Mastre, Annie Prestholt (1865-1951)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1951 Sep 27 p. 9

Birth date: 1865 Feb 2

text of obituary:

MRS. ANNIE MASTRE

Mother Annie (Prestholt) Mastre was born Feb. 2, 1865, in Telemarken, Norway. When four years of age she emigrated to this country with her parents, settling near Clear Lake, Iowa where she grew to womanhood. In 1886 she came to North Dakota with her sister and family.

Nov. 16, 1887, she was united in marriage to Isaac N. Mastre who had taken up a homestead in North Dakota a few years earlier. They were blessed with eight children. Mother often related many interesting experiences of those pioneer days. She continued to live in that community for sixty-five years.

At the age of 25 years she felt her lost condition and found peace with God and later was added unto the Church of God in Christ (Mennonite) through baptizm [sic] by the late Elder John Holdeman She remained a faithful member until her Lord called her home. She performed her duties as a minister’s wife with much patience, also earnestly entreating us as children to live so we can meet again in the home above.

She was preceded in death by her husband, who passed to his reward June 18, 1943; four sons, one dying in infancy, and Frank, Gust and Albert; six grandchildren; three sisters and one brother.

Those surviving are: four children, Dora (Mrs. Frank Mininger), Lansdale, Pa., Kathrine (Mrs. Frank Wine) of Rich Hill, Mo., Ida (Mrs. Henry Amoth) of Bonners Ferry, Idaho, Clifford of Grafton, N. Dak.; four daughters in-law; 27 grandchildren and 26 great grandchildren; one sister, Mrs. Mary Haugen, Minneapolis, Minn. and two brothers, Nels and Sigerd Prestholt of Iowa.

Mother made her home with her son Clifford and wife for over three years, where she was confined to bed most of that time, suffering much pain at times. With the help of God she bore her suffering patiently, often expressing her desire to be with her Lord, yet willing to wait for the Lord’s good time to call her home. Her mind was always clear and she took an interest in the things about her, both spiritual and temporal, which was a great blessing from God and a comfort for us who cared for her.

Friday morning at 6:00 o’clock, Sept. 7, 1951, she suffered a stroke, never regaining consciousness, and passed peacefully away the same morning at 11:00 o’clock at the age of 86 years, seven months and six days. Thus closed the life of a faithful mother whose memories shall linger with us.

Funeral services were held Sept. 10, 1951. At the Clifford Mastre home, Grafton, N. Dakota, Bro. Peter Toews of Langdon, N. Dakota spoke from the 23rd Psalm. A large crowd of neighbors and friends gathered at the church to pay their last respects to an old pioneer of this community. Services were opened by Bro. John M. Penner of Ste. Anne, Man. Bro. John D. Penner of Morris, Man. spoke from Rev. 7:9-17, followed by Bro. Jac. Wiebe of Ste. Anne, Man.

The remains were taken to Galva, Kans. where services were held Sept. 13, 1951, at the Bessie Mastre home. Bro. John Becker of Galva spoke from St. John 14:1-3. Services at the Lonetree church were opened by Bro. Pete Hiebert of Hillsboro. Bro. Jonas Koehn spoke from Rev. 14:13 and 2 Tim. 4:6-8 and also conducted short services at the nearby cemetery where she was laid to rest beside her husband.