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Klaus, Mary Malvina

Female 1853 - 1930  (77 years)


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  • Name Klaus, Mary Malvina 
    Born 28 Jan 1853  Colesburg, Delaware County, Iowa, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] 
    Gender Female 
    Residence Abt 1914  Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [6] 
    Died 29 Mar 1930  Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [5, 7, 8] 

    • The following is a transcription supplied by Frances Gretchen (Klein) Leenerts of an obituary which she reported had appeared on Wednesday, 2 April 1930 in an unidentified newspaper of Garner, Iowa.

      Mary Malvina Klaus was born on a farm near Colesburg, Iowa on 28 January 1853. Her parents were John D. Klaus and Elizabeth Hartbecke Klaus, both of whom were natives of Hanover, Germany. Her childhood and youth were spent in the farm home, and she attended the rural school in her home district, and the normal school at Galena, Illinois. From the time she was ten until she was fourteen years of age she suffered from ill health. Her physical condition was such that she was not able to attend school regularly. Then her health improved and remained normal during most of her life. For four years she was a teacher in the rural schools located near her home. These were strenuous days, for the country schools were overcrowded, the enrollment in one of her schools being 60 pupils. On 3 June 1875 she was married to Frank Henry Wellemeyer and to this union were born nine children of whom six children survive. Lois died as an infant in 1891. Estelle passed away in 1907 and Elizabeth in 1917. The husband was called from his labors 2 July 1909 at the age of 59. Mahlon Allen Wellemeyer, son of George L. and Aurilla Wellemeyer, was left an orphan at the age of seven months by the death of his mother. The deceased gave to this boy a home, and a mother's care for eight years. For a year following their marriage, Frank and Mary Wellemeyer lived on a farm near Garner. But the urge to the ministry, which had been strong for years, became imperative, and in 1876 Mr. Wellemeyer was assigned to a pastorate at Sleepy Eye, Minnesota. His companion entered upon her duties as pastor's wife and assisted with enthusiasm. It was not an easy road to travel. During those early years in Minnesota, the grasshoppers destroyed the farm crops and the pastor's salary almost reached the vanishing point. In 1896, after twenty years in the active ministry, Rev. Wellemeyer moved with his family back to the farm, remaining there for a period of five years, after which he returned to the pastorate. During those busy farming years, in 1897, Mrs. Wellemeyer was elected conference secretary of the Women's Foreign Missionary Society, holding this office for sixteen years. Part of the time she acted as treasurer also. Her duties called for a great deal of correspondence work, the letters being written by hand in the most painstaking manner. This work was usually done at night or in the wee small hours of the morning and was persisted in until her eyesight failed her. Her service in this capacity was her greatest contribution to the welfare of the church she loved. The interests of the church and the welfare of her family were both held in the very highest esteem. Her home duties were as faithfully attended to as to her church work. The declining years of her life were spent in the homes of her children, especially that of her youngest daughter where she was always shown every attention. On a page in the family record of the old family bible, penned in her own handwriting, we find this motto: "God and His Work first." These words strike the keynote of her life. The following near relatives mourn her passing: one brother, Rev. W. H. Klaus of Colesburg, Iowa; four sons, Carl W. of Colesburg, Iowa; Ernest E. of Patterson, California; J. F. of Kansas City, Kansas; two daughters: Mrs. R. W. Merten of Guthrie, Oklahoma and Mrs. Ruth Melcher of Charles City, Iowa. Also sixteen grandchildren survive.
    Buried Garner, Hancock County, Iowa, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [5] 
    • Mary was buried in Concord Cemetery.
    Person ID I282  Fiegenbaum
    Last Modified 21 Mar 2010 

