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The Metz, Clymer and King families (circa 1918)

Seated third from the left in the 3rd row (with her hand on her chin) is Dorothy King, the future wife of Raymond Merton Becker.  Her mother Louisa Metz King is seated just behind her in the dark dress.  Her brothers Lester and Earl are seated on the extreme right, but her father Samuel King is not pictured.  The other adults are Louisa's numerous brothers and sisters and their spouses.  We believe all 16 surviving siblings are included in the photo.  And that elderly gentleman on the far right may be the younger Frederick Metz (1846-1919), which suggests the picture may have been taken in the summer of 1918.   Another page on this site is devoted to the life of Frederick Metz, Sr., who died in 1910.

Thanks to the generosity of Derrick K. Babbs, we are able to present the obituaries of Fred and his wife, Lydia King (from the records of the Apostolic Christian Church of Fairbury, Illinois):

FRED METZ DIES SUDDENLY

Fairbury, April, 1919

Fred Metz, one of the best known citizens of this city, died very suddenly at his home here about two o’clock yesterday morning, death being due to heart failure from which he had been more or loss a sufferer for some time. Mr. Metz was called to Pontiac Wednesday as a witness in a suit in the Probate Court. His son, Silas, met him at the train and they walked home together. On the way home Mr. Metz told his son that he did not think he had very long to live. He retired as usual, but woke up in the night and talked to his wife awhile. He then said "I guess I’ll take another nap," and turned on his side. In a moment or two Mrs. Metz noticed him breathing heavily and tried to arouse him, knowing there was something wrong. A doctor was immediately called, but Mr. Metz was dead before he arrived.

Mr. Metz was widely known throughout this section and his sudden death came as a shock to not only his immediate family but his many friends in this section. He was a man of sterling character, and an upright, honorable citizen. A good man, always ready to help those around hib, always good natured and of a pleasant, cheerful disposition, he smoothed the pathway of those with whom he came in contact and lightened their burdens. He will he greatly missed and his death mourned by many.

Fred Metz was born in Baden, Germany, December, 1846. He came to this country when a child with his parents who settled in Woodford County, Illinois, later moving to Morton, Tazewell County. Mr. Metz grew to manhood on the farm and when the war of the rebellion broke out he enlisted in the 139th Infantry in Tazewell County, serving through the war and receiving an honorable discharge at its close. He located on a farm near Forrest at the close of the war and January 20, 1870, he was united in marriage to Miss Lydia King and they lived north of Forrest for a time and then moved to Missouri, where they resided several years, when they returned to Illinois, moving to Woodford County, where they lived until Mr. Metz retired from active labor and moved to Fairbury.  Fifteen1 children were born to this union as follows: Oliver and Silas Metz, of Fairbury; Mrs. Mary Knepp and Mrs. Elsie Knepp, of Peoria; Lizzie Metz, of Elmwood; Louise King, of Pontiac; Ella Clymer, of Eureka; John Metz, of Goshen, Indiana; Fred Metz, of Forrest; Nettie Clymer, of Eureka; Frank Metz, of Forrest; William Metz, in France with the 129th Inf.; Barbara Clymer, of Dixon; Lydia Metz, at home; Minnie Reis, of Eureka. The following brothers and sisters also survive: John, Sam, Will, Louie and Amos, Mrs. Weihermiller, of Forrest; Mrs. Carl Hacker, of Eureka; Mrs. J. Zobrist, of Goodfield.

Mr. Metz wife preceded him in death, and he was united in marriage to Miss Emma Beckley, of this city, January 10, 1918.

The funeral services will be held at the Christian Apostolic Church Sunday afternoon, and the remains will be laid to rest in the Fairbury cemetery.

MRS. FRED METZ

Lydia King was born in Tazewell County, Illinois, March 22, 1852, and died at the family in this city Saturday morning, May 1, 1915, after a lingering illness of several years. She was only confined to her bed three days before she was called to the world beyond.

The deceased was the daughter of Samuel and Mary King, early settlers of Tazewell County, there being ten children in the family.2 She was united in marriage to Fred Metz, of this city, on January 20, 1870. They went to Southwest Missouri, where they lived three years, coming from there to this vicinity, where they have since made their home with the exception of ten years they lived at Eureka, moving back to Fairbury in 1909, making their home on South Fifth Street.

There were eighteen children born to this union, three having preceded their mother in death. Those surviving are Silas Metz, of Rome, Michigan; Mrs. Lizzie Hoyt, of Elmwood; Mrs. Ella Clymer, of Eureka; Fred, Jr. and William Metz, Mrs. Barbara Clymer, Mrs. Nettie Clymer, Mrs. Minnie Reis, all of Pike County, Illinois; John, of Eureka; Frank Metz, of Lee County, and Miss Lydia, at home.3

Mrs. Metz was a good Christian woman, a loving mother and a devoted wife. She will be mourned, not only by those in the bereaved home, but by numerous friends.

Funeral services were held from the German Apostolic Church in this city Monday afternoon at 1:30 o'clock, Rev. Rapp of Morton officiating. The services were largely attended, a great many being present from out of town, inter was made in the Fairbury cemetery. 

Footnotes
 1. The actual number of children was 18, as recorded in Lydia's obituary. The others were Cora (1872), Samuel (1882-1889) and Charlie (1891).
 2. More precisely, ten born of Lydia's mother Mary Gerber.  Her father had other children from a previous marriage.  See the Samuel Koenig page for details.
 3. The husbands of Ella, Barbara, Nettie and were the brothers Crawford, John and Frank Clymer. Later, their younger sister Lydia would later marry a fourth brother, Clifford.  All four couples are believed to be in the photo above, with the Clymer men in the back row.

This page was last updated on October 24, 2017

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