Mehring, Joseph

 Banners reading "Joe Merhing Night" greeted the fifty-six members and guests of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church last Tuesday night at the Beulah Inn honoring Mr. Joe Mehring, the oldest pioneer in Beulah Valley. Seated with the guest of honor at the head of the table were his daughter Rose and Bob Caple, his son George and his wife Lorraine from Divine, and his son Bill and wife from Vineland. Six grandchildren were gathered also, which completed his family with the exception of his daughter Helen Kress who lives in California.      Mr. Merhing was born in Helern, Germany in 1878 just two years after Colorado's statehood. As a young man he arrived in America in 1904. He practiced his trade as a tailor and after 10 years headed "out west" to Denver and Pueblo, and eventually Beulah where he brought his young bride to settle on a 240 acre farm on North Creek. This being before bridges and culverts, fourteen forgings of the creek were necessary to get to his farm and the farms of his neighbors who were the only settlers on North Creek at that time. Mrs. Catherine Thompson was one of the children of these three families, and she later taught all of the four Merhing children in the North Creek School. Mrs. Thompson was introduced at the dinner not only as a teacher and neighbor of the Merhing family but for her extraordinary influence on so many lives of so many families through her lifetime in Beulah Valley.      Other guests were Father John Bono and Father Jerry Ingenito from St. Francis Parish in Pueblo, and Father John Bulger of the Cathedral in Pueblo. Letters of congratulations to Mr. Merhing were received and read both from Bishop Charles Buswell and Monsignor A. J. Miller, who were unable to attend the dinner. Mrs. H.A. Amman was chairman of "Joe Merhing Night" assisted by Mrs. A.G. Sinclair and Mrs. Joe Sellers. We of Our Lady of Lourdes Church toast Mr. Merhing for his longevity in Beulah. Particularly do we honor him for his devotion to his adopted country, his God, his community.