Elizabeth "Bess" Helena Meyer was the maternal grandmother of David Menke. Bess Menke was born Elizabeth Helena Meyer on October 19, 1889. Her father was a riverboat captain on the Mississippi River. One of her brothers drown in the river at the age of 13. Another brother served in World War I. As a teen and young woman, Bess worked in a hat factory. She met her future husband, Oscar Menke (1888-1972) at the St Louis World's Fair in 1903. A Catholic, she had to secretly elope to marry her Lutheran husband.The image in this blog shows Bess with her beloved husband, Oscar, in 1965.
Bess was a fun-loving lady. After marriage, she had two children, Wilbert Allen Menke (1914-1972) and Dorothy Lillian Menke (1921-1981). Although her husband made really good money and bought her furs and jewelry, she was content to wear an old house dress, and never drove a car. While she enjoyed some of the world trips she made, she preferred a summer vacation on a lake in Minnesota.
Devoted to her family, Bess always put herself last. She suffered a stroke in 1971 and was placed in a hospice so that she could be cared for by trained professionals. She finally passed away on May 6, 1972.
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