The Obituary of Michael Kern
December 1898
It is well
known to our many readers that Mr. Kern has been sick and at death’s door many
times during the past few years, while his death was sudden when it came, his
many friends were not surprised. He had
been a great sufferer; while death is sad, was a great relief. Mr. Kern has been a resident of Dwight for
many years and was an honorable highly respected citizen.
The
funeral was held at the German Lutheran Church Wednesday at one P.M. and was
largely attended. The services were
conducted in German and English and herewith we present the obituary as
prepared by Rev. Wolkenfuss.
Perhaps
it would be welcomed by our American and English speaking friends and relatives
of the deceased to hear a short sketch of Mr. Kern’s life. Mr. Kern was born December 12th
1826 in Schoenau near Heidelberg, Germany.
At the age of one he lost his father and five years later his mother
died. Being at such an early age an
orphan boy he was not forgotten by the Almighty God, but placed in the hands of
good Christian relatives. He grew up
and was raised in the fear of God, and love of Christ, the Redeemer. In the
year 1853, he left his native country, landed at our shores and made the United
States his future home. After staying
two years in the city of New York, he came to Illinois, where he met and
entered into the state of holy matrimony with Miss Sophia Dorathea Rehmus, his
present mourning wife. Since 1863 the
deceased resided in Dwight and was well known by most of our citizens as a
true, faithful, Christian, patriotic citizen, and a warm friend of all that is
good and honest. The deceased also was
a true worker in the name of Christ and His Kingdom. The establishment of our
German congregation in this city is partly his work, and he proved his faith by
works not only as a member of our congregation but especially in his long
patient suffering with asthma, which greatly disabled him for many years and
for the last three years totally disabled him and bound him to his home. He died in faith of Christ, our Savior, last
Sunday morning. His wife and nine
children mourn his loss. George L,
Peter D, Dr. N.H. Kern, and Dorathea E. all living in Dwight. Mrs. Louise Blome in Clinton Illinois, Anton
W. Varna, Illinois, Mrs. Frank Doughty, Pontiac, Illinois, Mrs. Rev. H. C.
Siegert, Winnepeg, Canada, who could not be present as word could not reach her
in time, eleven grandchildren and many friends mourn his loss. His age was seventy –one years, three months, one day. Rev. preached a very fine sermon from 116th
Psalm.
--Taken
from a typewritten copy of the original obituary. No date or name of the paper was with this copy--