RAY KEMERER, 85, of Zwingle, Iowa, passed away May 23, 1994 from
a massive heart attack. He is now in Heaven with his wonderful
steam friends: Justin Hingtgen, Joe Richardson of Orafino, Idaho
(May 1993). Durward Steinmetz, La Farge, Wisconsin (October 1993);
Frank Reisen of Zwingle, Bob Bell of Hanover, Illinois, (May
1994).
Bom on September 2, 1908, in Zwingle, Iowa, he married Catherine
Regan in 1945. He is survived by his wife, three daughters, one
son, and seven grandchildren.
He was an historian of Case steam engines and the Beilevue to
Cascade narrow gauge rail road a big steam fan and railroad
enthusiast. Narrow gauge ran through our farm. He had subscribed to
IMA, since it started, loved steam engineering and threshing. We
still have his steam engine, threshing machines and binders.
Ray enjoyed life and was a wonderful, honest, faithful husband
of 49 years. He had friends in every state and lived on the same
farm all his life.
Submitted by Mrs. Ray Kemerer and son Ray.
JACK MELTON, of Bethel, Ohio, passed away March 2, 1994 at the
age of 79 years. He had spent the last 13 years of his life in a
nursing home, following a severe stroke suffered after his January
retirement from General Electric Company.
Jack was a licensed stationary engineer in the power house. His
great love of steam was also shown in his hobby. Jack spent Labor
Day weekends for several years at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, working with
the men who took care of the locomotives.
During the year that Jack had retired from General Electric, he
worked all summer at Kings Island, Cincinnati, Ohio, running one of
their steam locomotives.
He also built a free-lance small scale model of an Avery
undermounted steam engine, which he showed at Ohio Valley Antique
Machinery Show at Georgetown, Ohio for eight years before his
stroke.
Submitted by his friend, Edwin Lee Fiscus, 2466 Bethel-Maple
Road, Bethel, Ohio 45106.
