of Rev. Simon Gingerich of the local church and Rev. Perry Blosser of the South English church. A crowd too large for the capacity of the church was present to pay their last measure of respect to one whom they had learned to reverence through a long term of years. Rev. S. Gingerich who had known the deceased for many years based his sermon on a portion of the second chapter of Luke beginning with the 37th verse.

The casket bearers were nephews of the deceased, Emery and Orie Eigsti, Willard Leichty, Vernon Gerig, Melvin Roth, and Ivan Wyse. Interment was made in the Sugar Creek cemetery.

Relatives attending the funeral from a distance were: Jacob Gerig and John Gerig and wife and Mrs. Emma Wenger of Smithville, Ohio; Mrs. Jacob Meyer, Mrs. John Lorch, Mrs. Emma Schrock, and Mrs. Katie Yoder of Wooster, Ohio, Jacob C. Meyer of Cleveland Ohio, Daniel Gerig of Goshen, Ind., Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Bachman, Menno Graber and wife, and Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Eigsti and family of Morton, Illinois. Twenty-four nephews and nieces of Mr. Gerig were here from Johnson County to attend the services.

OBITUARY:

Magdalena Goldsmith Gerig, the youngest daughter of the late Joseph and Elizabeth Goldsmith was born January 22, 1847 at West Point, Lee County, Iowa and died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Minnie Sutter of Wayland, Iowa September 8, 1931. She attained the ripe old age of 84 years, 7 months, and 16 days.

She was a member of a family of twelve children, five sisters and six brothers, all of whom have preceded her in death.

In 1857, at the age of ten, she moved to Henry County, Iowa with her parents. In her youth she attended and united with the Sugar Creek Mennonite Church of which her father was the founder and bishop. She remained a member of this congregation for almost 70 years and always retained a deep interest for the work of the church in her heart and served as a faithful member.

On September 11, 1864 she was united in marriage with Sebastian Gerig who preceded her in death seven years ago and who had served the Sugar Creek congregation as minister and bishop from 1869 to 1921. To this union were born three sons and nine daughters; Joseph of Wayland, Samuel deceased, Jacob. Mrs. Anna Wyse, Mrs. C. M. Roth of Wayland, Mrs. Jacob Eigsti of Morton, Illinois, Helena deceased, Mrs. Emma Blosser, Mrs. Eva Leichty, Mrs. D. W. Orendorff, Mrs. Amos Wyse, deceased, and Mrs. Minnie Sutter all of Wayland.

As a loving wife and mother she devoted her entire life to her family. A life characterized by prayer and Christian service which aided her husband in the ministry and which gave her an opportunity to see her entire family unite with the church of her faith. All her children are still of the same faith which she confessed in her youth. Her husband, Bishop Sebastin Gerig, officiated at the marriage of all of the ten children. She was grandmother to 31 grandchildren, thirty living, and one deceased, and great grandmother to 16 great grandchildren.

She enjoyed a life of comparatively good health with the exception of a period of ten years during which she was confined to a wheelchair on account of rheumatism. In the latter years of her life she recovered sufficiently to walk unaided. Her eyesight also began to fail three years prior to her death and she was almost totally blind at the close of her life.

During her final illness of five months, she was confined to her bed in an almost helpless condition. During this time she always enjoyed company, her mind was keen and active. She was a patient sufferer in her last days and was very grateful for all the kind acts extended to her by those at her bedside.

Her passing marks the close of a successful Christian life as a sister, wife, mother grandmother, and great-grandmother.


 

Henry Obituaries maintained by Constance McDaniel Hall.
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