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Emil George Beier

1881 - 1955

 

Services for Emil G. Beier Were Held Tuesday

Was Lifetime Resident of Community

Services for Emil G. Beier, 78, were held at two o'clock Tuesday afternoon from the Klemme Methodist Church with the Rev. Melvin B. Miller in charge.

Mr. Beier, who had lived all his life in the Klemme community, suffered a heat attack Friday and died almost immediately. His brother, William Beier, of Goodell, died similarly on the 14th of January.

Mr. Beier had been an active member of the Methodist Church and was a man with many friends. He will be missed in the community.

Interment was in the Ell Township Cemetery and pallbearers for Mr. Beier were; Fred Sobek, Ronald Karsjens, William Jones, Byrnes Lemke, George Netland, and Clarence Bachman.

Osman Funeral Service was in charge of arrangements for the services.

Mr. Emil Beier

Emil George Beier was born on the night before Christmas, December 24, 1881, on a farm in Liberty Township, the seventh of a family of eight children born to William John and Louisa (Schlei) Beier.

He completed his early education in District No. 8 of Liberty Township and continued to learn, by observation and by reading the worthwhile books and papers which came to his desk throughout his lifetime.

He was a student of the Bible and in his early years embraced the Christian religion, becoming a member of the Liberty Methodist Church. He was helpful everywhere he went, always thinking of the welfare of others.

In the Liberty Church, he was superintendent of the Sunday School, president of the Epworth League, and a member of the church board. For many years, he taught a class of "teen age" boys in Sunday School. His work was outstanding and these boys, now grown to men, will never forget him.

He was thinking of others when he continued to operate the home farm after the death of his father in 1911. He took good care of his mother and his brother, Frederick, who later died in his home. He was sincere and true in his dealings with his fellow men.

On February 21, 1923, Emil G. Beier and Elizabeth Riemer were married at the parental Albert Riemer home in Garner, Iowa. During their life on the farm, they took into their home and hearts, two children from a troubled family: William and Gloria Utterback, who lived with them for five and two years, respectively.

Emil and Elizabeth Beier continued to farm the home place for twenty-one years, until in 1944, they moved to Klemme. Here he worked in the Swanson Hatchery for eight years. He drove a school bus for four years, and enjoyed this work very much because he liked children. And, of course, he helped with the church work in whatever way he could, and was member of the Klemme Methodist Church board.

This poem was the theme of Emil's life:

Lord, help me to live from day to day,
In such a self forgetful way,
That even when I kneel to pray,
My prayer shall be for others.

Help me in all the works I do,
To ever be sincere and true,
And know that all I'd do for you,
Must need be done for others,

Others, Lord, Yea, others,
This was his motto true,
Help us to live for others,
That we may live like You.

Emil G. Beier died quite suddenly on Friday, February 11, 1955, at the age of 73 years and two months. He leaves to mourn his passing: his wife, Elizabeth; three sisters, Mrs. Ida Ridder, Leland, Iowa; Mrs. William Kulper (Emma), and Miss Lydia Beier, Waterloo, Iowa, and many more distant relatives and friends.

by Arthur Wellemeyer

source: Times, Klemme, Iowa, 16 Feb 1955, page 1, column 3 & page 7, column 1

 

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