JOHN PIERRE DORFF (OCTOBER 26, 1850-JUNE 13, 1929)

JOHN P. DORFF, SON OF PETERSON AND JANNA DORFF, WAS BORN OCTOBER 26, 1850 IN JONSOPING SWEDEN AND DEPARTED THIS LIFE IN HIS HOME IN DIAGONAL, IOWA, JUNE 13, 1929, AT THE AGE OF 78 YEARS, SEVEN MONTHS AND 17 DAYS.

MR. DORFF CAME TO AMERICA ARRIVING IN OSCEOLA, IOWA, MAY 30, 1875, BRINGING HIS WIDOWED MOTHER AND TWO SISTERS. HERE HE MADE HIS HOME WITH THE EXCEPTION OF TWO YEARS SPENT IN WESTERN IOWA AND KANSAS UNTIL THE FALL OF 1907, WHEN HE MOVED TO RINGGOLD COUNTY WHICH HAS SINCE BEEN HIS HOME.

HE WAS UNITED IN MARRIAGE TO ELNORA SHELDEN, AUGUST 5, 1902, AND SHE SURVIVES HER HUSBAND. HE HAS BEEN A KIND AND LOVING FATHER TO THE THREE CHILDREN, CARL C. OF CHICAGO; LOUISE AND RUTH, AT HOME. HIS MOTHER, FATHER, TWO BROTHERS, CHARLES AND FRANK, AND TWO SISTERS MARY AND CARRIE, HAVE PRECEDED HIM IN DEATH. HE WAS THE LAST OF HIS FATHER’S FAMILY. BESIDES THE IMMEDIATE FAMILY HE ALSO LEAVES FIVE NEPHEWS, C.E. MUSSLEMAN, OF BRAINERD,MN., WHO WAS HERE AT THE TIME OF HIS DEATH; RALPH AND ORVAL MUSSLEMAN OF FORT DODGE AND JOHN AND CHAS. DORFF OF OMAHA, NE., ALSO SEVERAL NIECES.

MR. DORFF WAS A MAN OF UNUSUAL EXEMPLARY CHARACTER, NOTED FOR HIS TRUTHFULNESS AND HONESTY. HE WAS CONFIRMED IN THE SWEDISH LUTHERAN CHURCH WHEN A BOY, BUT LATER UNITED WITH THE METHODIST CHURCH AND LIVED TO THE CLOSE OF LIFE A FAITHFUL, CONSISTENT CHRISTIAN LIFE. MR. DORFF HAD BEEN A SEMI-INVALID FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS AND ON OCTOBER 20, 1928, HE SUFFERED A PARALYTIC STROKE AND HAD BEEN CONFINED TO HIS BED SINCE THAT TIME.

FUNERAL SERVICES WERE HELD ON SUNDAY, JUNE 16TH, AT THE M.E. CHURCH OF BEACONSFIELD. THE SERVICES WERE IN CHARGE OF REV. J. E. MATHENY, PASTOR OF THE DIAGONAL M.E. CHURCH, REV. KIES OF CRESTON AND REV. SOELBERG, PASTOR  OF THE BEACONSFIELD CHURCH. A LARGE NUMBER OF FORMER NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS ATTENDED THE FUNERAL SERVICES, AND ALL JOIN IN EXTENDING THEIR SINCERE SYMPATHY TO THE BEREAVED RELATIVES. INTERMENT WAS MADE IN THE BEACONSFIELD CEMETERY.