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Rev. Othmar Koester, Dedham, Celebrates First Mass There

Huge Crowd Present For Ceremonies - Dinner Is Served Later

The Carroll Herald, May 29, 1941

DEDHAM (HNS) - Rev. Othmar Koester, ordained to the Holy Priesthood last Thursday, celebrated his first solemn mass at St. Joseph's Church here Tuesday at 10:00 a.m.

Assisting Father Koester in the sanctuary were: Deacon, Father Henry Pick, Sutherland; sub-deacon, Father Louis Lynch, Madrid; Archpriest, Monsignor F. H. Huesmann. Templeton; Master of Ceremonies, Father Louis Anthofer, Roselle; Thurifer, Father Norbert Boes, Dedham; Acolytes, Fathers henry Meyer, Sioux city and Bernard Montag, Ute; and preacher, Father, H. B. Karhoff. Royal. Also in the sanctuary were Msgr. M. Schemmel of Remsen and Father Peter Sturm of Rockwell City. Father C. Huelshorst, pastor of St. Joseph's Church, was present at the mass in his wheel chair.

Besides those assisting Father Koester in the sanctuary several visiting priests were in the procession to the alter, including: Fathers A. J. Anthofer, Danbury; L. Schenkelberg, Carroll; C. Knobbe, Breda; N. J. Becker, Templeton; A. Meyer, Maple River; Charles O'Malley, Coon Rapids; A. H. Ocken, Mapleton; H. J. Dries, Willey; P. M. Mattes, Ida Grove; Leo Lenz, Mt. Carmel; L. J. Greteman, Breda; E. L. Schleyer, Breda; C. A. Ahmann, Charter Oak; A. A. Bausch, Wall Lake; M. C. Wendl, Spencer; Father Joseph Roder, Manning; and J. Meyers. Fulda, Minn. After the priests followed the twenty-four altar boys of St. Joseph's Church.

Sister M. Fidelma of Orbendale, Wis., Father Koester's aunt, and Sister M. Silvina, of the St. Anthony's Hospital, Carroll, were in attendance and about fifteen sisters from Templeton and Carroll, some of them former teachers of Father Koester.

Also in attendance were about fifty out-of-town relatives including his uncle, Albert Stangl and family of Neola, his great uncle, Ben Wibben of Carroll, aunt and uncles, Miss Anna Koester of Omaha, Ted, Clara, William and Margaret Koester and George Koester and family, all of Willey. Henry Rector and son, Harold of Carroll, Harry Hiller of Emmetsburg, Mr. and Mrs. H. Ruff of Cherokee, close friends of the family, were also present.

St. Joseph's Church was filled to overflowing with chairs in all aisles and in the back of the church, the crown overflowing the vestibule.

After the mass, dinner was served to the clergy, Father Koesters' family and other relatives and friends in the basement of the church, about 350 being served. In the center of the head table was a three-tiered cake baked by Sister M. Silvina.

An after- dinner program followed with Father N. J. Becker of Templeton as toastmaster. Talks were given by Msgr. Huesmann, dean of Templeton deanery, Father Louis Anthofer, the first of the Dedham boys to become a priest, and Msgr. Schemmel. Miss Catherine Delaney of Carroll, Father Koester's first teacher in the rural school, read an original poem. Gifts were presented to Father Koester by the C.Y. O. , presentation being made by Tony Bueltl.

Father Koester is the sixth priest to be ordained from St. Joseph's parish, the others being Fathers Louis Anthofer, Roselle, Peter Mattes, Ida Grove; Louis Meyer, O.S. B., of Conception Junction, Mo.; Henry Meyer of Blessed Sacrament parish, Sioux City and Herbert Stangl of St. Mary's Cathedral in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

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