Hiester, William Muhlenberg - 3/18/1990

William Muhlenberg Hiester, founder of the Pottstown Mercury, was dead on arrival Sunday morning at 11:45 in Reading Hospital.

 

Hiester, 82, of 1222 Monroe ave., Wyomissing, was the husband of Elizabeth F. (Feldmeier) Hiester.

 

Hiester, who earlier had worked in the editorial department of the Reading Times, founded the Mercury in 1931. He was president and publisher of the paper until retiring in 1967. In 1933, Hiester bought the Pottstown Daily News, which had been founded in 1887. The News was located at King and Hanover streets and the Mercury at 62 High St. Hiester merged the two papers and the the combined papers were then located at King and Hanover. Hiester sold the Mercury in 1966 to Central States Publishing, Inc., and Peerless Publications acquired the paper in May 1967.

A graduate of The Hill School, Pottstown, he was a councilman of the Historical Society of Berks County, and a member for a record 75 years.

 

Hiester formerly had been a director of the United Fund, Pottstown; a director of the Historic Preservation Trust of Berks County; a trustee of St. Joseph Hospital and the former Central YMCA; and an advisory board member of the Salvation Army and of Philadelphia National Bank, both of Pottstown. Born in Reading, he was a son of the late Isaac and Mary (Baer) Hiester.

He was a member of Atonement Lutheran Church, Wyomissing.

 

In addition to his wife, he is survived by a son, Walter W. Hiester, Hershey, and a daughter, Caroline, wife of Jack H. Mills, Plano, Texas. A stepdaughter, Caryl, wife of George G. Wilkinson, Jr., Whitefield, and two stepsons, Craig B. Libby, Carrollton, Texaz, and John R. Libby, Hatfield, Montgomery County. Also, eight grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and a sister, Emily, widow of Bruce P. Harden, Honolulu.

 

Theo C. Auman Inc. is in charge of arrangements.1