    Father Klaus, Johan D.,   b. 2 Feb 1813, Kingdom of Hannover Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 7 Jul 1878, Delaware County, Iowa, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 65 years) 
    Mother Hartbecken, Elizabeth,   b. 28 May 1821, Kingdom of Hannover Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 4 Dec 1888, Delaware County, Iowa, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 67 years) 
    Married 23 Apr 1848  St. Louis, Missouri, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2, 9, 10, 11, 12] 
    • Philip Kuhl, pastor of the German Methodist Episcopal Church on Wash Street in St. Louis, recorded that he had married "On the 23rd day of April in the year of our Lord 1848 Mr. John Klaus from Delaware County, Iowa with Miss Elizabeth Hartbecken of St. Louis, Mo."
    Family ID F1459  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Wellemeyer, Rev. Frank Henry,   b. 11 Dec 1849, Warren County, Missouri, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 2 Jul 1909, Rudd, Floyd County, Iowa, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 59 years) 
    Married 3 Jun 1875  Colesburg, Delaware County, Iowa, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [3, 13, 14, 15, 16] 
    Residence (family) Between 1896 and 1901  Hancock County, Iowa, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [17] 
    • Because of Frank Wellemeyer's ill health, the family lived on their farm near Garner.
    Children 
     1. Wellemeyer, Elizabeth Catherine,   b. 30 Apr 1876, Garner, Hancock County, Iowa, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 9 Feb 1917, Marshalltown, Marshall County, Iowa, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 40 years)
    +2. Wellemeyer, Carl Wesley,   b. 12 May 1877, Sleepy Eye, Brown County, Minnesota, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 23 Nov 1933, Colesburg, Delaware County, Iowa, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 56 years)
     3. Wellemeyer, Estella,   b. 12 Oct 1878, Sleepy Eye, Brown County, Minnesota, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 14 Apr 1907, Garner, Hancock County, Iowa, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 28 years)
    +4. Wellemeyer, Franz Arthur,   b. 22 Feb 1880, Henderson, Sibley County, Minnesota, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 29 Dec 1960, Klemme, Hancock County, Iowa, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 80 years)
    +5. Wellemeyer, Ernest Edward,   b. 23 Jan 1882, Le Mars, Plymouth County, Iowa, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 28 Feb 1943, Patterson, Stanislaus County, California, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 61 years)
    +6. Wellemeyer, John Fletcher,   b. 26 Dec 1883, Freeport, Stephenson County, Illinois, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Apr 1967, Kansas City, Wyandotte County, Kansas, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 83 years)
    +7. Wellemeyer, Hulda Marie,   b. 18 Sep 1886, Giard, Clayton County, Iowa, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 8 Sep 1957, Guthrie, Logan County, Oklahoma, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 70 years)
    +8. Wellemeyer, Ruth Lizette,   b. 15 Jan 1889, Le Mars, Plymouth County, Iowa, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 19 Dec 1964, California, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 75 years)
     9. Wellemeyer, Clara Lois,   b. 24 Oct 1890, Garner, Hancock County, Iowa, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1 Sep 1891, Garner, Hancock County, Iowa, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 0 years)
    Last Modified 6 Aug 2018 
    Family ID F100  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Sources 
    1. [S175] Frances Gretchen (Klein) Leenerts, Descendants of Father Fiegenbaum (Chinook, Washington: F. Leenerts, 2002), p. 60.
      Mary Malvina Klaus, daughter of John Klaus and Elizabeth Hartbecke, was born on 28 January 1853 in Colesburg, Delaware County, Iowa.

    2. [S175] Frances Gretchen (Klein) Leenerts, Descendants of Father Fiegenbaum (Chinook, Washington: F. Leenerts, 2002), pages 61-62.
      A transcription supplied by Frances Gretchen (Klein) Leenerts of an obituary which she reported had appeared on Wednesday, 2 April 1930 in an unidentified newspaper of Garner, Iowa.
           "Mary Malvina Klaus was born on a farm near Colesburg, Iowa on 28 January 1853. Her parents were John D. Klaus and Elizabeth Hartbecke Klaus, both of whom were natives of Hanover, Germany. Her childhood and youth were spent in the farm home..."

    3. [S206] History of Delaware County, Iowa and its People, edited by John F. Merry; 2 volumes (Chicago: S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1914), volume 2, page 121.
      Biographical sketch of Samuel Wesley Klaus. "To their [John D. and Elizabeth (Hartbeck) Klaus] union were born six children, namely: Mary, the wife of Rev. F. H. Wellemeyer, of Charles City, Iowa;...."

    4. [S207] The History of Delaware County, Iowa; Containing a History of the County, its Cities, Towns, etc., a Biographical Directory of its Citizens, War Record of its Volunteers in the Late Rebellion, General and Local Statistics, Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men, History of the Northwest, History of Iowa, Map of Delaware County, Constitution of the United States, Miscellaneous Matters, etc., (Chicago, Illinois: Western Historical Company, 1878), pages 611-612.
      Biographical sketch of John D. Klaus. "... have six children living - Margaret A. (now Mrs. Holscher) Mary M. (Wellemeyer) Elizabeth (Innsher) William H., John H. and Samuel W. Lost one - John H., died in this county, aged 16 months."

    5. [S113] Web site, IAGenWeb Project. Burial Index for all Hancock County Cemeteries. Submitted by the Hancock County Genealogical Society, 1986.
      Accessed March 2010. (http://iagenweb.org/hancock/Cemeteries/burialindex.html). Burial Index - W (http://iagenweb.org/hancock/Cemeteries/bi_w.html).
           Wellemeyer, Mary M (May) Klaus; born: 1853; died: 1930; cemetery: Concord.

    6. [S206] History of Delaware County, Iowa and its People, edited by John F. Merry; 2 volumes (Chicago: S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1914), volume 2, page 121.
      Biographical sketch of Samuel Wesley Klaus. "To their [John D. and Elizabeth (Hartbeck) Klaus] union were born six children, namely: Mary, the wife of Rev. F. H. Wellemeyer, of Charles City, Iowa; ...."

    7. [S175] Frances Gretchen (Klein) Leenerts, Descendants of Father Fiegenbaum (Chinook, Washington: F. Leenerts, 2002), p. 60.
      Mary Malvina (Klaus) Wellemeyer died on 29 March 1930 at Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa.

