Melvin Mathesius, 87, of
Meriden Township died July 3,
2007, in Mendota Lutheran
Home.
Services will be at 11 a.m.
Friday in St. John?s Lutheran
C h u r c h ,
M e n d o t a ,
with the Rev.
Dale Peterson
officiating.
Burial will be
at Restland
C e m e t e r y,
Mendota.
Visitation
is 5-7 p.m.
Thursday in
Merritt Funeral Home.
Mr. Mathesius was born
April 28, 1920, in Meriden
Township to Peter and Laura
(Lamps) Mathesius.
He married Ruth Heagy on
Sept. 5, 1943, in Mendota. She
died Nov. 10, 1950. He later
married Eleanor Schlesinger
on Feb. 15, 1953, in Compton.
She died March 25, 1978.
He was a member of St.
John?s Lutheran Church, its
church council and other committees.
He served several
terms on the Meriden school
board, was a member of the
Farm Bureau for more than 50
years and director of Meriden
Farmer?s Co-Op. He farmed all
of his life in Meriden
Township. Along with his
brother Earl, he was instrumental
in establishing
Mendota Museum and
Historical Society?s Breaking
the Prairie Museum in
Mendota.
He is survived by two sons,
James (Dawn) Mathesius of
Mendota and Merlin (Pamela)
Mathesius of Aurora; two
daughters, Margaret (Michael)
Cerveny of Springfield, N.J.,
and Marlys (Chet Alwes)
Scarbrough of Mahomet;
seven grandchildren; four
great-grandchildren; one
brother, Earl Mathesius of
Mendota; and one sister,
Norma (Earl) Buettner of
Sublette.
In addition to his wives, he
was preceded in death by twins
in infancy.
Memorials may be directed
to St. John?s Lutheran Church,
Mendota Lutheran Home or
Breaking the Prairie Museum.