Person:John Minger (1)

OBITUARY: Guttenberg Press, 1948 MINGER RITES HELD SUNDAY AT ST PAUL

Native of the Millville Township Area Passes Nearly 92 John William Minger, well known resident of the community south of Guttenberg, died on last Thursday, April 8, following a long illness. Mr Minger was only two months short of being 92 years of age at the time of his death. Services were conducted from St. Paul's Lutheran church by Rev. J. F. Eshbaugh, with burial in the St. John's cemetery on Jolly Ridge, in charge of the Beerman funeral service. Pallbearers were Martin White, Ferman Smith, Lowell Minger, Lorrell Minger, Alton Minger and Carl Minger.

Mr. Minger was born May 9, 1856 in Millville township, the son of Mr. and Mrs. John Minger. He never married. He is survived by three brothers and two sisters; Henry Minger of Millville, Frank Minger of Guttenberg, Charles Minger of Turkey River, Mrs. Ella White of Guttenberg and Mrs. Susan Kinyon of Dubuque. He was preceded, in death by two brothers and five sisters.

BIOGRAPHY: Compiled by Mae Brown Siemers Rand JOHN WILLIAM MINGER, 1856-1948

John William Minger, born 9 May 1856, was the second child of Johann and Elisabeth (Hassig) Minger. As Johann and Elisabeth moved from Ohio to Iowa in the spring of 1856, we can believe that John was born soon after they settled in the Millville-Turkey River area. The entry for John's baptism at St. John's Lutheran Church in Guttenberg reads: Johann Wilhelm Minger, son of Jo. Minger and Elisabeth Hesseck; Sponsors - Friedrich Minger, Rudolph Minger, Magdalena Andreck (brothers and sisters of Johann). The date for the baptism was not given.

John lived his childhood years on the family farm. During some of the winter months he would stay with his grandparents, Johann and Anna Maria (Hofer) Minger in Jefferson Township and attend Jolly Ridge school near their home. As a young man, John had a couple of unfortunate love affairs. After the second one in which he and the girl were all set to be married and she married another man, he said that he would never trust another woman and vowed never to marry - a vow he kept.

He went to Minnesota and worked for a period of time and perhaps it was during this time that his young sister, Susie, age 14, wrote a letter to him in which she begged him to write home as all the family was worried about him. This letter was saved by the family.

John, a good-hearted, patient man, was well liked. He loved children and children loved him. He was a friend to all. He is remembered for the beautiful and abundant supply of flowers which he grew in his garden and which he loved to pick and give to people. John was a hard worker all his life, doing carpenter work, building fences, and was especially known for his skill in digging cisterns. He helped to lay out the cistern and dig the ditches for the water system on the farm of John and Elisabeth (Minger) Brown, Elisabeth being his sister. He and John Brown were close friends; he helped to take care of John when he became ill with cancer and following his death, he helped his sister with the farm work. When John's mother, Elisabeth (Hassig) Minger, died in 1922, John inherited some money from her and with it he bought a horse and wagon.

In later years John's eyesight started to fail. It is said that someone went to visit him and discovered a big rattlesnake in his home, of which John was completely unaware. It was then that John's brother Charlie and his wife Elsie went to live with him and to take care of him. A portion of a letter written by John's sister Elisabeth Brown reads, "John Minger is blind now. He has been living with Charlie since a year ago last December. His eyesight has been failing for some time, but in January he lost it completely". The letter was dated 27 February 1944, the day before Elisabeth died.

John W. Minger http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=image&guid=00302262-4381-40d6-b77f-32db421b38fd&tid=31653303&pid=382