    8. [S175] Frances Gretchen (Klein) Leenerts, Descendants of Father Fiegenbaum (Chinook, Washington: F. Leenerts, 2002), pages 61-62.
      A transcription supplied by Frances Gretchen (Klein) Leenerts of an obituary which she reported had appeared on Wednesday, 2 April 1930 in an unidentified newspaper of Garner, Iowa.

    9. [S206] History of Delaware County, Iowa and its People, edited by John F. Merry; 2 volumes (Chicago: S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1914), volume 2, page 121.
      Biographical sketch of Samuel Wesley Klaus. Samuel Wesley Klaus "was born in Delaware county on the 12th of January, 1861, a son of John D. and Elizabeth (Hartbeck) Klaus, both of whom were natives of Hanover, Germany...."

    10. [S207] The History of Delaware County, Iowa; Containing a History of the County, its Cities, Towns, etc., a Biographical Directory of its Citizens, War Record of its Volunteers in the Late Rebellion, General and Local Statistics, Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men, History of the Northwest, History of Iowa, Map of Delaware County, Constitution of the United States, Miscellaneous Matters, etc., (Chicago, Illinois: Western Historical Company, 1878), pages 611-612.
      Biographical sketch of John D. Klaus. "... married in St. Louis March 23, 1848, to Elizabeth Hartbecka, who was born in Hanover, Germany, May 28, 1821; ...."

    11. [S177] Ancestry.com (library edition), St. Louis, Missouri Marriages, 1804-76.
      An online database created from St. Louis Genealogical Society, St. Louis Marriage Index, 1804-76 (St. Louis, Missouri: St. Louis Genealogical Society, 1999). Accessed on 2 March 2009.
           John Klaus and Elizabeth Hartbecken were married on 23 April 1848; recorded in Volume 4, page 062.

    12. [S177] Ancestry.com (library edition), Missouri Marriage Records, 1805-2002.
      An online database created from Missouri Marriage Records (Jefferson City, Missouri: Missouri State Archives).
           Mr. John Klaus and Miss Elizabeth Hartbecken were married in St. Louis County on 27 April 1848.
           An examination of the digital image of the original document referenced by this database shows that this transcription is in error. The correct date in the marriage record was 23 April 1848.
           In St. Louis, on 4 May 1848, "Philip Kuhl P. [C?] of the German Meth. E. Church on Wash Street" filed record of four marriages on page 62 of the record book. The second of these reads: "On the 23rd day of April in the year of our Lord 1848 Mr. John Klaus from Delaware County, Iowa with Miss Elizabeth Hartbecken of St. Louis, Mo."

    13. [S175] Frances Gretchen (Klein) Leenerts, Descendants of Father Fiegenbaum (Chinook, Washington: F. Leenerts, 2002), p. 60.
      Frank Henry Wellemeyer and Mary Malvina Klaus were married on 3 June 1875 at Colesburg, Delaware County, Iowa.

    14. [S175] Frances Gretchen (Klein) Leenerts, Descendants of Father Fiegenbaum (Chinook, Washington: F. Leenerts, 2002), pages 60-61.
      A transcription of an obituary for Frank Henry Wellemeyer reported to have appeared on Wednesday, 14 July 1909 in the Garner Signal, of Garner, Iowa.
           "On 3 June 1875 he was married to Mary Klaus of Colesburg, Iowa."

    15. [S133] E. W. Henke, et al, Die Nordwest Deutsche Konferenz der Bischöflichen Methodistenkirche: Geschichtlich, Sachlich und Biographisch Geschildert (Charles City, Iowa: The Conference, 1913), pages 99-101.
      Biographical sketch of Rev. Frank H. Wellemeyer, deceased pastor of the Northwest Germany Conference. In German. Translation by J. Mark Fiegenbaum.
           "...on 3 June of the same year [1875] married Mary Klaus of Colesburg, Iowa."

    16. [S175] Frances Gretchen (Klein) Leenerts, Descendants of Father Fiegenbaum (Chinook, Washington: F. Leenerts, 2002), pages 61-62.
      A transcription supplied by Frances Gretchen (Klein) Leenerts of an obituary which she reported had appeared on Wednesday, 2 April 1930 in an unidentified newspaper of Garner, Iowa.
           "On 3 June 1875 she was married to Frank Henry Wellemeyer and to this union were born nine children of whom six children survive. Lois died as an infant in 1891. Estelle passed away in 1907 and Elizabeth in 1917."

    17. [S133] E. W. Henke, et al, Die Nordwest Deutsche Konferenz der Bischöflichen Methodistenkirche: Geschichtlich, Sachlich und Biographisch Geschildert (Charles City, Iowa: The Conference, 1913), pages 99-101.
      Biographical sketch of Rev. Frank H. Wellemeyer, deceased pastor of the Northwest Germany Conference. In German. Translation by J. Mark Fiegenbaum.
           "Failing health forced him to spend the years 1896-1901 with his family on the farm."


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